The Philadelphia 76ers return home on Friday after a terrific win in Boston over the Celtics. It has been an impressive stretch for the Sixers as they have wins over the Toronto Raptors, the Denver Nuggets, and the Celtics in their previous three games. Now, they return home to see a familiar face.
The New Orleans Pelicans visit the Wells Fargo Center and they bring former Sixers guard JJ Redick with them. Redick spent the previous two seasons with the Sixers and he was a key reason for their playoff runs in those years. He averaged 17.6 points and shot 40.7% from deep in the two years in Philadelphia.
With that being said, it’s time for the game guide for Friday:
How to watch Sixers vs. Pelicans:
- Date: Friday, December 13
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Injury Report
- Sixers: NOT YET SUBMITTED
- Pelicans: OUT: Zion Williamson(right knee scope), Darius Miller(right Achilles), QUESTIONABLE: Derrick Favors(personal reasons)
Storylines
Dominant Embiid
It has been a whirlwind couple of days for Joel Embiid and he took his frustrations out on the Boston Celtics on Thursday. He went for 38 points and 13 rebounds and he did a terrific job of imposing his will on the game. That earned him a lot of praise from his teammates as Tobias Harris said:
“From the beginning his energy levels on all different sides of the game,” Harris said. “On interactions, his energy offensively and defensively, he was very impressive all around…he’s he our best player, the best big in the game.”
Richardson the “dot connector”
Josh Richardson did not have the most impressive stat line on Thursday night, but he was huge in a lot of ways. His defense against Celtics star Kemba Walker and his overall hustle was a big part of the win on Thursday. Coach Brett Brown always calls Richardson their “dot connector” and their “glue guy” and Thursday was no different.
“He just is so different to anybody else we have, he is for all the reasons I have repeated,” said Brown. “He is a dot connector, a bridge-builder, he brings us all together, he was great tonight, and both sides of the ball. We would have struggled, I think, without him.”
Prediction
The Pelicans have been a mess to begin the 2019-20 season. With Zion Williamson still out, they’re still missing an essential piece of their team and a piece who is expected to lead them into the future. Redick playing on an emotional high should give them a boost and Jrue Holiday is a terrific player in his own right, but it won’t be enough to stop a Sixers team finding their groove a little bit lately.
Pick: Sixers by double-digits
Sixers vs. Pelicans season series
Game 1 December 13:
Game 2 April 11:
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