Sixers visit slumping Bucks to start four-game road trip

By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor

 Tip-off: 8:00 pm ❖ Location: Milwaukee, WI ❖ TV: ESPN ❖ Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic 

The Philadelphia 76ers (34-27) head back on the road for four games beginning Sunday night in Milwaukee for a meeting with the slumping Bucks (33-29), who've lost four in a row. The Sixers are riding high coming into the matchup, having tallied a big road victory in Cleveland on Thursday before staging a comeback to beat the Hornets at home on Friday, sweeping their back-to-back.

Tonight's game will be the first time this season both Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo take the court for their respective teams against each other. In the first Sixers-Bucks matchup this season, back on January 20, Giannis was sidelined and Embiid posted 29 points en route to a 116-94 Sixers win. On January 29 in Milwaukee, Embiid was out and Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to a 107-94 win. Here's a look at what the two stars have done over the last five games: 

Philadelphia sits in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games ahead the Bucks. Ahead of the Sixers are Indiana and Washington and they play each other tonight, so a Philadelphia win will guarantee they pick up a game on one of the two teams. If Washington loses and Philadelphia wins, the Sixers will be tied with them for the fifth spot. If the Wizards win and the Sixers win, then they'd move into sole possession the fifth spot.

If the Sixers lose, the Bucks will gain a game on them and be just a half game behind, but Philadelphia wouldn't drop in the standings. The Sixers remain two games ahead of eighth place Miami.

The goal for the Sixers is to make it to the playoffs and it looks like they are well on their way to achieving that. Once they get there though, can they contend? Ersan Ilyasova thinks so.

Ersan Ilyasova asked if thinks Sixers are ready to contend:"Why not." "When you look at the Eastern Conference, everyone is close to each other. Everyone is beatable."

— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) March 3, 2018

Projected Lineups, Injury Report: 

Matchup Preview  |  March 4, 2018
	@
Philadelphia 76ers (34-27, 14-17 Away)		Milwaukee Bucks (33-29, 19-13 Home)
Projected Starters Ben Simmons Point Guard Eric Bledsoe J.J. Redick Shooting Guard Tony Snell* Robert Covington Small Forward Khris Middleton Dario Saric Power Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Joel Embiid Center John Henson Injury Report Justin Anderson (ankle/out)   Malcolm Brogdon (quad/out) Markelle Fultz (shoulder/out)   Matthew Dellavedova (ankle/out) Furkan Korkmaz (foot/out)   Shabazz Muhammad (questionable)     Mizra Teletovic (illness/out)     Tony Snell (thigh/probable)