Super Bowl 52: 76ers' Dream of Patriots-Eagles Tickets Ends With Loss to Grizzlies

The Philadelphia 76ers' dream of a trip to Super Bowl 52 died on Monday night with a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

At least, it did if head coach Brett Brown is a man of his word.

Brown told NBC Sports Philadelphia on Monday that the 76ers could go to Minnesota to watch the Patriots and Eagles on February 4 provided Philadelphia won its next eight games.

That run would put the 76ers in the driver's seat for a playoff place in an Eastern Conference that is beginning to stretch out towards the final quarter of the season. "Brett Brown just told @NBCSPhilly that a couple of his players have already asked to attend the Super Bowl," 76ers sideline reporter Molly Sullivan tweeted. "Joel Embiid told me this morning he's in, if Coach is. The deal? Brett said if they go undefeated the next eight games, they can charter from Indy to Minny."

Brown's team didn't hold up its end of the bargain, though. The 76ers slipped up against the lowly Grizzlies, falling 105-101 at FedEx Forum. Embiid was held to 15 points (with 14 rebounds, mind you), and Rookie of the Year candidate Ben Simmons had just six points of his own on the night. The Grizzlies had one of their better all-round efforts of the season. Marc Gasol had 19 points and veteran guard Mario Chalmers scored 17 in 21 minutes.

The 76ers remain eighth in the Eastern Conference, holding onto the final playoff spot by a game ahead of the slumping Detroit Pistons. They had led 83-74 with a quarter to play, before a series of turnovers let the Grizzlies back into the game. Simmons' performance and his form of late came in for criticism from sections of the basketball media. " Ben Simmons' inability to shoot the ball particularly becomes a problem late in games when the Sixers need to score quickly," Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com tweeted.

The 76ers will probably claim a playoff spot all the same. But their sloppiness means they aren't going to the Super Bowl.