Three road-and-home wins, all by five, put the 76ers alone atop the East

The 76ers finished the week the way they started it: winning by five. The last of those, 109-104 at Charlotte on Saturday, moved Philadelphia to 6-1 and kept them a half game clear of Detroit at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Three games, three wins, and a combined margin of 15 points. None of it was comfortable. All of it counts.

The week

Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers, Oct 28: 76ers 114, Pacers 109. Philadelphia won on the road to go to 4-1, but the five-point margin landed just short of a 5.5-point spread. The 223 total points stayed well under a market number in the mid-230s, and Tyrese Maxey cleared 24.5 points with at least three made threes.

New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers, Oct 30: 76ers 98, Knicks 93. The lowest-scoring game of the week, and the only one at home. Philadelphia held the Knicks to 93 and moved to 5-1, while New York fell to 2-4.

Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets, Oct 31: 76ers 109, Hornets 104. Another road win by five, the third straight game decided by that margin. The Hornets dropped to 3-4, and Philadelphia reached 6-1.

Where they stand

The top of the conference is tight:

• Philadelphia 76ers: 6-1 (6-1 in conference)
• Detroit Pistons: 5-1 (5-1)
• Boston Celtics: 4-1 (4-1)
• Cleveland Cavaliers: 4-2 (3-2)
• Toronto Raptors: 3-2 (3-1)

Every one of Philadelphia's seven games has come against Eastern Conference opponents, so the 6-1 conference mark is the whole record. That matters for tiebreakers down the line, and it means the early lead over Detroit and Boston has been built head-to-head against the same pool they are chasing.

The three teams the 76ers beat this week all sit in the bottom half. Charlotte is eighth at 3-4, New York 11th at 2-4, and the Pacers 12th at 2-4. Beating the teams you should is not glamorous, but it is how 6-1 happens.

The desk

All four members of the desk went to the Indiana game this week, and the five-point final sorted them neatly.

Marcus "Film Room" Dawkins went 3-0 and is now 6-0 on the season. He took Philadelphia to win outright rather than lay points, played the under at 236.5, and backed Maxey for over 2.5 threes. Taking the moneyline instead of the spread was the difference in a game decided by five.

Lou "The Sharp" Marchetti went 2-1 and sits at 5-1. The under at 236.5 and Maxey over 24.5 points both cashed, but Philadelphia -5.5 lost by half a point.

Dr. Priya "The Quant" Raman also went 2-1, now 4-2. She took Indiana +6.5, which covered, and Joel Embiid over 8.5 rebounds, which hit. Her over at 235.5 did not come close.

Vera "The Fade" Kowalski went 0-3 and is 1-5. Indiana to win, the over at 235.5 and Maxey under 24.5 points all went the wrong way. Fading a team that keeps winning has not paid yet.

What's next

Philadelphia carries a 6-1 record and a half-game conference lead into November, with Detroit at 5-1 and Boston at 4-1 close enough that one bad night changes the order. Three straight five-point wins suggest a team that is finding ways to close rather than pulling away, and the margins will be worth watching as the opponents get stronger. The full upcoming schedule, with odds as games are posted, is on the scores page.