The Philadelphia 76ers are at home on Tuesday night to host the Orlando Magic, looking to steal their second win of the season over the visitors. After a tough loss on Sunday to the Miami Heat, the Sixers are hoping to step up against a Magic team that's been playing well but is also coming off a Sunday loss to the Boston Celtics.
Who: Orlando Magic (10-8) at Philadelphia 76ers (9-7)
When: 8 p.m. EST
Where: XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA.
Watch: NBC, Peacock
The Sixers are hoping to get back to winning, but as December gets closer, the team has that feeling of last season, quickly coming on. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have been putting in more minutes on the court than anyone in the league, with the concern being that one or both may break down from the usage. So, here we are, with Maxey dealing with a shoulder injury and expected to play, while Edgecombe has experienced calf tightness and will miss his second consecutive game.
The team is still missing Adem Bona, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Joel Embiid, while adding Paul George, who will miss the game with a sprained right ankle. The Sixers are going to need more from some of the role players like Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow while relying heavily, as they have, on a three-guard lineup that has Jared McCain taking the place of VJ Edgecombe.
McCain, for all of the bad luck he's had with two injuries, seemed to get closer to the player the league saw in his rookie season before injuring his knee. Against the Heat, McCain had 15 points on 5-11 shooting, which, while not overly impressive, was highlighted by making three of his four three-point attempts. The key for McCain is to gain confidence in the repaired knee so that he can provide for the team on both sides of the ball.
The Magic are playing just about the same as the Sixers to start the season. They've had some good games and won three in a row recently, before getting beaten by a depleted Celtics team on Sunday. The duo of Franz Wagner and Paulo Banchero was supposed to lead a group that added Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones during the offseason. While picked to be one of the better teams in the conference, their record has them sitting in eighth place currently.
With Banchero battling a groin injury and ruled out for the game against the Sixers, the Magic will have to rely on Wagner and Bane to handle the scoring load. Additionally, they have players like Jalen Suggs, Wendel Carter Jr., and Anthony Black who can fill up the score sheet. With the team in the bottom half of the league in three-point shooting, the team relies on size and ball movement, which is something the Sixers have a problem defending.
While the teams are evenly matched on both sides of the ball, the Magic, over their last five games, are averaging 127 points per game, and if they get moving, the Sixers will have a hard time keeping up with them.
The Sixers have a lot of questions, especially going into tonight's game. With Embiid out yet again, who will step up? Does McCain continue to get his legs under him and contribute in more minutes? Can Quentin Grimes step up in the absence of Edgecombe to provide a stable starting backcourt with Maxey? There's a lot to take in, and we're only on the 17th game of the season.
Keep an eye on Maxey, who's been playing at an MVP level this season but has recently been banged up. He takes a lot of contact on drives and doesn't know how to play any other way, but the big front-court bodies of the Magic can make it a painful game for the Sixers' star guard. It'll be up to Head Coach Nick Nurse to keep an eye on the abuse Maxey is taking while continuing to run him out there more than 40 minutes per game.
Magic 134 - Sixers 117
