The Philadelphia 76ers are in Utah to take on the Jazz on Saturday night, looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season. After getting blown out by the Cavaliers last week, the Sixers went on to defeat the Spurs in the ejection game, then took down the Celtics on Christmas Day. The Jazz have lost two games in a row and will be looking to get themselves back in the win column.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (11-17) at Utah Jazz (7-22)
When: 9:30 p.m. EST
Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, Root Sports Northwest
Latest on the Sixers
The Sixers are riding high after beating the Celtics on Christmas Day behind All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey‘s 33 points and 12 assists, combined with noted Boston killer Caleb Martin, who added 23 points on 8-11 shooting, including 7-9 on his three-point attempts. While Paul George continued his shooting woes, Joel Embiid gave the Sixers 27 points in 31 minutes, and Guerschon Yabusele had 12 points in just 21 minutes. It was a huge win against the defending champions on a national stage.
With the win over the Celtics on a big stage, the Sixers showed that when healthy, they can compete with the best teams in the league. Health is a whole different matter for the team now. KJ Martin and rookie sensation Jared McCain are both out for the foreseeable future, and Joel Embiid is now joining the injury list with a sprained left ankle combined with his sinus fracture.
In what’s become almost comical regarding Embiid, the Sixers MVP center took a hard fall during warmups when he landed on a security guard’s foot after taking a shot. Embiid was down on the floor for a minute, holding his right knee. While he eventually stood up and walked it off, the situation would lead some to believe that he’s just cursed. As he played well during the game, he injured his left ankle late in the fourth quarter. The Sixers need Embiid, there’s not a question in anyone’s mind about that, but they need him healthy, and this season has been a trying one for the Sixers center.
If the Sixers are without Embiid, they’ll need much more from the remaining players, which means that Paul George will have to figure out what is going on with his shots. He’s getting good looks, he’s not shown bad form or decision-making, he’s just not having his shots fall. In his last three games, George has shot 32.6% from the field and 16.7% on his three-point attempts, and that’s not a typo. Whatever is happening, he’s going to have to figure it out and do it quickly, as the Sixers won’t survive him shooting like this all season.
Latest on the Jazz
The Jazz were not looked at to be a very good team this season after having traded away stars like Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert as they looked toward the future, but with just seven wins this season, it’s been as bad as it could be. The team has Lauri Markkannen, John Collins, and Colin Sexton as their base trio, but after that, the talent level has fallen off.
With the number of picks they’ve acquired, the team is looking toward the future, but they will need to hit on some of the picks they get in the draft. Things were talked about in a good light this past offseason when they drafted Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski, but the trio hasn’t really panned out for the team as they may have liked. While Williams and Collier barely average over three points per game, Filipowski is giving the team 6.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in just over 17 minutes per game. It’s not a good sign when the last guy drafted is outplaying the 10th overall pick.
What to watch for tonight
The Sixers, with or without Joel Embiid, will be looking for their third win in a row, which they haven’t been able to do all season. With the Jazz John Collins, Colin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson all listed on the injury report, tonight would be a great chance for the Sixers to get that winning streak moving along.
If Embiid plays, then this game could get out of hand quite quickly as the Sixers have the ability to put up lots of points quickly on teams, especially on undermanned teams that aren’t very good, like the Jazz. It will be up to Yabusele and Caleb Martin to shut down the explosive Markannen, but both players have shown their grit and prowess throughout the season. As they get further along, they’ve become quite a pair in the Sixers rotations.
Tyrese Maxey may have his way with the guards in Utah and could be looking at a 40-point game if he continues the shooting he’s exhibited over the last few games. Maxey has been the centerpiece for the main portion of the season, and while the team will remain Embiid’s, Maxey has shown leadership both on and off the court to lay claim as one of the Big 3 on the Sixers’ roster.
Maybe, and this is a huge maybe, Paul George uses the game, with a depleted Jazz roster, to get his game going. While George isn’t a failure on the season, as he’s doing much more than just scoring, it has to be tiring for the veteran as he can’t seem to find his shooting stroke. The shots are there, the movement and freedom are there on the floor, they’re just not falling for him at this point. What he needs is a good game to get his head in the right place, and in Utah, the time is now. Look for George to break out with a great game tonight.
Prediction
Sixers 122 – Jazz 107
