In a showdown between two Eastern Conference heavyweights, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. The puck drops for this contest at 7:30 p.m. EDT in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.
76ers vs. Cavaliers injuries: Joel Embiid – Doubt, James Harden – Active
The Cavaliers are in second place with a 38-22 record, while the Sixers are in third at 37-19. The Cavaliers beat the Sixers 113-85 at home in a November matchup.
Philadelphia 76ers’ 37-19 record is good for third in the Eastern Conference. They’re 3.5 games behind the first-place Celtics and only a game ahead of the Cavaliers for the second spot. The Sixers responded well to last week’s losses with three straight victories over the weekend.
The 76ers easily defeated the Rockets, 123-104, on Monday in Philadelphia, despite James Harden’s 28 points and 10 assists. In addition to Joel Embiid’s 23 points, Tyrese Maxey’s 26 in reserve were crucial.
After going scoreless for a stretch, Maxey is back to being a major contributor on both ends of the court.
Due to a foot injury, Joel Embiid may not play on Wednesday against the Cavaliers.
Embiid has played in 10 straight games despite continuing foot issues, tallying 31.8 points, 11.1 boards, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals in 35.0 minutes per game.
It’s possible that the 76ers will give Paul Reed, Montrezl Harrell, and the newly acquired Dewayne Dedmon more playing time than usual if Joel Embiid sits out the team’s final game before the All-Star break.
James Harden scored 28 points (9-18 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 6-7 FT) and dished out 10 assists, two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 32 minutes as the Thunder defeated the Rockets on Monday.
Both Harden (36 points) and Tyrese Maxey (26 points, six assists) were able to put up career nights because Joel Embiid was held to a lower usage rate than usual (23 points on 14 field goal attempts).
During his last two games, Harden scored 28 and 29 points, respectively, both of which were his highest point totals in his previous 11 games.
Furkan Korkmaz has a prior commitment and therefore cannot participate.
Korkmaz was not listed as injured for Tuesday’s game against the Rangers after sitting out Monday’s win over Houston due to unrelated personal reasons.
As for the match on Wednesday, P.J. Tucker (calf) is questionable after leaving Monday’s win over Houston with left calf tightness. If he can’t play, Georges Niang and/or Jalen McDaniels could see increased playing time.
76ers injuries:
- Furkan Korkmaz (Personal) – Out
- Joel Embiid (Foot) – Questionable
- P.J. Tucker (Calf) – Questionable
The current Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers are likely not excited about the NBA taking a break for the All-Star game.
At this point, the Cleveland Cavaliers can do nothing but win. The Cavaliers have won 7 straight games, improving their record to 38-22 and putting them in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, 4.5 games behind the division-leading Celtics.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are at full strength and will field their best team today.
