It was a near perfect road trip for the Philadelphia 76ers. That’s what 1-5 equals, in the upside-down world that the 76ers’ 2024-25 season inhabits. Luckily, a six-game road trip occasioned by the arrival of the NCAA Wrestling Championships to Philadelphia hid the nasty work of tanking from bro ad public view. Though that changes this week with a three-game homestand, as the path to retaining their first-round draft pick gets harder. About that road trip: The 76ers rebounded from an unseemly win in Dallas, Quentin Grimes hitting his former employer for 28 points, to lose the next five, including the clutch squandering of a 25-point lead in Houston to fall in overtime after never trailing in regulation. Grimes’ play continued to improve so much — he scored 46 points against the Rockets — that to prevent a repeat of him costing them a loss like he did with 44 points against Golden State on March 1, he was given the ultimate compliment: Being rested against New Orleans Monday night. Nick Nurse has helped his team’s cause by rotating in six different lineups in the trip. That makes 48 for 72 games, if you’re keeping score. It included three starts for Chuma Okeke, who played so well in getting 14 points and 15 rebounds against Oklahoma City as to be elevated to the lineup. He has been surrounded by a rotating cast of wings and the woe-begotten Guerschon Yabusele. With the addition of Marcus Bagley, the 76ers are up to 27 players who’ve gotten minutes this season and 21 who’ve started at least one game. They enter this homestand with a bloated 20 on the roster, thanks to the parade of season-ending injuries. The injury report for Wednesday’s misery bowl with Washington already lists as out Andre Drummond (toe), Kelly Oubre (knee), Tyrese Maxey (right finger) and Lonnie Walker (neck sprain). That’s in addition to the season shutting-down of Paul George and Joel Embiid, with Maxey possibly headed in that direction given the back and finger issues he’s played through. Maxey last played March 3. Oubre was last active March 12. Adem Bona is at least back after five games out with a sprained ankle, having returned Monday. The margins are so thin right now that the 76ers can hardly risk activating one only to have them go out and win a game. The 76ers (23-49) have 10 games remaining, seven at home. They twice have to play Washington, which is in a pitched battle with Utah for the No. 1 draft lottery odds. There’s a showdown looming on Sunday with Toronto, two spots ahead — or behind? What is up and what is down? — in the standings. The 76ers also twice face the Heat, which just ended a 10-game losing streak and is racing to the bottom, as well as one meeting with Chicago, which has nobly — stupidly? — won eight of 10. Chicago and Miami are ninth and 10th, respectively, in the Eastern Conference, because by rule someone has to make the playoffs. As of Tuesday, the 76ers sit tied with Brooklyn at 23-49 for the fifth-worst record in the NBA. Washington (15-56), Utah (16-56), Charlotte (18-53) and New Orleans (20-53), which beat the 76ers Monday night, seem uncatchable. The 76ers and Nets are tied for the fifth-worst record, and Toronto, at 25-47, is two games back (or ahead). Brooklyn also has seven of its last 10 at home; two of the road trips are to fellow tankers Washington and Dallas. The Nets have two against Toronto, plus one against New Orleans. The 76ers only retain their first-round pick if it lands in the top six, otherwise it conveys to Oklahoma City from the Al Horford trade. Finishing with the fifth-worst record in the NBA gives the 76ers a 62.2 percent chance of a pick in the top six, thus retaining it. If they finish sixth, their chance of keeping the pick is only 47.7. It’s the last thing the 76ers have to play for this year, and the competition might be unsightly. ...read more read less