The Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors matchup on Saturday night in a big one for Philadelphia. The Sixers need to get themselves in a position for home-court advantage for the playoffs and they are in a spot where they can go home with a 2-2 road trip.
Philadelphia was able to earn themselves a huge win on Thursday led by Tobias Harris, Al Horford, and Shake Milton and they will need more from those guys again on Saturday. The Sixers will once again be missing Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Josh Richardson heading into the contest.
We teamed up with our sister site, Warriors Wire, to further preview the matchup which tips off at 10:00 p.m. EST.
Warriors Wire editor Tommy Call III told us:
1) What’s changed since they last met?
During the final stretch of the season, there may not be a more changed team in the NBA than the Golden State Warriors. Bob Myers and Steve Kerr moved a total of six players at the NBA trade deadline, leaving Golden State with virtually a new rotation.
Four players who recorded over 19 minutes in the Warriors Jan. 28 contest in Philadelphia are in different cities. Golden State’s leading scorer D’Angelo Russell is now with the Minnesota Timberwolves while two key role players, Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson will suit up against the Warriors as members of the 76ers.
While the Warriors are going through a bevy of changes in their 2019-20 campaign, there has been some positive news of late. Stephen Curry scored 23 points in 27 minutes in his first game back from injury after missing the past four months. Curry brings a natural flow to the Warriors that only certain superstar caliber players can. In Curry’s second post-injury game, expect Kerr to ramp up his usage.
Outside of Curry, the solid play of Andrew Wiggins has given the Warriors high hopes for the future. The Kansas Jayhawk product has scored over 20 points in three consecutive games with Golden State. With Curry back on the floor, Wiggins tallied 21 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Since coming to the Warriors, Wiggins’ confidence has grown on the defensive end. The former Rookie of the Year has been active on defense, and Kerr has no problem sticking him on the opposing team’s best scorer.
2) What it will take for each team to win?
Since the All-Star break, the Golden State Warriors have been atrocious from beyond the arc. The Warriors are shooting a lowly 29.0 % from 3-point range over the last eight games, but things should change with Curry back. Against the Raptors, the Warriors launched a season-high 52 3-pointers with Curry back in the lineup — seven more attempts than their previous high.
The Warriors only shot 26.9 % from deep against Toronto, but the threat from long distance opened the floor up for Golden State. Curry, Wiggins and Damion Lee all knocked down three or more 3-pointers against the Raptors. 10-day contract standout Mychal Mulder has added at least two makes from beyond the arc in his past four games.
To give Golden State a fighter’s chance to slow down the Sixers, they will need to at least threaten from 3-point range throughout the game.
3) Is there anything else we should know about the matchup or the Warriors?
Maybe the biggest surprise in Golden State’s down season has been the arrival of Marquese Chriss. The former lottery pick went from training camp invite to the potential starting center of the Warriors’ future.
Chriss has recorded double-figure scoring numbers in five of his last six games. The Washington Husky product has punched three double-doubles in that span.
Since Golden State traded Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks, Chriss has started every game in his place. As a starter, the 22-year-old center is averaging 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. With Curry back, Chriss’s numbers should continue to rise as space in the frontcourt opens up. [lawrence-related id=27260,27273,27251]