This Friday, the (20-13) Philadelphia 76ers will travel to New Orleans, LA to take on the (22-12) New Orleans Pelicans. Tipoff will be at 8:30 PM EST inside the Smoothie King Center. These two teams have not matched up this season, but I am still expecting a battle in this one!
The 76ers are coming into this game after falling to the Washington Wizards, 116-111. They struggled on the defensive end of the floor, as they will have to get more stops in this one if they want to challenge the Pelicans on the road.
New Orleans is entering this matchup after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, 119-118. This one came down to the wire, but the Pelicans were able to squeeze out a win. They will have to stay aggressive in this game if they want to defeat the Sixers at home.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Philadelphia 76ers are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but they are still four games back from the first-place Boston Celtics. On offense, they are scoring 111.7 points per game and they have shot 47.5% from the floor. This is the 21st most points scored per contest and the 12th-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Sixers have an adjusted offensive rating of 113, which is the 15th-highest rating in the NBA. Joel Embiid continues to dominate on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 33.7 points per game on 52.9% shooting from the floor. Philadelphia has also shown that they have multiple players that can make it rain from behind the arc. They have shot 38% from deep, which is the fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league. The 76ers have also taken care of business at the charity stripe. They have shot 82% from the line, which is the fourth-highest free-throw shooting percentage. They can't miss out on these free looks at the rim and still expect to win these games.
On the defensive end of the court, the 76ers have been tough to beat. They are surrendering 108 points per game and they have forced their opponents to shoot 46.2% from the floor. This is the eighth-lowest shooting percentage allowed and the second-least amount of points. According to dunksandthrees.com, the 76ers have an adjusted defensive rating of 110.3, which is the sixth-lowest rating in the NBA. Philadelphia has also shown that it can defend near the rim or on the perimeter. They have continued to contest shots near the rim and they are holding their opponents to 32.9% shooting from behind the arc. This is the lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed, as they will have to continue applying pressure if they want to stay completive in this game. Philadelphia is also snatching 40.4 rebounds per game, which is the second least in the NBA.
Injury Report: Tyrese Maxey SG (Ankle) is out.
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