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The last game before the break will have a playoff atmosphere as the 4th place Cavaliers travel to Philadelphia to engage the 3rd place 76ers with just one game separating these teams. The house will undoubtedly be filled with pissed off Eagles fans looking for a target to vent their frustration. It should be a very hostile environment. The game is on ESPN at 7:30.
The Sixers are 22-8 at home while the Cavs are 13-16 on the road, so this will be a real challenge. Both teams are on a roll; the Cavs have won seven straight while the Sixers are 25-7 after a 12-12 start.
These teams hooked up in Cleveland on Nov. 30 with the Cavs steamrolling the Sixers 113-85. Jarrett Allen was out and Mamadi Diakite started in his place and played 23 minutes, but the Cavs still managed to sprint to a 69-48 halftime advantage and pushed their lead to 33 points before cruising home. James Harden was out and Joel Embiid was held to 6-for-16 from the field.
The difference in that game was the 3-point shooting; the Cavs were 15-for-29 while the Sixers were 6-for-26. That was unusual because the Sixers are the better 3-point shooting team, but that night was an exception. The Cavs outscored them by a whopping 27 points on 3’s and won by 28.
That surely won’t happen tonight. On the season the Sixers rank 2nd in the NBA in opponents’ 3-point percentage so that night was a fluke. Garland, Mitchell, and LeVert combined to go 11-for-15 from deep and I’m sure the Sixers will make some adjustments to counter that. However, if they try crowding the Cavs’ guards it could open up some dribble penetration opportunities.
According to teamrankings.com the Sixers have had the second easiest schedule in the NBA so far, so I question whether they are as good as their record. They have by far the toughest schedule remaining according to that website. powerrankingsguru.com has them with the second hardest remaining schedule. They have played four fewer games than the Cavs and have five back-to-back games left (all involving travel) against just two for the Cavs.
This is the second of three games so if the Cavs win they will not only be tied for 3rd but will have the advantage in a tie-breaker.
The offense revolves around Joel Embiid, who averages 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 54% from the field and 36% on 3’s. The Sixers are 9.0 points better when he is on the court according to NBA.com, which is the highest on the team.
Embiid is listed as questionable for tonight with foot soreness. If he does not play all bets are off.
James Harden has a line of 21/6/11, shooting 45% and 39%. He’s second on the team with a +6.4 on/off number. He leads the NBA in assists per game. Between his 21 points and 11 assists he's directly involved in about 45 points per game.
PF Tobias Harris averages 15 points and 6 rebounds on 50% from the field.
A big factor in this game will be how well Allen, Okoro, and Mobley can defensively contain Embiid, Harden, and Harris. The Sixers’ other two starters, guard De’Anthony Melton and forward PJ Tucker, average 11 and 3 points per game, respectively.
Tyrese Maxey averages 20 points off the bench in 33 minutes, so he’s basically a starter. The Sixers have a couple of 6’9” scorers coming off the bench in Georges Niang, who shoots 41% on 3’s, and newly acquired Jalen McDaniels, who averages 10 points.
Embiid, Harden, Maxey, and Harris combine to score 90 of the Sixers’ 114 points per game. Stop those guys and you can beat the Sixers. Without Harden they only scored 85 against the Cavs in Cleveland and that was with Jarrett Allen out. The Cavs won’t hold them to 85 in Philly with Harden back and the addition of McDaniels.
Offensively the Sixers rank 8th in offensive efficiency but just 16th in points per game. They play slow, ranking 29th in field goals attempted per game. The Cavs are 28th in field goal attempts so this game will feature two of the most deliberate half-court teams in the Association. They both grind out possessions and play great defense.
The Sixers are a 3-and-D team. They rank 10th in 3-point frequency and 4th in 3-point percentage. At home they hit 39.5% of their 3’s, so the main focus of the Cavs’ defense must be to contest 3’s. They beat the Sixers in November by holding them to six made 3’s.
The Sixers also get to the line a lot, thanks mostly to Embiid, who shoots nearly 12 of their 24.6 free throws per game. They are 2nd in made free throws, averaging 20 per game.
In the first game the Cavs did a nice job of defending Embiid with one player initially and then coming with a late double team as he was about to get into his shot. But if they double him too early he will kick it out for an uncontested 3, and you can’t let these guys get open looks from the 3-point line.
