ATLANTA _ On a night when the 76ers played well in spurts, they managed to put just enough together to come out with out with a lackluster 121-113 win and get past the woeful Atlanta Hawks.
But the Sixers (51-30) still established sole possession of the franchise single-season win streak with their 15th-straight win. Most nights that would dominate the postgame discussions.
JJ Redick finished with a team-high 28 points while making 6 of 9 3-pointers. Ben Simmons had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists after being listed as questionable with gastroenteritis earlier in day.
Meanwhile, Dario Saric suffered a game-ending cut lip and chipped left central incisor on the first possession of the contest. His status for Wednesday night's contest against the Milwaukee Bucks will be determined after Wednesday's dentist visit.
Most nights the winning streak, the injury and the players' performance would dominate the postgame discussions.
But this was a potential trap game with everyone _ players, fans, coaches and the media _ well aware that the Bucks were looming in regular-season finale at Wells Fargo Center.
And with that being said, it was an across-the-board Milwaukee-centered focus for everyone associated with Sixers.
"We know it's a big game," Simmons said. "They are coming in to win also. So for us, you have to be locked-in as soon as the (Hawks) is over and be ready for the next game."
The Sixers currently have the third seed in the Eastern Conference for the upcoming playoffs. Beating the Bucks (44-37) is the best way to guarantee keeping it.
Otherwise, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are a game behind, would have to lose their regular-season finale against the New York Knicks.
Monday's victory over the Knicks gave the Cavaliers (50-31) the Central Division title. As division winners, they would hold the tiebreaker over the Sixers should both teams finish with the same record. That's why the Sixers want to control their own destiny by beating Milwaukee.
The Bucks, the Miami Heat or Washington Wizards were potential first-round opponents heading into Tuesday's NBA games, assuming the Sixers get the third seed. They would face the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers by sliding to the fourth spot.
The Sixers will host Game 1 of their opening-round playoff series against an undetermined opponent on Saturday at Wells Fargo Center.
The Bucks won two of their season's three games versus the Sixers, winning the last two games _ both in Milwaukee.
In their last game, a 118-110 decision in Milwaukee, the Sixers blew a 20-point lead in the first half then a 19-point one after intermission. They also committed 26 turnovers, which led to 36 points by the Bucks.
So the Sixers want to have a great performance on Wednesday.
"Especially because it's the last regular-season game," Simmons said. "So for me, I want to come out and make a statement that we are ready.
"Obviously without (Joel Embiid), again, but we still have a great team."
Embiid will miss his eighth straight game after fracturing the orbital bone near his left eye and sustaining a concussion against the Knicks on March 28. On social media Wednesday, the all-star center showed off the mask that he'll wear once return to action. While the Sixers won't give a timetable for his return, the hope is that he'll be back at some point in the first round.
Embiid might not be only standout to miss Wednesday's game. All-star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored a game-high 35 points that night, has missed Milwaukee's last two games with soreness in his right ankle. His squad has yet to release its injury report.
Meanwhile, Saric is questionable.
He cut his upper lip and chipped his tooth while colliding with Hawks power forward John Collins 13 seconds into the game. After falling to the court, Saric got up and immediately jogged to the locker room. The dentist visit in Philadelphia will determine if the chipped tooth is a fracture. Fear of a fracture was the only reason he didn't return against the Hawks.
On Tuesday, Redick hit a pair of foul shots to give the Sixers a 119-112 lead with 23.2 seconds left. Then Ersan Ilyasova added two more at the 16.4 mark to the Sixers a nine-point lead (121-112)
Ilyasova, a former Hawk, finished with 26 points and Marco Belinelli had 20 in reserve roles. Amir Johnson had 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting to go with eight rebounds and five assists.
Taurean Prince paced the Hawks with 27 points.
