Hospital Sixers travel to Denver to face Nuggets
The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a feel-good weekend back-to-back, taking good care of enterprise in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets and upsetting the Portland Trail Blazers at residence. Now they’re going to pack their luggage and head west, kicking off a three-game highway journey that’ll take them by way of Denver, Sacramento and Salt Lake City. First up: the Nuggets.
Denver has put collectively a powerful season regardless of battling the damage bug for many of it. Sitting fifth within the loaded Western Conference and comfortably above .500, this can be a staff that is discovered methods to win even when shorthanded. Nikola Jokic, Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson have all missed time at numerous factors, which makes what they’ve achieved all of the extra spectacular.
The tip of the spear is, as at all times, Jokic. He’s as soon as once more stuffing the statsheet — 28.6 factors, 12.7 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 1.5 steals per sport on 57.3/38.8 splits in 34.8 minutes. Without Embiid, the Sixers are going to have a genuinely depressing time attempting to comprise him. Best of luck to Adem Bona and Andre Drummond on that project.
The accidents round Jokic have opened the door for Jamal Murray to have the very best season of his profession. Murray earned his first All-Star nod this 12 months, and the numbers again it up: 25.4 factors, 7.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds on 47.9/42.2 splits throughout 63 video games. He’s been the engine protecting Denver afloat each time considered one of their key guys has gone down, and he’ll be a handful for a Sixers backcourt that is been stretched skinny.
On the Philadelphia aspect, the damage report stays bleak, however there have been some real positives price acknowledging. With Tyrese Maxey sidelined by a finger damage, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes have taken over the backcourt — and it is gone higher than most would count on. Grimes specifically has been filling it up. Over his final seven video games he is averaged 22.1 factors, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals on 47.4 % taking pictures. The three-ball hasn’t been falling — he is taking pictures simply 19 % from deep in that span — however the general manufacturing has been a welcome shock.
Edgecombe, in the meantime, has seen his function broaden considerably, which as anticipated has include combined outcomes. He’s now frequently going through major defenders and actively studying when to assault versus when to defer and swing the ball. That’s a tough line to stroll for anybody, not to mention a 20-year-old rookie. He’s coming off a profession excessive in rebounds with 12, and can once more want to fill a jack-of-all-trades function if the Sixers have any hope of hanging on this one, not to mention stealing a win on the highway.
Outside the backcourt, Justin Edwards has quietly been one of the most encouraging stories of late. He dropped 21 factors on sturdy effectivity within the win over Portland and has scored in double digits in 4 of his final 5 video games — the one outlier being the Memphis sport, the place he noticed simply six minutes of motion. Edwards usually will get misplaced within the shuffle on this roster, but it surely’s price remembering he is nonetheless solely 21 years outdated, and he is proven sufficient flashes to recommend there’s an actual participant in there. Beyond the scoring, he is been disruptive on the defensive finish too, averaging 2.4 steals over that five-game stretch. He’ll look to carry that momentum into Denver.
Buckle up for the prolonged damage report. The Sixers can be with out Maxey, Embiid, Kelly Oubre, Paul George and Jabari Walker (sickness). Two-way participant Dalen Terry is questionable with a shoulder impingement. For Denver, the important thing title out is Watson, who’s working his approach again from a proper hamstring pressure.
The Sixers have finished properly grinding out victories regardless of being largely shorthanded, however they’re going to want some luck to bridge the expertise hole on this one. The legislation of averages could be at play, although. The Nuggets have been themselves shorthanded when these two met in Philly, and someway got here away with the win regardless of the Sixers being largely wholesome. If that is an actual factor, the basketball universe has an opportunity to stability issues out. That’s the way in which it really works, proper? Let’s see if Edgecombe, Grimes, Edwards and firm can do the unattainable.
When: Tuesday, March 17, 10:00 pm ET
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers
