The Philadelphia 76ers come home after a little 4 game road trip to face one of their opponents from that road trip, the San Antonio Spurs. The Sixers are not sure if they will have Joel Embiid but the Spurs don't know if they will have their star, Kawhi Leonard. Wash?
The Sixers are on a 4 game losing streak, with their last win coming from home against the Sacramento Kings. In the last game, the Sixers lost to the Pistons 96-113. After a close first half, the Sixers started the 3rd quarter turning the ball over and playing poor defense. They trailed by as much as 26 points and could not stop Andre Drummond as he finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds.
The Spurs are coming off of a loss. Without Leonard, they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies 89-74. The Spurs were in the game for the most part until 4th quarter, where they only scored 9 points. It's not like the Grizzlies shot much better. The Spurs shot 37 percent from the floor, while the Grizzlies shot 40 percent. The Grizzlies only had two more made field goals than the Spurs. The game was lost at the free throw line. The Grizzlies got 21 points from the line while the Spurs got only 10.
Now, the Sixers will face a different Spurs team than last time since Leonard played last week. The Sixers lost last Thursday 86-102 to the Spurs. The Sixers have lost 11 straight to this dynasty. Considering the teams meet twice per season, it's been at least five years since the Sixers beat the Spurs.
Yes, this is a different game thanks to roster updates. The Sixers were without Embiid, Nerlens Noel, and Robert Covington, key members to the team, especially defensively. The Spurs were without Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, their starting Center and Power Forward, respectively. The Sixers should have Noel and Covington while the Spurs should have Aldridge this time around. As stated earlier, it's unknown at this time if Embiid and/or Leonard will suit up.
The Sixers seem to only have a chance because the last win came at home against a team whose city name started with an "S" in Sacramento. Otherwise, this could be another long night.
Stats rankings:
Sixers (Spurs)
Points per game: 27th (10th)
FG%: 29th (3rd)
3P%: 23rd (1st)
Assists: 9th (7th)
Rebounds: 25th (18th)
Steals: 11th (10th)
Blocks: 7th (3rd)
The Sixers are 16th in defensive rating while the Spurs are the best rated defense in the league. Combined with the shooting numbers as you saw and this indeed could be a long one. Toss in the fact the Sixers are 29th the league in turnovers, and the Spurs' defense will not go hungry tonight.
Projected Starters:
Sixers
PG: TJ McConnell
SG: Nik Stauskas
SF: Robert Covington
PF: Ersan Ilyasova
C: Jahlil Okafor
Spurs
PG: Tony Parker
SG: Danny Green
SF: Johnathan Simmons
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Dewayne Dedmon
Game Info:
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
When: 7PM ET
Watch it: CSN Philly
Hear it: 97.5 The Fanatic
