The 76ers (51-26) are back in Milwaukee, set for their final regular season meeting with the Bucks (55-22).
Sunday’s matchup marks another clash between two of the best in the East, with the Bucks continuing to hold the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Sixers occupying No. 3 (the Boston Celtics (54-24) hold No. 2).
The Sixers are 2-1 against the Bucks this season, most recently launching one of their most impressive comebacks of the season to take a 133-130 win in Milwaukee on March 4.
James Harden led the way in that matchup, scoring 38 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists as the Sixers covered an 18-point deficit and snapped Milwaukee’s 16-game winning streak.
“We found something late in the fourth quarter, and we just stuck with it,” Harden said that night. “You find something that works, and you try to stick with it. We got some stops, and things changed for us.”
Joel Embiid notched a 31-point, 10-assist double-double in that win, plus six rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey added 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points in the Bucks’ loss, plus 13 rebounds and four assists. Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday recorded 26 points apiece, with Holiday sharing a game-high 13 assists.
Antetokounmpo continues to lead the Bucks in scoring (31.1 ppg) and rebounding (11.8 rpg) this season, while Holiday leads Milwaukee in assists (7.3 apg) and steals (1.1 spg).
The Bucks have won seven of their last 10, but most recently fell to Boston Thursday, 140-99.
The Sixers are coming off a win, after beating the Raptors, 117-110, Friday in South Philadelphia.
Sunday’s single-game trip to Milwaukee marks the Sixers’ penultimate road trip of the season. The team will host Boston and Miami, then visit Atlanta and Brooklyn, before the regular season comes to a close.
Sunday’s matchup is an 8:00 p.m. ET tip.
Friday’s Key Contributors:
- Embiid scored a team-high 25 points, plus 12 rebounds, an assist, and a block. He shot 7-for-13 from the field and 11-for-12 from the foul line.
- Harden notched a 23-point, 11-assist double-double, plus three rebounds, two steals, and a block. He shot 9-for-14 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep.
- Maxey tallied 13 points plus six assists, shooting 5-for-8 from the field and 2-for-4 from long range.
De’Anthony Melton
- Melton added 13 points of his own, plus four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block. He shot 5-for-9 overall.
Paul Reed
- Reed scored a bench-high 11 points and grabbed a bench-high six boards, plus two assists and a block. He shot 3-for-5 overall and made all five of his free throw attempts.
76ers vs. Toronto Raptors: Mar. 31, 2023
1 / 6PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 31: James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors on March 31, 2023 at The Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
Doc Rivers on the bench’s great week:
“The whole bench - Paul Reed was phenomenal. [James Harden] has trusted him more… [And Jalen McDaniels] - just the energy and what he's doing all over the floor. Danuel House was huge as well. I thought the bench in the first half basically won the game in a lot of ways for us, that's who stretched the lead. You know, [Joel Embiid] had those two early fouls. They came in and played terrific. Again, it's a great example about rotations, you know, we put in [Georges Niang] first, and we didn't like it. So we went with someone else, and that's what this team is about - we're flexible. That to me, is what makes this team so good.”
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