The Philadelphia 76ers begin one of their toughest stretches of the season on Sunday as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers to begin a 4-game west coast swing. With Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid out for the matchup, the pressure falls on Tobias Harris, Al Horford, and Josh Richardson to lead the way for them. For Harris, this will be his first game back in Los Angeles since being traded to Philadelphia at the deadline in 2019.
The Clippers have been a team that, much like the Sixers, have been up and down all season after having a ton of hype surrounding them and they are also trying to find their footing on the season. Led by Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Lou Williams, it will not be an easy matchup for the Sixers down their two best players.
It’s now time for the game guide to this one:
How to watch Sixers vs. Clippers
- Date: Sunday, March 1
- Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
- Location: Staples Center Los Angeles, CA
- TV: ABC
Injury Report
- Sixers: OUT: Ben Simmons (nerve impingement in back), Joel Embiid (left shoulder sprain)
- Clippers: NONE
Storylines
Richardson being a leader
With the Sixers down their two best players, they will need somebody else to step up and be the leader of the group. One guy who wants to step up to the plate is Richardson who is beginning to take on a more vocal role on this team that he did not have with the Miami Heat.
“The more comfortable I’ve gotten, the more I’ve started to try and talk,” he said. “I’ve just been trying to step out of my comfort zone a little bit and be that voice that we need right now.”
Horford letting it fly
The big bugaboo for the Sixers all season has been their lack of spacing on the offensive end of the floor. They have had to rely on Horford a bit more to shoot more from deep and that has affected his shooting percentage a bit as he has had a tough season shooting the ball. However, if you ask Horford, he’s going to continue to let it fly as he does his part to help the team’s offense.
“Shooter’s shoot,” he said at practice on Saturday. “I’m going to keep letting it fly. I know that they will start to fall.”
Prediction
It is hard to really see the Sixers going into Staples Center and knocking off the Clippers. Especially when you consider the fact that this team just randomly forgets how to play basketball on the road. Philadelphia is a dismal 9-21 away from the Wells Fargo Center and they will be down their two best players. It’s hard to see them containing the Clippers in this one.
Pick: Clippers by double-digits
Sixers vs. Clippers season series
Game 1 February 11: 110-103 Sixers
Game 2 March 1:
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