Defensively the Sixers are 6th in efficiency while the Cavs are 1st, so both teams not only play slow offensively but they play great D. The Sixers are 2nd in defending the 3-point shot, limiting opponents to just 34% at home. They’re also good at defending the paint, ranking 8th in points in the paint allowed per game. They also are very opportunistic, ranking 4th in steals per possession and they’re above average in defensive rebound percentage. It’s tough to find a weakness to attack.
The only weak area statistically is fast break points allowed per game, where they are 28th. They commit fewer turnovers than average, so it looks like teams fast break off missed shots. I’m not sure why they rank 28th but the Cavs should look to run off missed shots whenever possible since the Sixers have an excellent half-court defense.
The Sixers shoot a lot of 3’s (34 per game) so if the Cavs can run off some long rebounds and get transition buckets that would help a lot.
Their starting forwards are 6’7” (Harris) and 6’5” (Tucker), so Evan Mobley will have a height advantage and should be able to hit some turnaround jumpers after backing down his man. However, they are both very physical and experienced and will try to keep him out of the paint.
This should be a great game, although the Sixers have a big advantage with the home court. This will be a great test for the Cavs who have been feasting on weaker opponents and injury depleted teams recently. It’s also a chance to get some valuable experience playing on the road in front of a hostile, fired-up crowd howling for blood. Or at least as fired-up as a Wednesday night regular season crowd can be after watching their team lose a Super Bowl because the quarterback dropped the ball without being touched.
The Cavs need to come out fast, take it to the Sixers early, and get the crowd out of it and keep them out. They can’t count on shooting over 50% on 3’s again tonight. In my opinion they should let Allen or Mobley guard Embiid alone and make sure the perimeter shooters are covered. The Cavs can win despite a 40-point night from Embiid as long as the rest of the team is contained.
Donovan Mitchell has scored 100 points in his last three games on 58.5% from the field and seems fully recovered from his groin injury. He had 18 points in 26 minutes in the first game against the Sixers so he will be counted on to lead the offense. The Sixers no longer have defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle to put on him. He’ll be guarded by the 33-year-old James Harden.
This will be the first matchup of the year between Allen and Embiid so that will be great to watch. Also the Okoro/Harden and the LeVert/Maxey matchups when the Sixers have the ball will be really interesting.
Can’t wait to see this one because after it’s over we have eight long days with no Cavs basketball, or any other pro Cleveland sports for that matter. If you want to take a Caribbean cruise, this is the time to do it.
The Sixers are 22-8 at home while the Cavs are 13-16 on the road, so this will be a real challenge. Both teams are on a roll; the Cavs have won seven straight while the Sixers are 25-7 after a 12-12 start.
These teams hooked up in Cleveland on Nov. 30 with the Cavs steamrolling the Sixers 113-85. Jarrett Allen was out and Mamadi Diakite started in his place and played 23 minutes, but the Cavs still managed to sprint to a 69-48 halftime advantage and pushed their lead to 33 points before cruising home. James Harden was out and Joel Embiid was held to 6-for-16 from the field.
The difference in that game was the 3-point shooting; the Cavs were 15-for-29 while the Sixers were 6-for-26. That was unusual because the Sixers are the better 3-point shooting team, but that night was an exception. The Cavs outscored them by a whopping 27 points on 3’s and won by 28.
That surely won’t happen tonight. On the season the Sixers rank 2nd in the NBA in opponents’ 3-point percentage so that night was a fluke. Garland, Mitchell, and LeVert combined to go 11-for-15 from deep and I’m sure the Sixers will make some adjustments to counter that. However, if they try crowding the Cavs’ guards it could open up some dribble penetration opportunities.
According to teamrankings.com the Sixers have had the second easiest schedule in the NBA so far, so I question whether they are as good as their record. They have by far the toughest schedule remaining according to that website. powerrankingsguru.com has them with the second hardest remaining schedule. They have played four fewer games than the Cavs and have five back-to-back games left (all involving travel) against just two for the Cavs.
This is the second of three games so if the Cavs win they will not only be tied for 3rd but will have the advantage in a tie-breaker.
The offense revolves around Joel Embiid, who averages 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 54% from the field and 36% on 3’s. The Sixers are 9.0 points better when he is on the court according to NBA.com, which is the highest on the team.
Embiid is listed as questionable for tonight with foot soreness. If he does not play all bets are off.
James Harden has a line of 21/6/11, shooting 45% and 39%. He’s second on the team with a +6.4 on/off number. He leads the NBA in assists per game. Between his 21 points and 11 assists he's directly involved in about 45 points per game.
