Here is what you need to know before the Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers.
1)
The Lakers’ entire young core came ready to play in their last game, as Los Angeles racked up 122 points while beating Phoenix by a dozen on Thursday. Jordan Clarkson had 19 points as rookies Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac each added 14. The Lakers were particularly careful with their possessions, committing only nine turnovers against an opportunistic Suns team.
2)
The biggest piece of that win was D’Angelo Russell, who went off for his third-highest scoring game of the season with 28 points and six 3-pointers. The 21-year-old was a huge part of the Lakers’ success in the turnover department, tallying three steals to zero turnovers.
3)
The Lakers’ front office is officially under new management now that General Manager Rob Pelinka was introduced on Friday. Pelinka was quick to state that he will work to bolster the Lakers’ roster, saying, “We have to develop our young players, and there are some extraordinary young players, but we have to add to that core, too.”
4)
The Lakers announced on Saturday that they had signed David Nwaba to a second 10-day contract, setting up a matchup between two members of the Los Angeles D-Fenders’ starting five. Nwaba will face off against Justin Harper, who was brought up to the 76ers early in the month after being selected to the D-League All-Star Game.
5)
The Sixers will have to finish the season without two core pieces of their future. Joel Embiid (knee surgery) was shut down for the year after leading the rookie class in scoring (20.2), rebounds (7.8) and blocks (2.5). Meanwhile, first-overall pick Ben Simmons did not play this season due to a foot fracture suffered in training camp.
6)
Since Embiid went down at the end of January, the 76ers have slumped to a 6-14 record. Though Philadelphia relied heavily on Embiid’s offense, his biggest impact may have been on the other end. After losing him, the Sixers have allowed the league’s second-most points (114.1) with its worst point differential (-8.8).
7)
With Embiid only playing 31 games this season, there is a case to be made for his teammate, Dario Saric, being the Rookie of the Year. The former Adriatic League MVP currently ranks second among rookies in both scoring (11.9) and rebounds (6.3), and has scored double figures in 15 straight games.
8)
As Embiid is on the mend, Jahlil Okafor should have a more impactful presence over this last month of the season. Taking a smaller role during Embiid’s surge, the third-overall pick of last year’s draft is averaging about six fewer points than he did as a rookie and only has two double-doubles in this campaign.
9)
It has been a hot-and-cold year for Robert Covington, who has been stellar on the defensive end, ranking third in steals (1.91) while leading the NBA in deflections (4.2). However, he also owns the worst field goal percentage among qualified players, hitting just 39.6 percent of his shots.
10)
The Sixers love to spread the ball around, as they lead the NBA with 353.6 passes per game. The primary distributor is point guard T.J. McConnell, who is second in individual passes (66.5), and ranks among the NBA’s top 10 in assist percentage (36.6) and steal percentage (2.9).
Injury Report
Lakers: None.
76ers: Joel Embiid (left knee surgery), Ben Simmons (acute fracture, right foot), Jerryd Bayless (left wrist surgery) and Tiago Splitter (right calf strain) are out.
Tip-Off: 6:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW