The 76ers (7-7) return to game action on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks (11-3) on Penn Medicine Court at The Center. Following a pair of home wins last weekend, including Joel Embiid’s historic performance against the Utah Jazz, the Sixers went four days without a game on their schedule.
76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers mentioned that, while it’s difficult to replicate the atmosphere of a live game, scrimmages played an important role this week. After Wednesday’s practice session, Georges Niang described the focus:
"Today was a really good day,” Niang said. “We scrimmaged for a little over 45 minutes and really got to work on late-game stuff and some plays that we want to run down the stretch. I think it's been huge. Our defense has gotten a lot stronger since the year started, but I think fine-tuning things on offense is really what we focused on. These four days are huge, especially for guys resting their bodies."
The Sixers defeated the Jazz, 105-98, on Sunday behind 59 points (career high), 11 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and seven blocks from Embiid – the NBA’s Player of the Week.
The Bucks, meanwhile, handed the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-6) their fifth straight loss on Wednesday. In the 113-98 victory, Brook Lopez scored a game-high 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting from the field, 7-for-9 from 3-point range, and 2-for-2 from the foul line. Jordan Nwora came off the Milwaukee bench to add 21 points (6-10 fg, 5-9 3fg, 4-6 ft), while Giannis Antetokounmpo notched a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double (6-18 fg, 0-2 3fg, 4-11 ft) with eight assists.
Milwaukee holds the No. 1 defensive rating in the NBA, while the Sixers have the fourth-rated defense.
The first meeting between the two teams this season was the Sixers’ home opener on Oct. 20. The Bucks escaped with a 90-88 win despite a game-high 31 points from James Harden, who also recorded eight rebounds and nine assists. Antetokounmpo shot 9-for-16 on a 21-point night.
“I was very happy with that,” Doc Rivers said of P.J. Tucker’s defense that night. “Tuck [P.J. Tucker], he was fantastic overall. He did a heck of a job. And Giannis [Antetokounmpo], usually one man doesn’t guard him. And tonight, for the most part, Tuck did that.”
The following Sixers were included on the Thursday night injury report: James Harden (out - right foot tendon strain), Furkan Korkmaz (out - left knee effusion), and Jaden Springer (out - right quad strain/G League assignment).
Six Bucks players were included on the report: Grayson Allen (probable - right ankle sprain), Pat Connaughton (out - right calf strain), Jrue Holiday (questionable - right ankle sprain), Joe Ingles (out - left knee ACL surgery), Wesley Matthews (out - right hamstring strain), and Khris Middleton (out - left wrist ligament surgery).
Friday’s game between the 76ers and Bucks is a 7:30 p.m. start.
When We Last Saw Them:
Joel Embiid
Tyrese Maxey
76ers vs. Utah Jazz: Nov. 13, 2022
1 / 6PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 13: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers attempts a foul shot against the Utah Jazz at the Wells Fargo Center on November 13, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
James Harden – who said Thursday that he’s feeling good and is “on pace” with his recovery from a foot tendon strain – on Joel Embiid’s 59-point effort:
“That was an overall MVP performance. That was elite right there. That was one of the best games I’ve seen.”