The surging Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers kept their strong surge Friday as they earned a 115-109 road win and handed the Boston Celtics their first home loss this season. Philly is now 19-7, winners of four in a row, and 13 of its last 15 games.
Everything is set to continue on Saturday as the Sixers are looking pretty strong at home with a perfect 13-0 record thus far. Joel Embiid (22.7 PPG, 12.3 RPG) is also loaded with motivation after Inside the NBA analysts and NBA Hall-of-Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley recently blasted his up-and-down play. The Sixers’ All-Star big man responded and poured in a season-high 38 points and hauled in 13 rebounds against the Celtics.
Embiid will again be aided by Ben Simmons (13.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 8.3 APG), Tobias Harris (19.2 PPG), and Josh Richardson (15.2 PPG). Al Horford (13.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.9 APG) missed his homecoming in Boston due to a knee injury and it’s still unsure if he’ll be available tomorrow.
On a long losing streak
The New Orleans Pelicans just can’t stop losing. They have now dropped 10 consecutive games and only lead the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference with their 6-19 record.
It’s tough to construct anything positive about the Pelicans, particularly when they’re up against a top-tier opponent like the Sixers. The offense can score and run the floor relentlessly (top 10 in scoring and top 4 in threes and pace) but all of that gets stomped out by a woeful defense that ranks 29th in points allowed (119.8 PAPG) and 26th in efficiency.
Brandon Ingram (24.9 PPG), Jrue Holiday (19.3 PPG, 6.6 APG), and JJ Redick (18.8 PPG since Nov 10th), the Pels’ top three scorers, will have their hands full against the big, active, and stingy Sixers defense.
New Orleans is 2-10 on the road this season.
PREDICTION:
The Sixers, who just played a tough game less than 24 hours ago, may have some struggles against a Pelicans team that likes to keep the pace fast, but in the end, they’ll pull through with a 116-110 win.
