The Philadelphia 76ers are starting a five-game West Coast road trip tonight as they head to Inglewood to take on the Los Angeles Clippers. Coming off a home victory over the Pelicans on Saturday night, the cross-country travel could affect the Sixers as they open up this trip, while the Clippers are playing the second of a back-to-back after blowing out the Phoenix Suns, 117-93, last night.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (27-21) at Los Angeles Clippers (23-25)
When: 10:00 p.m. EST
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, Ca.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
The Sixers, despite recent news regarding Paul George, should feel good right now as they're on a three-game winnings streak, Joel Embiid gets better each time he's on the floor, Tyrese Maxey has developed into a leader and one of the top scoreres in the league, and rookie VJ Edgecombe has become a swiss army knife for the team, providing offense, defense, highlights, and anything else that's needed for the team.
The biggest excitement has to be Embiid's return this season. His start was slow, but you could see some flashes of his former self, yet something just wasn't there yet. In December, Embiid appeared in seven games, and the feeling was that it was close to his limit. When the new year turned, Embiid took his game to the level we didn't think we'd ever see again in the city.
In January, Embiid appeared in 14 games and averaged 34.1 minutes per game. He has 29.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 53.7% from the floor. But this is a big one: could he be getting better? In the last four games, Embiid has averaged 36 points and nine rebounds as the Sixers have won three straight. Embiid returning at all was a positive, but getting this version is a game-changer for a Sixers team that deserves some good luck.
Kawhi Leonard will play in his 36th game of the season tonight and could pass last season's total in just two more starts. If he finishes out the season without missing a game, then he'll have his highest total as a Clipper—though that's not exactly the expectation. While Leonard is enjoying the best statistical season of his Clippers tenure since his first year, the team isn't where they want, but they are quickly rising out West.
Sadly, the idea that Leonard was pitched isn't what unfolded in Los Angeles all those years back. While Harden is having one of his better years in recent years, the 36-year-old will miss tonight's game for personal reasons.
As the nature of the game has changed over the past several years, this one will be a long-range shooting contest. The Clippers are the 10th-best three-point shooting team in the league, the Sixers aren't far behind them, so this could get very interesting or really out of control, quickly.
Embiid loves to show out for games against former teammates, especially someone like Harden, so you could possibly get Joel's second 40-point game in the past three days. The duo of Maxey and Edgecombe should be enough to give the Clippers some fits, and another night of Jared McCain playing like himself would be a huge bonus.
Sixers 121 - Clippers 116
