The 76ers (28-16) are Portland-bound, paying the Trail Blazers (21-23) a visit for the fourth of five games on their West Coast trip.
The Sixers will seek to extend their perfect record on the trip thus far, after winning in Utah Saturday and besting both Los Angeles teams on Sunday and Tuesday.
In Tuesday’s 120-110 win over the LA Clippers (23-23), Joel Embiid scored 26 points in the first half alone - ultimately scoring 41 - and notched his sixth consecutive 30-plus point outing.
Coming off the bench for the second straight matchup, Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points, including a trio of timely fourth-quarter 3-pointers to help the Sixers create the separation they needed.
“We have a long way to go, but I like how we’re closing games,” Embiid said following the win.
“Tyrese took over to start the fourth, and by the time we had to come in we just had to finish the job.”
Tuesday’s meeting with the Trail Blazers marks the first of the two meetings between the Sixers and Blazers this season, with the second coming Mar. 10 in Philadelphia.
Portland has struggled of late, going 3-7 in its last 10 matchups, most recently falling to the Nuggets, 122-113, Tuesday in Denver.
Six-time All-Star Damian Lillard leads the Blazers in scoring, averaging 29.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game this season. Lillard scored 44 points Tuesday versus Denver.
Thursday’s matchup features two of the league’s top 10 scorers this season thus far, with Embiid’s 33.6 points per game marking the second-highest scoring average in the NBA (trailing only Luka Doncic, 33.8 ppg), and Lillard’s 29.3 marking the eighth-highest scoring average in the league.
After their stop in Portland, the Sixers will close their five-game road trip in Sacramento on Saturday.
Thursday’s matchup is a 10:00 p.m. ET start.
Tuesday’s Key Contributors:
Joel Embiid
Tyrese Maxey
Tobias Harris
76ers vs. LA Clippers: Jan. 17, 2023
1 / 4LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 17: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on January 17, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
Tobias Harris on how he’s changed in the few years since playing under Doc Rivers with the Clippers:
“Definitely on the defensive end - just being able to go out there and guard some of the best guys in the league. That took a lot of time to develop and get better at on that side of the floor. When [Doc] had me here, this was a great place for me. I was able to blossom into the player that I was, and get a great opportunity. I always embrace that and I’m extremely grateful for that.”