The Philadelphia 76ers have already played one game without All-Star Ben Simmons after they knocked off the Orlando Magic, but now that they know he had to undergo surgery and he is most likely done for the season, things get a bit more challenging. They are going to have to focus on other players stepping up during these times and achieve their goals.
On Sunday, they will be taking on the Portland Trail Blazers who are fighting for their lives as they chase the 8 seed in the West. Led by Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Carmelo Anthony along with the terrific shooting of Gary Trent Jr. in the bubble, the Blazers have a lot of momentum on their side. Plus, they are one of the few teams who can matchup with Philadelphia’s size with Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins down low.
With that being said, let’s get into the game preview for this one:
How to watch Sixers vs. Trail Blazers
- Date: Sunday, August 9
- Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
- Location: VISA Athletic Center Orlando, FL
- TV: NBATV, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Injury Report
- Sixers: OUT: Ben Simmons (left knee subluxation) QUESTIONABLE: Glenn Robinson III (left hip pointer)
- Trail Blazers: NOT YET SUBMITTED
Storylines
Counting on Horford
The Sixers are now moving Al Horford back into the starting lineup with Simmons’ injury and Philadelphia now has to make some changes. They initially wanted to have Simmons at the 4 and use his athleticism to get the team to run more, but that now changes and they are going to need Horford’s experience, toughness, and veteran savvy to get the job done in Orlando.
“You can’t help but feel an emerging Al Horford,” said coach Brett Brown. “It’s clear he understands that we need him more than we ever have needed him. There’s a physical play that stands out the most.”
“We need to set the tone,” said Horford. “Coach has been talking about it all year and we need to make sure that we’re coming out and we’re setting the tone from the beginning.”
Good luck defending Embiid
Without Simmons, the Sixers now turn to Joel Embiid and will have him as the focal point of the offense. He is the most efficient post player in the league and he is a guy who can take games over at any moment. He did so in Friday’s win and when he is aggressive like that, Horford just says good luck.
“I think it was Joel,” said Horford. “I think Joel changes the game for us. In the second half, he didn’t care what was going on or what they were throwing at him. He was just going to go dominate and be assertive. When he does that and he had that mindset, all I can say is ‘good luck’.”
Prediction
The Blazers will come out with their hair on fire in this one. They suffered a bad loss on Saturday where they wasted an opportunity against a Los Angeles Clippers team that was resting a lot of their main guys. Philadelphia will feel the absence of Simmons in this one when defending their plethora of perimeter scorers and there will be a lot of pressure on Matisse Thybulle and Josh Richardson on defense. It’s hard to see them coming away with a win in this one.
Pick: Trail Blazers in a high scoring affair
Sixers vs. Trail Blazers season series
November 2: 129-128 Sixers
August 9:
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