How are the Sixers 8–1?

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8–1Best record in the NBA

Now look up the usual team rankings. Philadelphia sits in the bottom half almost everywhere:

20thpoints scoredBestWorst
21streboundsBestWorst
23rdshooting efficiencyBestWorst
26ththrees madeBestWorst
28thoffensive reboundsBestWorst

Every one of those is about scoring. Philly wins everywhere else.

1. They stop you from scoring

Further right means more points scored, higher means fewer points allowed. Philly is a middling offense with one of the best defenses in the league.

104110116122128100106112118124Points scored per game →↑ Fewer points allowedGood at both endsScores a lot, allows a lot
Per game, all 30 teams. Hover a logo for the numbers.
105.23rd in the NBApoints allowed a gameBestWorst
43.5%7th in the NBAopponents’ shootingBestWorst
31.8%9th in the NBAopponents from threeBestWorst

It isn’t because their games are slow, either. Philly plays at league-average speed and still allows the 3rd fewest points per 100 possessions.

2. They don’t give the ball away

A turnover hands the other team a free possession, often an easy layup going the other way. Philly commits 13.0 a game, 2nd fewest in the league, and forces 16.4.

  1. Philly’s points off turnoversAfter the other team loses the ball. 4th most in the NBA22.4
  2. Other teams’ points off turnoversAfter Philly loses the ball. 6th fewest in the NBA16.8
Points scored straight after a turnover, per game.

That 5.6-point swing is nearly their whole winning margin of +5.8 a game. Without the turnover battle, Philly would be about an even team.

3. They save their best for the 4th quarter

On average Philly is behind after the 1st quarter. Then they win every quarter after it, and the 4th by the most.

-20+2+4Quarter 1: Philly -1.0 a game-1.01stQuarter 2: Philly +1.6 a game+1.62ndQuarter 3: Philly +1.2 a game+1.23rdQuarter 4: Philly +4.0 a game+4.04th
Average point margin by quarter. Above zero means Philly won that quarter.
+4.03rd in the NBA4th-quarter margin a gameBestWorst
11.04th-quarter points a game from Tyrese Maxey alone

4. They don’t lose close games

A close game here means within 5 points at some point in the last 5 minutes. Philly has played more of them than anyone and won all 7.

WinsLosses
  1. PHI7–0
  2. BOS4–1
  3. POR3–0
  4. ATL3–1
  5. MEM3–2
  6. CLE3–3
  7. OKC2–0
  8. DEN2–1
Close-game records for the eight teams with the most close wins.
7–01st in the NBAin close games. Nobody else has more than 4 winsBestWorst
+271st in the NBApoints better than opponents in those final minutesBestWorst
34of those late points scored by Maxey

5. Falling behind doesn’t rattle them

They have won four games after trailing by 10 or more, the most in the league. The wildest one: down 29 to Cleveland in the 2nd quarter, and they won by 8.

-30-20-10+10+20+30Q1Q2Q3Q4Down 29Won by 8
Philly's lead (above the line) or deficit (below) through the Oct. 22 win over Cleveland.
  1. @ NYKW 106–100
  2. vs CLEW 114–106
  3. vs MILW 127–116
  4. vs DETL 93–106
  5. @ INDW 114–109
  6. vs NYKW 98–93
  7. @ CHAW 109–104
  8. vs CHIW 126–107
  9. @ DETW 112–106
All nine games in order. Blue is Philly ahead, orange is behind.

The players doing it

Is it real?

Partly. A team that wins by about 6 points a game usually goes about 6–3 over nine games, not 8–1. Philly sits well above the line. Minnesota has the best margin in the league and is only 6–3.

0%25%50%75%100%-20-100+10Average point margin →↑ Win %+11.2, 6–3 (MIN)+5.8, 8–1
The line is what a margin usually earns. Above it means winning more than the margin suggests.
  • Real: the defense and the low turnovers. Both tend to hold up over a season.
  • Real: Maxey closing games. A guard who scores 11 in a 4th quarter wins close ones.
  • Some luck: 7–0 in close games. Those swing on one or two shots, and perfect records rarely last.
  • Not the schedule: their opponents have won 51% of their other games, about average.
  • Too early to say: nine games is about 11% of a season.

In one line: Philly doesn’t beat you with highlight stats. They defend, they keep the ball, and they win the last five minutes.

See where they stand now on the standings, or put them next to anyone on the compare page.

Numbers cover every 2026–27 regular-season game through November 4, from ESPN box scores and play-by-play. Close games, quarter margins and comebacks were counted from the play-by-play. Points per 100 possessions use field-goal attempts − offensive rebounds + turnovers + 0.44 × free-throw attempts.