The Philadelphia 76ers are inside the bubble in Orlando to finish up the 2019-20 season, but first, they need to get some scrimmage games in to get back in the swing of things. They have played two of those three scrimmage games and they will finish off their final one on Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Those Mavericks possess one of the top talents in the league in Luka Doncic and one of the top big men in Kristaps Porzingis and they re fighting to hold on to a final playoff spot out West. They are currently the 7 seed heading into the restart and should offer the Sixers a challenge in this final scrimmage game.
With that said, let’s get into the preview to this one:
How to watch Sixers vs. Mavericks
- Date: Tuesday, July 28
- Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Location: HP Field House Orlando, FL
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia+
Storylines
Good luck trying to stop Ben Simmons
With his new move over to the power forward spot, Ben Simmons has been tough to stop in Orlando. He has been getting to the rim with ease as it has allowed him to play a little more freely and not have too much responsibility and the team has been more effective on offense. That means trouble for the rest of the league and Al Horford hopes they are ready for it.
“Ben is just being Ben,” said Horford. “He just sets the tone for us. It’s like ‘good luck’ getting in front of him, trying to contain him, or stop him in transition. He’s such a big body, so fast, explosive. He just knows how to play. He has a really good feel for the game.”
Sixers have faith in Horford
Horford has had an up and down first season in Philadelphia. He has struggled to really find his niche and his role on the offensive end of the floor and the Sixers are now moving him to a bench role. Still, the Sixers believe in him to make a big impact once the playoffs begin. He has been through too much and Shake Milton believes in his veteran.
“Al’s a leader. We’ve got faith in Al, it was huge to see him knock down all those threes and hopefully, we’ll keep finding him and letting them fly,” said Milton. “He’s been great and he’s been a presence for us and we’re definitely going to need him.”
Prediction
As mentioned in the first two scrimmage preview, this is not a prediction that will go too deep into everything. This is another game that truly does not count and it is a game to get ready for Saturday’s restart opener. What Sixers fans should look for is continuity. They should hope the team is really in sync and getting into the season restart playing good basketball. The final score does not matter.
Pick: Fun! Basketball is back.
Sixers vs. Mavericks season series
December 20: 117-98 Mavericks
January 11: 109-91 Mavericks
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