The Sixers are coming off two wins over the Knicks and Nets. Joel Embiid is continuing to dominate any team that the Sixers go up against. Saturday, against the Nets, Embiid finished with 37 points and 13 rebounds in 37 minutes. He’s currently leading the league in scoring and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Will the Rockets have any answer on Monday night?
Sixers vs Rockets Game info
Who: Houston Rockets (13-43) at Philadelphia 76ers (36-19)
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
When: 7:00 EST
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Sixers vs Rockets betting info
Spread: Sixers -13.5 | Rockets +13.5
Moneyline: Sixers -650 | Rockets +950
Total: Over/Under 220
For the Sixers:
The Sixers bought in Jalen McDaniels at the trade deadline and he played Saturday, finishing with 5 points and 4 rebounds in 16 minutes. The hope is that his defense will help people forget that he was traded for Matisse Thybulle and that he can add some extra firepower to the offense. The team also picked up Dewayne Dedmon to the roster for the rest of the season, giving them some legitimate size at the backup center position.
With the addition of Dedmon, Paul Reed could see his very limited minutes drop to almost nothing if Harrell continues to get time.
The Sixers need to get McDaniels involved on the offense, especially with the second unit and even with the starters. PJ Tucker has been battling injuries all season and DeAnthony Melton needs to be coming off the bench. The team will need a complete game from everyone to knock off the Rockets.
For the Rockets:
The Rockets are coming into Philadelphia on a five-game losing streak, including two very close ones this past week, losing by two points to the Kings on Wednesday, then by two points again to the Heat on Friday.
Jalen Green is leading the Rockets with 21.7 points per game in what is only his second season. The Rockets are loaded with some talented young players, it’s just not coming together for them. Eric Gordon was traded away to the Clippers at the deadline, handing the reins over to Danny Green.
Kevin Porter Jr. was averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 40 games this season but is now out indefinitely with a foot injury. That leaves the other “juniors” on the roster to try to pick up some of that scoring. Jabari Smith Jr. is averaging 12 points per game and Kenyon Martin Jr. is averaging 11.7 himself. They’ll likely pick up some more as Porter’s minutes will need to be covered.
Center Alperen Sengun has developed quite nicely for the Rockets and could provide a big body to put up against Joel Embiid. While no one has been able to control Embiid this season, Sengun should at least allow the rockets some defensive freedom with other Sixers players. Sengun is averaging 15.3 points per game to go along with 8.7 rebounds and looks to be a big part of the Rockets’ future.
What to expect:
While the Sixers lost to the Rockets early in the season, they aren’t the same team. In spite of a bad few games over the past couple of weeks, they’ve remained one of the hottest teams in the league over the past two months. Tonight, after what happened at the start of the season, the Sixers will be looking for a little revenge and to show that earlier was a fluke. This shouldn’t be a tough game for the Sixers and we should expect some extended minutes for the second unit.
Prediction: Sixers 121 – Rockets 103
Sixers vs Rockets betting offers
AP Photo/John Minchillo
