Sunday evening, on the second night of a back-to-back for both squads, the Cavaliers host the 76ers in a potential playoff matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 o’clock ET. The Sixers can clinch a playoff berth with a win. This season, Philly has prevailed in their previous three matchups with Cleveland. In their most recent meeting on March 16th, the Sixers were victorious 118-114 behind a 35-point, 17-rebound, 5-assist performance from Joel Embiid.
Matchup Details
Today, 24-year old Lamar Stevens gets a chance to square off against his hometown team. The young Cavs wing won the state championship his senior year at Roman Catholic. Another interesting dynamic heading into this evening’s game is amongst two natives of Turkey. Sixers’ Furkan Korkmaz and Cavaliers’ Cedi Osman were teammates on Anadolu Efes prior to their introductions to the NBA.
Taking the last meeting into account, the Sixers should feel as if no lead is safe. Cleveland, a team that plays with spirited energy despite key absences, stormed back from a double-digit deficit in the second half to take a brief fourth-quarter lead on March 16th. Fans of the Sixers should anticipate a closely competitive game, as the previous three meetings have averaged a margin of victory of 6.7 points. Sixers fans should also monitor Tobias Harris‘ three-point attempts. The forward has recently been on an upward trajectory in relation to volume from deep.
Injury Report
Cleveland:
- Evan Mobley – Ankle – OUT
- Jarrett Allen – Left Middle Finger Fracture – OUT
- Rajon Rondo – Ankle – OUT
- Collin Sexton – Left Knee – OUT
- Dean Wade – Knee – OUT
Philadelphia:
- Joel Embiid – Left Ankle Soreness – QUESTIONABLE
- Jaden Springer – G League Assignment – OUT
- Charles Bassey – G League Assignment – OUT
- Charlie Brown Jr. – G League Assignment – OUT
- Myles Powell – G League Assignment – OUT
Current Eastern Conference Standings
After tonight, the Sixers have just four games remaining in the regular season. Currently, in fourth, the team sits 2.5 games behind the one-seeded Miami Heat. Cleveland is in seventh, 4.5 games behind the Sixers, and 2 games behind Chicago for the last spot outside of the play-in tournament. The Cavs have been underperforming of late, as rookie sensation Evan Mobley was added to their extended list of injuries. As a result, the Rookie of the Year contender has missed the previous three games.
76ers/Cavs Betting Information
Per Draft Kings, the Philadelphia 76ers are the favorites to win tonight’s matchup.
- Spread: 76ers -4
- 76ers’ Moneyline: -170
- Cavalier’s Moneyline: +150
- O/U: 224
Today’s game can be followed on NBC Sports Philly Plus and 97.5 The Fanatic. Tip-off is set for 6 o’clock ET. For more Philadelphia sports coverage and extended Sixers insight, visit PhillySportsNetwork.com!
