The Philadelphia 76ers are staying in Los Angeles to take on James Harden and the Clippers after starting their road trip 0-2 with losses to the Suns and Lakers. They’ll be looking to change that against a Clippers team that’s currently in 4th place in the Western Conference. The Clippers have won their last two games, both over the Portland Trail Blazers, after going 1-4 over the previous week.
76ers vs Clippers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (38-32) at Los Angeles Clippers (44-25)
When: 3:30 pm EST
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles CA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, Bally Sports SoCal
76ers vs Clippers betting information
Spread: 76ers +9.5 | Clippers -9.5
Moneyline: 76ers +350 | Clippers -455
Total: Over/Under 215.5
Latest on the 76ers
This version of the 76ers, as it is today, is not good and it’s not getting any better. Against some of the poorer teams in the league, they have shown promise that Joel Embiid’s return could be enough to lead them to a title. However, in front of a playoff caliber team, they fall apart.
It would be easy to put the blame on someone like Tobias Harris, who’s deserved all of the criticism he’s faced throughout the season but it’s the whole team. The veteran shot just 6-18 from the field and was 1-6 on three-point attempts, but actually finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds on the night against the Lakers.
If you look around, Tyrese Maxey, who’s supposed to be the star and focal point of the team right now, didn’t fare much better. He shot 10-26 from the field on his way to 27 points but only finished with 3 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting a dreadful 1-9 on his three-point attempts.
The 76ers as a whole shot 34.4% from the floor against the Lakers while managing just 21.6% on their three-pointers. This is not the recipe for success in the NBA. Mo Bamba shot better on his three-pointers (2-5) than anyone else on the team as he finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds. The Sixers have to be better if they want to win a play-in game and actually participate in the playoffs.
Latest on the Clippers
The Clippers are looking to extend their lead over teams like the Pelicans, Suns, and Kings, to ensure a good position as the playoffs roll around. They’ve put it together the past couple games after tough losses and should be welcoming back Russell Westbrook at some point this week.
When it comes to the Clippers it’s really about their “big three” in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden. After a rough start to the Harden era in Los Angeles, the Clippers have been rolling with these three in charge. The best part, for the Clippers, is that all three have appeared in more than 60 games this season already and aren’t looking like they’re slowing down.
While Leonard and George are pacing the team with 23.8 and 22.5 points per game, Harden has settled into the third wheel and is giving the team 17.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game. While his numbers might look lower than one would expect, he is complimenting LA’s two stars as opposed to trying to be one.
What to watch for today
The Clippers have the 4th best offense in the league and with the Sixers slipping down the defensive ratings, currently at 12th, that doesn’t bode well for the visitors today. The Clippers can light it up and have been shooting well over their past few games. That’s something that the Sixers have really struggled with.
Tyrese Maxey, while he hasn’t had the best shooting of late, is still trying to win these games and lead this team. It just appears that he’s saddled with players that he’s not strong enough to elevate. Philadelphia can’t sit and wait for Joel Embiid’s return alone is going to be enough. They must find a way to shoot the ball better, get their teammates better looks, or have Nick Nurse come up with something that’s going to help this team get into the playoffs.
Today, they may stand a chance of breaking out of their shooting slump as the Clippers aren’t the best defensive team in the league but they’ll have a hard time running with the Clippers who can score points in bunches. Maybe it’s time for some of the young kids to play extended minutes or to give Cam Payne some more looks as he’s been the only bench player consistently scoring lately. There has to be something or else this will just be the James Harden show, where he puts up a triple-double just to show the Sixers what they’re missing.
Prediction
Sixers 97 – Clippers 113
AP Photo/Gareth Patterson
