The Philadelphia 76ers are down to their last five games of a season that went off the tracks five months ago and haven’t recovered. The Sixers are riding a ten-game losing streak and fielding a lineup that looks more like a basketball fantasy camp than an actual team of NBA players. The Timberwolves are in sixth place in a tough Western Conference and currently enjoying a four-game winning streak in a season that, while it hasn’t gone as they’d hoped, still has them in a good position heading into the playoffs.
Sixers game information
Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (45-32) at Philadelphia 76ers (23-54)
When: 7 p.m. EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Latest on the Sixers
Thanks to a ten-game losing streak, the Sixers have been sitting in the fifth-worst record position for a little bit while they’ve pulled away from the Raptors and are two games ahead of the Nets. With each loss, the team is putting itself in the best position to retain its first-round pick in the upcoming draft. While the Nets have four winnable games in the last five of the year, the Sixers do not, and realistically, they have just one.
The rotation of bench players into the starting lineup throughout the year hasn’t looked good for their record, but with the injuries to Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, that had to be expected. Missing their three biggest stars has cost the team the season, and the only positives are that they may keep a high first-round pick and that they’ve been able to see some young, talented players develop into future pieces for the team.
While Quentin Grimes has consistently shown that he belongs in the NBA, playing lots of minutes, players like Justin Edwards, Adem Bona, and Jared Butler have proven that they can also handle the pressure of playing in the NBA. Edwards has shown, throughout the better part of this season, that he belongs in the league and that the hype surrounding him coming out of high school wasn’t far-fetched. The talent he’s shown may have played Ricky Council IV out of a spot on next season’s team.
Adem Bona is coming off a career-high 28 points against the Bucks in Thursday night’s game. While the hype over another young “energy” guy can get out of hand (see Reed, Paul), Bona has shown that he’s developing to the point where the Sixers can utilize him for the next few years. Over his last ten games, Bona is averaging 13.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while blocking 2.7 shots per game. Those aren’t inflated numbers on a team that’s blowing people out; they’re hard-earned in games where he normally wouldn’t see the types of minutes he has been.
While the current season has been tough on everyone involved with the team, there is a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel if you squint a little bit. The Sixers are banking on their stars’ return to health for next season. Combined with the growth and talent they’ve been able to gather on their younger players, a return of Jared McCain and a new top-five draft pick should have the fans excited for next season and beyond.
Latest on the Timberwolves
While the Timberwolves are in sixth place in the Western Conference, they’re only two games behind the Lakers for third and could realistically finish that high when the season ends. They’re currently riding a four-game winning streak and are as healthy as they’ve been all season. Players like Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Jaden McDaniels have all played well, for the most part, this season as they support their main star, Anthony Edwards.
Edwards is fourth in the league in scoring this year at 27.3 points per game while also averaging 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists. For Edwards, the points and rebounds represent a career-high, but more importantly for the team, he’s shooting a career-high 39.5% on his three-point attempts. For a guy who can get to the rim at will, improving that part of his game has only elevated him to a whole new level. If this is the 23-year-old version of Edwards, the league should be worried about him when he hits his prime years, as there’s no telling how high Edwards can go.
The Timberwolves have had some ups and downs as they’ve navigated the addition of DiVincenzo and Randle. While losing Karl Anthony-Towns, they have come out on the better end as the team is top ten in both offense and defense on the season. While the game tonight may seem like an easy one for the team, they won’t be taking any chances as they’re trying to rise in the rankings as they approach the playoffs.
What to watch for tonight
Can Adem Bona repeat his performance from a few nights ago as the team hosts the Timberwolves? It’s more than likely not, as they feature Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert, who all patrol the lower portion of the paint. However, Bona will be given the minutes and could make it quite a bit difficult for the big three on the Wolves.
Edwards, Grimes, Butler, and Guerschol Yabusele will provide some highlights as the team has constantly pushed the envelope to get the most out of the players on the court at the end of the season. Grimes and Yabusele will have just a few more games to show their value to the team as they look to secure contracts over the off-season. For Sixers fans, this could be one of the last times they’re able to see one or both players in the home team’s uniform.
Justin Edwards will be around next year, and from the looks of things, he’ll be in Philly for quite a while. While the youngster has had his ups and downs this season, he’s shown more than enough to be included, in a bigger role, in the Sixers’ plans. For tonight, though, he may just want to buckle down and try to play the best defense he’s played while trying to guard Anthony Edwards. It will be a monumental task, and while the team, more than likely, comes out on the losing side of this one, it will be a great experience for someone like Edwards to see where he needs to improve moving forward.
Prediction
Sixers 113 – Timberwolves 135
