The Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks will meet in one of the day’s most anticipated games at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Dallas Mavericks are trying to make a playoff push despite going through a rough patch as of late. The Sixers, meanwhile, are concentrating on finishing the season strongly and returning to winning ways.
Despite Dallas’ impressive seven-point win in the first meeting earlier this month, it won’t be easy for them to sweep the season series against Philadelphia.
Latest news on Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving
When Philadelphia returns home, they will face problems that have arisen on their end. They used to be an Eastern Conference heavyweight, but they’ve only won three of their last ten games, and just once in their last five.
Most of their losses occurred on the road, so they probably feel better about their league-second best home court record (26-11). And they likely still hold grudges over their road loss to Dallas almost a month ago.
They see this as a great chance to regroup and gain some momentum before a busy stretch.
Injuries have been sustained by both Philadelphia and their opponent, but Philadelphia’s are more serious. James Harden (Achilles) and Joel Embiid (calf) are both doubtful for tonight’s game. Harden and Embiid have both missed the last few contests due to injury.
‘You’re the lifeblood of the team and losing you for even a day would be catastrophic.’
Although Embiid’s status has been in doubt for the past three contests, he did start the first two. However, against the Nuggets on Monday, he did not get any court time.
On game day, it should become clear whether or not the MVP candidate will play; if Embiid does play, Dewayne Dedmon will likely return to the bench.
As the MVP race heats up, it’s likely that Embiid will get more playing time in the final games of the season.
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As the playoffs approach, the Mavericks’ chance at a memorable season is dwindling. The Mavericks are currently 11th in the Western Conference, a half-game away from a playoff spot.
In light of their recent 3-7 slump and the impending playoff push, a trip to Philadelphia is unlikely to settle their nerves.
They’re losing just as badly on the road (15-23) as they are at home (23-29). The players are worried that the team’s struggles on the court and their personal lives will be too much for them to handle.
Even with stars like Luka Doncic (32.9 ppg) and Kyrie Irving (26.3 ppg) at the helm, they might not be able to compete with the best teams in the NBA.
Fans of the Sixers should be at least somewhat ready to face one of the best duos in the NBA right now, as both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will be playing tonight.
For injury, Maxi Kleber (hamstring) is questionable to play, as is Frank Ntilikina (knee). Although neither is particularly noticeable, it would be noticeable if they weren’t there.
