Storylines to watch for Game 2 of Sixers’ LA stay originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers have one more late-night tip-off (for East Coast fans) before their regular season ends.
Here are the essentials for their game Friday night against the Clippers:
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When: 10:30 p.m. ET with Sixers Pregame Live at 10 p.m.
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Where: Crypto.com Arena
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Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
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Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the MyTeams app
And here are storylines to watch:
Another opponent missing stars
After a shorthanded home win Monday over the Heat, it seems the Sixers’ position will flip for two games in a row.
The Sixers beat a Lakers team without LeBron James and Anthony Davis on Wednesday. Despite injury scares for James Harden and Joel Embiid in that game, neither player was listed on the Sixers’ injury report for Friday.
The Clippers haven’t had much injury luck this season. Paul George practiced Thursday for the first time since December, but he remains out following a right elbow UCL tear. Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell are among the other Clippers sidelined. Robert Covington is questionable with a right hand sprain.
Last Sixers-Clippers meeting hard to forget
When the Clippers visited Philadelphia in January, the Sixers appeared on their way to a comfortable win.
Embiid posted 40 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, but the Sixers squandered a 24-point lead, failing to adapt effectively to the Clippers’ zone defense, increased physicality and hot shooting.
“We let our guard down,” Tyrese Maxey said that night. “You’ve got to keep your guard up. You’ve got to keep getting stops, keep scoring and keep playing the right way.”
If the Sixers again take a significant lead, we imagine they’ll be especially determined to hold it.
Top seed attainable?
The Sixers have a shot to finish head coach Doc Rivers’ first two seasons on the job as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.
Entering Friday night, the 45-27 Sixers sit third, 1.5 games behind the Heat and a game behind the Bucks. The Celtics are fourth, also 1.5 games back of Miami, and have an East-best 28-9 record since Jan. 1.
Late regular-season games are unpredictable because of the different ways teams approach the balance between caution with players’ health and pushing for ideal seeding, but the Sixers’ schedule isn’t full of contenders. The team has two games against the Pistons and two against the Pacers over its final seven outings. Overall, the Sixers’ remaining strength of schedule is 10th-easiest, per Tankathon.
