The Philadelphia 76ers head to Milwaukee to face the Bucks for a 3:30 p.m. matinee. Both teams are coming off of losses where they blew first half double digit leads and simply could not take the win. The Bucks lost by 13 to the Atlanta Hawks, despite leading by 11 at one point. The Sixers lost by 16 to the Washington Wizards, despite leading by 13 at one point. They trailed by as much as 24 points.
So, of course, one has to wonder if both teams will build big leads only to lose them and this game ends up close in the end. TJ McConnell will not play due to a right wrist sprain suffered against the Wizards on Saturday.
The Bucks were led in scoring by Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had 33 points on 59.1 percent shooting from the field. He also had 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Just doing it all. Jabari Parker was working his way towards a triple double as he had 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 8 points.
Meanwhile, the Sixers were playing without Joel Embiid. The Sixers had been playing very well lately, but it's clear Embiid was a huge part of that success as the team simply went back to playing like a poor team that their record indicates they are. There is a growing desire from Sixers fans to lift the back to back game restriction from Embiid as they sense that his absence makes the Sixers lose out on potential wins. That remains to be seen.
Sixers lost to the Wizards. Yup. They were led by Jahlil Okafor, who hadn't played during the Sixers' very successful stretch of basketball. He had 26 points and 9 rebounds. However, his defense continued to be an issue as the Wizards collectively got whatever they wanted in the paint. With Nerlens Noel dealing with an ankle injury, and Embiid out, Okafor ended up playing 35 minutes.
So now, here we are. Sixers vs Bucks. This is a winnable game for the Sixers. As stated earlier in this preview, both of these teams are prone to blowing big leads so the idea here is just because someone gets a fast start or things seem to fall apart early for a team, the leading team needs to keep the gas going while the losing team needs to find that opening. This game should be fun.
Projected Starters:
Sixers:
PG—-Sergio Rodriguez
SG—-Gerald Henderson
SF—Robert Covington
PF—Ersan Ilyasova
C—Joel Embiid
Bucks:
PG—Malcolm Brogdon
SG—Tony Snell
SF—Giannis Antetokounmpo
PF—Jabari Parker
C—John Henson
Catch the game:
Where: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: 3:30 PM
Watch: CSN Philly
Hear: 97.5 The Fanatic
