As their Eastern Conference road trip continues, the Lakers (10-14) head to Philadelphia to face off against the 76ers (12-12). The game tips at 4:30 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN and ESPN Radio 710.
Below are three things to know ahead of the matchup:
LEBRON AND AD PROBABLE
After both missed Wednesday's game vs. the Raptors, LeBron James (sore left ankle) and Anthony Davis (non-COVID illness) are both probable to play in Philly.
Friday's game was the first time this season that neither LeBron nor AD were able play, something that happened eight times last season. In those eight games the Lakers record was 2-6, with their lone victories coming in the final two games of the regular season vs. the Thunder and the Nuggets.
On the flip side of that, should both play in Philly it will be the 16th time in 25 games that LeBron and AD played in the same game. Last season that only happened 22 times total, with the longest stretch of consecutive games coming in February right before the All-Star break when they appeared in five straight contests together.
LEBRON'S SHOOTING
Somewhat lost in recent stretch of dominance from Anthony Davis is the fact that before missing the Raptors game, LeBron had found his stride of late too -- particularly in his shooting from behind the arc.
Compare his three-point shooting in his first 10 games of the season to his last seven after he returned from his strained adductor:
- First 10 games: 15-71, 21.1%
- Last 7 games: 24-53, 45.3%
This recent streak of strong shooting has lifted LeBron's season percentage to 33.1% from behind the arc, which is just a shade below is career number of 34.6%. For the season, LeBron is attempting 7.3 three pointers a game, the 2nd highest mark of his career only behind last season's 8.0 attempts per game.
Beyond his work from deep, LeBron's also seen an uptick in his shooting from the foul line during this stretch. Since returning from injury, he's making 80% of his attempts vs. the 71.1% in his first 10 games of the season.
That said, the 4.6 attempts from the line are LeBron's lowest number of free throws per game of his career and, if that number persists, would be first time in his 20 seasons he takes fewer than five free throws a game.
MATCHUP VS. PHILLY
Irrespective of the quality of either team or what other variables can impact the outcome, this game is best distilled through the battle of the big men. Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid are both having tremendous seasons, and each are looked to carry their respective teams on both ends of the floor.
Over the years, in their six head-to-head matchups, their statistics are strikingly similar:
- Davis: 22.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.5 blocks
- Embiid: 22.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.0 blocks
Though these numbers are very close, Embiid has the leg up in team victories, with a 5-1 advantage. This was the case last season as well where Davis played a wonderful game, but the LeBron-less Lakers fell short in Philly.
Tonight, then, the Lakers will certainly lean on AD to return to his pre-flu form and play to the level he's capable of. But, as has been proven in the past, it will take a full team effort to win in Philly where they have not claimed a victory since 2017.