PF Tobias Harris averages 15 points and 6 rebounds on 50% from the field.
A big factor in this game will be how well Allen, Okoro, and Mobley can defensively contain Embiid, Harden, and Harris. The Sixers’ other two starters, guard De’Anthony Melton and forward PJ Tucker, average 11 and 3 points per game, respectively.
Tyrese Maxey averages 20 points off the bench in 33 minutes, so he’s basically a starter. The Sixers have a couple of 6’9” scorers coming off the bench in Georges Niang, who shoots 41% on 3’s, and newly acquired Jalen McDaniels, who averages 10 points.
Embiid, Harden, Maxey, and Harris combine to score 90 of the Sixers’ 114 points per game. Stop those guys and you can beat the Sixers. Without Harden they only scored 85 against the Cavs in Cleveland and that was with Jarrett Allen out. The Cavs won’t hold them to 85 in Philly with Harden back and the addition of McDaniels.
Offensively the Sixers rank 8th in offensive efficiency but just 16th in points per game. They play slow, ranking 29th in field goals attempted per game. The Cavs are 28th in field goal attempts so this game will feature two of the most deliberate half-court teams in the Association. They both grind out possessions and play great defense.
The Sixers are a 3-and-D team. They rank 10th in 3-point frequency and 4th in 3-point percentage. At home they hit 39.5% of their 3’s, so the main focus of the Cavs’ defense must be to contest 3’s. They beat the Sixers in November by holding them to six made 3’s.
The Sixers also get to the line a lot, thanks mostly to Embiid, who shoots nearly 12 of their 24.6 free throws per game. They are 2nd in made free throws, averaging 20 per game.
In the first game the Cavs did a nice job of defending Embiid with one player initially and then coming with a late double team as he was about to get into his shot. But if they double him too early he will kick it out for an uncontested 3, and you can’t let these guys get open looks from the 3-point line.
Defensively the Sixers are 6th in efficiency while the Cavs are 1st, so both teams not only play slow offensively but they play great D. The Sixers are 2nd in defending the 3-point shot, limiting opponents to just 34% at home. They’re also good at defending the paint, ranking 8th in points in the paint allowed per game. They also are very opportunistic, ranking 4th in steals per possession and they’re above average in defensive rebound percentage. It’s tough to find a weakness to attack.
The only weak area statistically is fast break points allowed per game, where they are 28th. They commit fewer turnovers than average, so it looks like teams fast break off missed shots. I’m not sure why they rank 28th but the Cavs should look to run off missed shots whenever possible since the Sixers have an excellent half-court defense.
The Sixers shoot a lot of 3’s (34 per game) so if the Cavs can run off some long rebounds and get transition buckets that would help a lot.
Their starting forwards are 6’7” (Harris) and 6’5” (Tucker), so Evan Mobley will have a height advantage and should be able to hit some turnaround jumpers after backing down his man. However, they are both very physical and experienced and will try to keep him out of the paint.
This should be a great game, although the Sixers have a big advantage with the home court. This will be a great test for the Cavs who have been feasting on weaker opponents and injury depleted teams recently. It’s also a chance to get some valuable experience playing on the road in front of a hostile, fired-up crowd howling for blood. Or at least as fired-up as a Wednesday night regular season crowd can be after watching their team lose a Super Bowl because the quarterback dropped the ball without being touched.
The Cavs need to come out fast, take it to the Sixers early, and get the crowd out of it and keep them out. They can’t count on shooting over 50% on 3’s again tonight. In my opinion they should let Allen or Mobley guard Embiid alone and make sure the perimeter shooters are covered. The Cavs can win despite a 40-point night from Embiid as long as the rest of the team is contained.
Donovan Mitchell has scored 100 points in his last three games on 58.5% from the field and seems fully recovered from his groin injury. He had 18 points in 26 minutes in the first game against the Sixers so he will be counted on to lead the offense. The Sixers no longer have defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle to put on him. He’ll be guarded by the 33-year-old James Harden.
This will be the first matchup of the year between Allen and Embiid so that will be great to watch. Also the Okoro/Harden and the LeVert/Maxey matchups when the Sixers have the ball will be really interesting.
Can’t wait to see this one because after it’s over we have eight long days with no Cavs basketball, or any other pro Cleveland sports for that matter. If you want to take a Caribbean cruise, this is the time to do it.
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