By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia 76ers (16-27) are in Milwaukee tonight for a matchup with the Bucks (21-23) a little over a week after the two team's met for the first time this season. The Sixers will have a different look, playing without Joel Embiid, who scored 12 of his 22 points against the Bucks last week in the fourth quarter to help lead his team to victory.
The Sixers win last night secured them a winning month for the first time since November 2012 when they went 9-6. It's also the first time in Brett Brown's head coaching career that his team has posted more wins than losses in a month.
Last Meeting:
The Sixers earned a 113-104 win over the Bucks last Monday, thanks in large part to Joel Embiid's dominant fourth quarter. He scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and 12 of them in the fourth alone while only making four shots. The rookie center was efficient at the line, hitting 13 of his 18 free throws to go along with 12 rebounds. Milwaukee had won nine straight against Philadelphia heading into the game, but couldn't contain Embiid down the stretch and allowed the Sixers to covert 14 three-pointers during the game. A 12-2 Sixers run to start the fourth quarter put them in position to win their third straight at the time. The Bucks missed 10 of their first 13 shots in the final 12 minutes, falling behind by 10 en route to a double-digit loss. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker each scored 23 to lead the Bucks offensively.
There's Noel Place Like Holmes:
The Philadelphia 76ers were without two of their biggest offensive weapons in Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor on Tuesday, but found a way to fight back and beat the Los Angeles Clippers tonight by a final score of 121-110. Nerlens Noel started at center for the first time since last season and boy did he look good. The former Kentucky Wildcat finished with 19 points (8-10 fg), seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals, cementing a handful of plays with emphatic jams. Meanwhile, Richaun Holmes, after spending the better part of the last month in the D-League, erupted for 18 points (8-11 fg) off the bench, tying a career-high, to spark the Sixers' second unit. 20 of the 30 points scored by Philadelphia in the third was from the bench.
Trio of young Sixers heading to New Orleans:
A trio of Philadelphia 76ers will be heading to New Orleans for All-Star Weekend. Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric have been selected to participate in this year's BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, February 17th. The game will pit USA vs. The World with Okafor joining the US and both Embiid and Okafor set to play on the World roster. Embiid, 22, is averaging 19.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in his rookie season all while being on a minutes restriction. Okafor is averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season while Saric averaging 9.8 points and 6.1 rebounds in January alone.
Simmons recovery progressing, still no timetable:
Simmons, who has yet to make his NBA debut, was sidelined before the season started with a fractured foot. Rumors of the rookie's debut have been swirling for weeks now, and the update on his foot comes at a good time and shows that he has made quite a progression since the end of September. Scans on Monday showed no setbacks and that he can continue his recovery program. While there is no timetable on his return to playing action, Simmons has been cleared to continue routine work outs on the way to his recovery. Hopefully soon, Simmons will have a chance to practice up to full speed with the rest of his teammates on his way to putting on the Sixers uniform for the first time in his career.
| Matchup Preview | January 25, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
@ |  |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia 76ers (16-27, 5-13 Away) |
Milwakee Bucks (20-23, 13-10 Home) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game Information:
Tip-off: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV: CSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Stream Live: CSNPhilly.com, NBC Sports Live Extra
