Houston Rockets At Philadelphia 76ers: Game 50: Sneak Peek Analysis
The Houston Rockets will get themselves out this horrible stank that they’ve walked into.
The Houston Rockets will get themselves out this horrible stank that they’ve walked into.
It’s just that part of the season where things may not go perfectly but will certainly get back into place.
I’m sure it’s certainly a possibility starting tonight.
There’s no doubt they’ll be ready to take on the 17-27 Philadelphia 76ers, who have won 10 of their last 13 with impressive wins over the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers.
What’s up next?
So who’s leading the charge for the Sixers?
Joel Embiid leads the team in scoring (19.8 PPG), is the top board-getter (7.9 RPG) and top shot-blocker (2.5 BPG). T.J. McConnell is the top assist man (5.9 APG). Robert Covington holds the torch in steals (1.7 SPG).
Let’s talk about what the Sixers do well.
They’ve vastly improved their team defense. The Sixers have risen to 10th — tied with the Miami Heat — in defensive efficiency (allowing 104.5 points per 100 possessions).
They’re definitely decent at keeping the ball moving. The Sixers are 11th in the league in assist ratio, with 17.4 percent of their possessions ending with an assist.
They love to have a high-volume of possessions. The Sixers are 11th — tied with the Atlanta Hawks — in PACE Factor, averaging 99.6 possessions per game.
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Injuries:
Eric Gordon was a late scratch in Wednesday’s contest against the Boston Celtics because of tightness in his lower back. He has already been deemed as QUESTIONABLE for tonight. Let’s hope he’s not out too long with this malady.
As for the Sixers, Joel Embiid had has been battling a left knee contusion, causing him to miss a few games but is expected to play tonight.
Jhalil Okafor is battling some soreness in his right knee as has missed a couple of games as a result. He is day-to-day and I’d likely deem him as DOUBTFUL for tonight.
Ben Simmons recently got a checkup on his foot injury with a few scans and they do indicate he’s progressing toward a return. It just won’t be tonight but it’s certainly on the horizon.
Source(s): Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com and Jessica Camerato of CSN Philadelphia
Matchups to Watch:
- Patrick Beverley vs. T.J. McConnell
- Clint Capela/Nene Hilario vs. Joel Embiid/Nerlens Noel
- Trevor Ariza vs. Ersan Ilyasova
- Ryan Anderson vs. Robert Covington
Prediction:
117-106 in a Houston Rockets’ win!
The Rockets hit the road to take on the Sixers at Wells Fargo Center.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST.
The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Southwest and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME), Sirius/XM/SiriusXM Internet 890 and La Ranchera 101.7 FM (KNTE) & 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.
Go Rockets!