Sixers
Sixers, Simmons host surging Thunder on ESPN
Published15 Dec 2017
By Josh Liddick, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Sixers are coming off a big overtime win in Minnesota on Tuesday that saw them commit 24 turnovers yet still find a way to get the victory.
On Friday night, the Sixers will have to play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder on primetime ESPN for the second straight game.
When the Thunder were struggling, losing three straight games, it looked as if the Sixers may have been in prime position to have a chance at taking the win on Friday.
However, there are a lot of factors that play into the contest that might make it difficult to do just that.
The Thunder have now turned a corner and have won five of their last seven games, including a big 100-95 victory against the Pacers in Paul George's homecoming to Indianapolis.
The Sixers, who had lost four straight games heading into the date with the T'Wolves, still haven't proved they are a team to beat teams that are better than them quite yet, without making it as difficult as they possibly can.
Joel Embiid is questionable…..again.
Why does it seem like every time the Sixers are playing in a game that seems like a playoff situation, Joel Embiid ends up being questionable to play due to some unforseen injury.
Embiid missed the Sixers' first leg of a back-to-back last Saturday against the Cavs, only to find out that he'd miss the second game on Sunday against the Pelicans due to back tightness.
The Sixers were unable to use their entire lineup to their fullest and ended up dropping that game to New Orleans.
Embiid made his return on Tuesday and arguably won the matchup offensively with Wolves' center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Now, reports say that Embiid is once again questionable to go in Friday night's game with the Thunder due to the same ailment of "back tightness."
Joel Embiid is questionable tonight because of back tightness. He currently is on the court after shootaround at a basket with Robert Covington. pic.twitter.com/wWidlIrOWn
— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) December 15, 2017
It would be quite the shame if Embiid missed this battle with the Thunder after being the focal point of ESPN's "Sixers All-Access" on Friday.
Embiid also lives for the bright lights and the big moment, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if he was a good to go for tonight's game.
UPDATE: According to reports, Embiid is active and will play Friday night vs. the Thunder.
Joel Embiid will play tonight against the Thunder.
— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) December 15, 2017
OKC's Player to Watch
Against the Pacers on Wednesday, the star of the game for the Thunder wasn't any of the usual suspects such as Russell Westbrook, Paul George, or even Carmelo Anthony.
It was Steven Adams.
And Adams has actually played very well this season for a team that has struggled for most of the beginning part of the season.
The 7-foot Adams recorded 23 points and 13 rebounds and did a lot of the dirty work, while the Big 3 really struggled shooting the ball.
Westbrook recorded a triple double with 10 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists, but he also shot a low 3-of-17 from the floor, which didn't help his team in the long run.
Anthony went 4-of-12 from the floor and had only 12 points, while George shot 3-of-14 from the floor and turned the ball over four times on his own.
For Adams, the key to his success on Friday night against the Sixers is whoever is stacked up against him at the center position.
In this particular case, if Embiid ends up not playing, the Sixers will have to utilize their bench to the best of their ability, which has come as a struggle this season. You should see a lot of Amir Johnson, Richaun Holmes, and Trevor Booker if Embiid does not play.
It's really interesting because Adams was never one of those players you had to truly gameplan against, but he's really become a crucial part of the Thunder's offense this season, which is just another weapon they are able to use to their advantage.
Covington returns, Simmons looks to bounce back from worst performance of season
The Sixers get the services of forward Robert Covington back on Friday night after missing his last two games due to a back injury suffered against the Cavs in Cleveland last Saturday night.
Covington is averaging 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, and almost two steals in 25 games this season.
Over the last month, Covington had struggled immensely shooting the ball from beyond the arc, but he has improved dramatically in his last three games prior to the injury on Saturday night.
Ro-Co is shooting 47.2-percent from three in his last four games, and is shooting a total of 42.7-percent from three this season.
The Sixers will also get his defensive services back as well as his offense, which will allow the team to have an extra weapon in order to lock down Paul George and Russell Westbrook a little more tightly.
Against Minnesota on Tuesday night, Ben Simmons had one of the worst games of his young career by far.
Struggled shooting the ball, didn't score one point until late into the fourth quarter, and turned the ball over more than you'd like your main ball distributor to.
Simmons was able to get eight assists, but he'd definitely like to improve on his seven points and two boards, especially after playing a full 40 minutes on the floor.
Tonight seems like one of those games for Simmons just to improve on everything he did wrong on Tuesday night and get back on track for a big night.
| Matchup Preview | December 15, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Oklahoma City Thunder (13-14) |
Philadelphia 76ers (14-13) |
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Broadcast Information
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: ESPN
Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic
