By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia 76ers (6-5) have a tough test ahead of them on Saturday night, as they head to Oakland for a match-up against the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Sixers are coming off of disappointing loss at the hands of the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday while the Warriors have won five in a row.
Golden State's Kevin Durant will return to the lineup tonight after missing one game due to a thigh injury. Although Joel Embiid is experiencing some light soreness in his knee, it looks like he'll be in the lineup tonight against the Warriors.
The Warriors swept the season series last season, but the Sixers nearly pulled off an upset in Golden State on March 14. They led by double-digits heading into the fourth quarter, but the Warriors emerged victorious 106-104.
Sixers' Covington, off to hot start, close to a big payday
Covington was waived in October 2014 by the Houston Rockets and was snatched up by Sam Hinkie a month afterwards. He's developed really well defensively and especially offensively during his time in Philadelphia. Prior to Thursday night's game in Sacramento, the Sixers were a +9.5 with Covington on the court, compared to a -15.3 when he was on the bench.
This season, the 26-year-old out of Tennessee state is averaging career-high's in scoring (16.1), field-goal percentage (.480) and three-point field goal percentage (.500). He's ranked third in the NBA in deflections per game (3.8) and is sixth in three-point percentage. Tonight, he'll get the opportunity to guard guys like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.
November 15 is the first day Covington is eligible for a contract renegotiation and the Sixers are "on course" to extend him and reports indicate he'll get a $15 million salary injection this year.
Embiid vs. Green is a match-up to watch
After struggling to get in a groove against Sacramento, Joel Embiid will have an opportunity to play against the defending champion Warriors for the first time in his career. Embiid hasn't been as outspoken with his trash talk this season, but that could change tonight when he steps on the court against Draymond Green. The two have a similar aggressive style of play and neither of them have a problem speaking their mind. Tonight, we could see the return of a more confident Embiid, which would be a nice upgrade from the Embiid that has looked tired and hesitant to attack the basket over the first chunk of games. Going up against a guy like Green should light a fire underneath the 7-foot-2 big man out of Kansas.
#Sixers @joelembiid shares what he told #Warriors all-star @Money23Green pic.twitter.com/VJLAEva89O
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 10, 2017
This season, Embiid is averaging 20.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 4.4 turnovers per game. He's shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 24.1 percent from beyond the arc. Green is not one of the center pieces of the Warriors offense, especially since they added Durant to the mix. This season, Draymond is averaging 10.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, shooting 50 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from three-point range. Although the two big men may not be matched up against each other from the start, but they are sure to have a couple of head-to-head moments on the court.
Scouting the Warriors:
The Sixers will have their hands full defensively tonight, having to guard Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. The Warriors lead the league in scoring (119.1 ppg), field-goal percentage (.516), assists (31.0 apg) and blocks (8.8 bpg).
Steph Curry is averaging 25.4 points per game this season, shooting 47 percent from the floor but is shooting just 38.9 percent from beyond the arc, a career-low. That being said, he can get hot at any point. Prior to tonight's game, Curry commented on the young Sixers team coming to town.
"They're animals, playing at a very high level right now. It seems like they got a lot of momentum with the roster and those guys being healthy. It's great for the league obviously. These are young guys coming in and doing amazing things. It will be fun to get to know them on the court. They're tough. Their story is great for the league."
Curry believes their story is great, Stephen A. Smith does not. Former Sixer Andre Iguodala will not play tonight (rest).
Projected Lineups:
| Matchup Preview | November 11, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Philadelphia 76ers (6-5, 4-3 Away) |
Golden State Warriors (9-3, 4-2 Home) |
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Game Information:
Tip-off: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia (formerly CSN)
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
