The Philadelphia 76ers (6-18) are back home to face the Toronto Raptors (17-7) after going 2-1 on a three-game road trip. The Sixers have won two straight games, both on the road. Now they come home to face one of the best offensive teams in the NBA. Not to mention, the Raptors have won nine of their last 10, including a 122-95 win over the Sixers back on November 28.
Philadelphia will be without Nerlens Noel, who suffered a left ankle sprain during his debut on Sunday. Starting point man Sergio Rodriguez is expected to return from missing one game due to illness.
The Sixers destroyed the Detroit Pistons from the start on Sunday and won by a convincing score of 97-79. Robert Covington led the team in points with 16, as well as seven rebounds and two steals. He shot 66.7 percent from the floor. TJ McConnell also had a nice stat game, falling just short of a triple double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. He also shot 66.7 percent from the floor. In fact, Covington, McConnell, and Jahlil Okafor shot the same exact percentage with the same attempts and made shots. Bizarre. The Sixers were without Sergio Rodriguez and Joel Embiid. They still managed to come on top of a solid Pistons team. Very good sign.
The Raptors are coming off a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. They won by blowout as well, 122-100. According to NBA.com, the Raptors lead the NBA in offensive efficiency, averaging 114.9 points per 100 possessions. They are also second in the league in field goal percentage (47.6), tied for first with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 3-point percentage (40.1) and tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the lead in free-throw percentage (81.8).
The fact that the Sixers turn the ball over a lot (they lead the league in turnovers) gives the Raptors extra possessions that they are sure to take advantage of. The Sixers don't want to put a strain on their defense in this game, so taking care of the ball and giving the Raptors as few possessions as possible is key. If the Sixers are not careful, they have a blowout loss coming.
Lineups
For the Sixers:
PG Sergio Rodriguez
SG Gerald Henderson
SF Robert Covington
PF Ersan Ilyasova
C Joel Embiid
For the Raptors:
PG Kyle Lowry
SG DeMar DeRozan
SF DeMarre Carroll
PF Pascal Siakim
C Jonas Valanciunas
Game Info
Where: Wells Fargo Center
When: 7pm
Watch it: CSN Philly
Listen to it: 97.5 The Fanatic
