The Philadelphia 76ers have had a rough go at it recently. They have lost three straight since the impressive win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day which then caused a lot of drama as players have expressed their frustrations. They will conclude their road trip on Friday with a visit to the Houston Rockets as they look to break out of this slump.
The Rockets are led by scoring machine James Harden who is putting on a show averaging 38.2 points and 7.5 assists for the Rockets. He’s teaming up with Russell Westbrook as the two have been looking to get Houston to the next level in the Western Conference. This will not be an easy challenge for the Sixers to breakthrough.
With that said, it’s time for the guide to Friday’s matchup:
How to watch Sixers vs. Rockets
- Date: Friday, January 3
- Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Toyota Center Houston, TX
- TV: ESPN, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Injury Report
- Sixers: OUT: Matisse Thybulle(right knee sprain), DOUBTFUL: James Ennis III(stomach illness)
- Rockets: OUT: Gerald Green(left cuniform fracture), Nene(left adductor strain)
Storylines
Brown upset with lackluster Sixers
The Sixers have a tendency to play to the level of their opponent meaning they will get up for the big games, but then play down to their next opponent. They also will play lackadaisical and then randomly flip a switch to play up to their expected level. Coach Brett Brown has noticed this issue with his team and he is not happy with the way they handle themselves.
“I definitely see it out of them and it’s not acceptable,” said Brown at practice on Thursday. “I completely sort of coach and live life thinking that good things add up, and you don’t just click your heels and April 14 is here. That’s not how I see anything. We shared that notion today. They’re smart enough to agree.”
Sixers respond to Richardson
The big comment that was made about the Sixers was made by shooting guard Josh Richardson. After the loss to the Indiana Pacers, Richardson spoke on the lack of accountability in the locker room and it resonated with the team. The leaders of the team, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, had their own opinions on the comments.
“It’s one of those things where it’s ups and downs,” Simmons added. “You’re not going to go 82-0. As long as we stay together and don’t lose our minds, we’re going to be good. I think we’ll be fine.”
While Simmons strongly agreed with his teammate’s claim, Joel Embiid was a little indifferent towards the claim.
“We’re good,” said Embiid. “We’ve had a rough last three games, but we’re good. I don’t really want to share what goes on inside, but we’re good. I feel like everybody has a good spirit and we know we’re going to get out of it…everybody just needs to get their confidence back.”
Prediction
The Sixers have been so unpredictable lately. It’s been tough to really get a read on them. On one hand, the Rockets would be the easy pick because of their superstars and due to the fact that the Sixers have not been playing well as of late. Philadelphia has a tendency to rise to the occasion so this could be one of those games that helps them make a statement, but overall, it’s hard to really predict what will happen in this one.
Pick: Sixers? Rockets? You decide.
Sixers vs. Rockets season series
Game 1 January 3:
Game 2 March 31:
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