By Josh Liddick, Sports Talk Philly Staff 
The Philadelphia 76ers (23-42) are in search of their first win in four games as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers (20-45). Luckily, the Sixers didn't have to move anywhere, as they played the Clippers at the Staples Center on Saturday night.
Since the 30-point loss to the Pistons back on March 4, the Sixers have done a good job at staying close in games and making the most out of the opportunities they are given.
For a team that lacks Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, it's miraculous that the team is able to stay with the Western Conference opponents they have faced in the last week or so.
The Sixers have gotten huge minutes from Dario Saric and Robert Covington in the last couple weeks, and it's because of them, that they are able to stay in games when the Sixers of the past would've been crushed under the pressure.
Last Meeting:
The last time the Lakers and the Sixers squared off was back on December 17 in Philadelphia. The Lakers won the contest, 100-89 to snap their eight-game losing streak. The Lakers got a big game from Julius Randle, who scored nine of his 25 points in the first quarter alone. Randle finished the night shooting 10-of-13 from the field, making five-of-six free throws. On top of the points, Randle also had nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young had 15 points a-piece. Lou Williams had 18 points, three assists and four steals off the bench for the Lakers.
The Sixers struggled shooting in the first quarter and were outscored 30-18 in the first 12 minutes. Joel Embiid had 15 points, Robert Covington had 14 points and six rebounds, Jahlil Okafor had 14 points and eight boards. The Sixers had a double-double from Ersan Ilyasova, who put up 13 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench.
As a team, the Sixers shot 36.4% (32-88) from the field, and were 6-of-31 from three point land. The Lakers led the game in turnovers with 20, but they got more points off of turnovers(25) than the Sixers, which helped pace them to victory in the end.
Key to the game: Robert Covington
All season long, there has been debates on whether or not the Sixers should let Ro-Co walk, or extend him to a long-term contract. If there was any reason to keep the small forward, the last couple weeks should be a pretty great indicator.
Looking it over, the Sixers haven't had much to worry about at the small forward position, as Covington has taken care of the basketball and his job pretty well over the course of the season.
Covington has averaged 13 points and six rebounds a game for the Sixers this season.
In the last 10 games alone, Covington has put up some pretty impressive numbers compared to the previous games he has played this season. In his last ten, he's averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, and two steals for Philly. Covington struggled to get his game going last night against the Clippers, but on March 9, Covington was a key reason the Sixers stayed in the game and forced overtime against the Trail Blazers. A double-double to his name, he had 24 points and 13 rebounds.
It's no secret at this point in the season that when Covington gets going defensively, he brings out the best of everyone around him. It's rare to find a player who can do that, and his defensive stature alone should be one of the many reason Covington should stay a member of the team in the future.
Previous Game Rewind:
Sixers: The Sixers played a tough matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night. It was a game that was back-and-forth throughout and needed a big Clippers fourth quarter to come away with the victory. Sixers led 79-75 going into the fourth quarter, but L.A. only need 12 extra minutes to go on a run and beat the Sixers on their home floor. The Clippers out-scored Philly 37-21 in the fourth, and didn't look back after that. Chris Paul looked like himself, scoring 30 points and dished out seven assists for the Clippers. DeAndre Jordan had 19 points, 20 rebounds, and three blocks. The Sixers got a big night from Richaun Holmes off the bench, who went for 24 points and nine rebounds. Dario Saric had 16 points. The Clippers used that big fourth quarter to win it by 12, 112-100.
Lakers: The Lakers are coming off a victory against the Phoenix Suns, 122-110. The win snapped their eight-game losing streak. D'Angelo Russell paced the team with 28 points, Jordan Clarkson had 19 points off the bench for L.A. Brandon Ingram had 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists for the Lakers. Devin Booker had a good night for the Suns with 23 points, but the Lakers took advantage and came away with the 'W'.
| Matchup Preview | March 12, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Philadelphia 76ers (23-42, 8-23 Away) |
Los Angeles Lakers (20-45, 12-18 Home) |
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