The Philadelphia 76ers played some outstanding ball over the weekend. They upset the New York Knicks on “we’re not hanging a banner” night, and then overcame the pitfalls of a back-to-back in surging past
the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter the next evening back in Philly. Through it all, the young backcourt looked outstanding, with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe putting up huge numbers and fully displaying whatever you want to believe the clutch gene may be. Jared McCain also looks more like his old self with each passing day and was a part of the closing lineups in the victories. When VJ is asked about the backcourt’s future ceiling and says “one of the greatest ever,” you chuckle a bit at the rookie’s bravado, but you’ve also seen enough to not entirely dismiss it out of hand. Heady times.
The Sixers have every reason to keep the good times rolling tonight as they host the Brooklyn Nets. It’s a spot they ought to take advantage of before heading on the annual Disney on Ice road trip, with the subsequent five games coming away from home. The Nets have been playing better of late, winning five of their last eight contests, but still sit at just 8-19 on the season, 13th in the Eastern Conference. Tonight will already be the third meeting between the two clubs this season, with the Sixers winning both of the earlier games back in November.
Like everyone else, the Sixers are dealing with the winter colds and viruses that are circulating around at this time of year. Quentin Grimes and Dominick Barlow were both added to the injury report for tonight’s game due to illness. I know my household has been ‘DNP – coughing and in need of tissues’ for the last week or so; I empathize with the Sixers’ locker room. On the bright side, Joel Embiid was upgraded to probable. He last played on December 14 in Atlanta, missing the two wins over the weekend.
On the opposing sideline, there’s not a whole lot to report on the injury front. Cam Thomas remains out with a hamstring issue and Drake Powell will miss due to a sprained right ankle. Ben Saraf was recalled from the G League following a 40-point game with the Long Island Nets, although he was shifted to probable with an ankle sprain.
Philadelphia has been playing exciting, drama-filled basketball nearly every game throughout the season. The two earlier victories in Brooklyn were an exception, with both being double-digit wins for the Sixers. As much as we all love to see intense plays in crunch time, it’s good for both the team and our collective blood pressures to mix in some low-stress wins every now and again. Hopefully, the Sixers will be able to accomplish that feat tonight against the Nets, and maybe rest up and ward off cold and flu season before hitting the road.
Game Details
When: Tuesday, December 23, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers
