The Lakers (16-6) are in the last leg of their current three-game East Coast road trip as they’re in Philadelphia, where they will take on the Sixers (13-9) on Sunday. Los Angeles looks to bounce back
after a tough loss against the Boston Celtics.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers
When: 4:30 p.m. PT, Dec. 7
Where: TD Garden
Watch: Prime Video, Spectrum Sportsnet
The last time the Lakers beat the Sixers on the road was Dec. 7, 2017.
That was the game where Brandon Ingram hit the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to seal the victory for the purple and gold. At that time, JJ Redick was the starting guard for the Sixers, LeBron James was a Cavalier and Luka Dončić had not stepped foot in the NBA yet.
The Sixers have been hit by injuries over the last couple of years, but enter this match as the seventh-best team in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid hasn’t really been healthy and has only played eight games so far this season. The same goes with Paul George, who has only suited up seven times. That’s why lately, it feels as if Philadelphia is Tyrese Maxey’s team now.
Maxey, who is averaging a career-high 31.6 points, 7.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds this season, is a big reason why this Sixers team can be competitive on any given night. He’s also surrounded by role players like Quentin Grimes and rookie VJ Edgecombe, who can contribute on both ends of the floor.
As a team, they’re currently ranked 15th on offense and 13th on defense. Considering that they’re actual superstars have been out for most of their games, this is quite good.
Still, the Lakers should be able to handle the Sixers, especially since Dončić and LeBron James are respectively listed as available and questionable on the injury report. It’ll be exciting to get Dončić back after he missed the last two games due to personal reasons. He’ll likely go toe-to-toe with Maxey, and it’ll be up to Austin Reaves and the rest of the role players to support Dončić and outshine the Sixers’ role players. It’s vital that LA takes advantage of their depth in this one.
But more than anything, it’s about time they win a game in Philadelphia. Let’s see if they can do just that and conclude their current road trip on a winning note.
Notes and Updates
- For the Lakers’ injury report, Marcus Smart (left lumbar muscle strain) is listed as out.
- LeBron James (right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis) is questionable.
- As for the Sixers, Kelly Oubre (left knee sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) are out.
- Joel Embiid (left knee injury) and Paul George (left knee injury) are questionable.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
