The Philadelphia 76ers are taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday nights as they are desperately trying to avoid the play-in tournament. Currently, in the 8th seed in the Easter Conference and with no chance of falling out of the playoffs, the Sixers need to get some wins as they try to catch the Pacers or Magic for the 5th or 6th seeds.
The Cavaliers are pretty secure where they’re at, but a few victories could get them up into the 4th seed, or if Milwaukee starts to fall apart, they could aim for the 2nd seed as the playoffs approach.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) at Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29)
When: 7:30 pm EST
Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland OH
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
Latest on the Sixers
The Sixers are coming off a tough loss to the Clippers on Wednesday night that ended in controversy and with Kelly Oubre Jr. going off on the referees for missed calls. Oubre Jr. was in the right, the referees blew the call at the end of the game and admitted as much after the game. The problem is that it didn’t change the fact that the Sixers lost 108-107. It may be the rant of the year from anyone in the league and probably made Oubre a lifetime hero in Philly.
While the Sixers were doing their best to salvage a win over the Clippers, Tyrese Maxey was shooting well and playing his heart out, as he does each and every night, but he needed some help. While Oubre shot just 6-17 from the field, he did end the night with 17 points and 11 rebounds, giving the Sixers a lift and an emotional lift after the game ended.
What may be lost in all of the controversy surrounding the ending of the game was Buddy Hield seemingly regaining his shooting touch that’s been missing since shortly after he was acquired at the trade deadline. Hield has been having a rough time of late but returned on Wednesday, shooting 7-11 from the field and 3-7 on his three-pointers.
It was a return to form and a welcomed sight for the team as they head to the playoffs and need Hield playing his best. The Sixers will need every bit of his shooting over the next week if they’re going to jump a few spots in the standings.
In what seems to be an every-game thing, Tobias Harris disappeared when the team needed him most. Shooting 3-5 in the first quarter as the Sixers jumped out to a 12-point lead, Harris attempted ZERO shots in the second quarter and was 2-4 in the second half. It’s almost laughable, as his impending free agency is on the horizon, and he’s already disappeared from the Sixers.
Latest on the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have been in a tailspin lately, as they’re just 3-7 over their last ten games. Some good news for the team is that leading scorer Donovan Mitchell could be returning from a knee injury for the game this evening. Mitchell was the catalyst behind the early season surge of the Cavs as they were in 2ndplace in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break. His injury has been a big reason that the Cavaliers have dropped to fourth in the conference, and he’s needed desperately for them to do anything in the playoffs.
Without Mitchell, the team has had to rely more on Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen to carry the load, and it’s a tougher road as they’re all talented players, but none are of the level of Mitchell. Even Max Strus and Caris Levert are able to score in bunches, the team just has had a hard time putting it together of late.
With the return of Mitchell on the table for Friday’s game, the Cavs would be looking to beat up on the Sixers, who are still missing Joel Embiid, and try to create some more space between themselves and the Magic for the 4th seed in the East. The issue becomes that the Sixers have handled the Cavaliers in their previous two contests and those were without Embiid. The Cava must be weary of what they’re in store for tonight.
What to watch for tonight
The Sixers should be heading full steam through the next several games prior to the end of the season where four of their last five games are against teams in the bottom of the league. They’ll need to be playing at their best to beat the Cavs and with what we saw at the end of the Clippers game, they look to have some fire in them.
A combination of Maxey, Oubre Jr., and Hield, all scoring and shooting well, would be a nightmare for the Cavs, who’ve seen first-hand what the Sixers can do to them. With players like Cam Payne and the center duo of Mo Bamba and Paul Reed all adding quality nightly minutes, scoring, and rebounding, the Sixers are starting to come together at the right time.
The big news that will be talked about throughout the game is that the Sixers injury report from ESPN has Joel Embiid listed with an April 2nd return date. While nothing is set in stone, Embiid did travel with the team, and if he does return, then it would be against the Thunder, and the team would surely need him against one of the top Western Conference teams.
That would also give the Sixers their final seven games of the season to get Embiid and his teammates on the same page. Opening up shooting for Payne, Oubre Jr., and Hield, as well as freeing Maxey again. The excitement is starting to brew in south Philadelphia as the playoffs approach, and Embiid gets closer to returning.
Prediction
Sixers 117 – Cavaliers 112
