The Sixers plan to get back to winning ways after losing their Christmas Day game against the Heat, but they’ll have to do it without their NBA MVP, as Joel Embiid has been ruled out against the Magic, who are right behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.
Elsewhere, the Raptors, Bucks, Suns, Knicks, and Cavaliers are going to visit the Wizards, Nets, Rockets, Thunder, and Mavericks, respectively, to round out tomorrow’s six-game schedule.
Continue to read below for the full SBOTOP preview.
Philadelphia Sixers @ Orlando Magic
With Embiid sidelined, the Sixers are hard-pressed to find reliable production against the Magic.
Paul Reed took over Embiid’s place in the starting lineup, but he only had four points and two rebounds in only 17 minutes against the Heat.
It doesn’t help the Sixers either that Tyrese Maxey, the second option behind Embiid, was only held to 12 points on a woeful 4-for-20 shooting, so look for him to bounce back.
As for the Magic, they have now won two consecutive matches after losing four straight last week.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 34 points to beat Indiana on Saturday, while Franz Wagner recorded 28 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds to power past Washington on Tuesday.
Toronto Raptors @ Washington Wizards
Speaking of the Wizards, their NBA 2023 odds of having a lottery pick next summer just got better because they’ve now lost eight of their last 10.
For Washington to snap their skid, Jordan Poole has to spark a turnaround. And in his last two outings, the 24-year-old combo guard has averaged 27.5 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
The Raptors aren’t doing so well either since they’ve dropped their last three games, so it’s no surprise that their top players are often mentioned in trade rumours, as per the NBA 2023 news.
Pascal Siakam is one of them, and he has arguably been Toronto’s best player this season, with averages of 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per contest.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Brooklyn Nets
The Bucks continue their three-game road trip to New York with a date against the Nets this time. Prior to tomorrow, the Bucks split their two meetings against the Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Nets were the ones responsible for extending the Pistons’ unwanted record for most losses in a single season after beating them twice in just a span of three days.
Mikal Bridges has broken out of his slump by averaging 25.0 points per game against Detroit, while Cam Johnson has posted norms of 21.0 points per game on 65-per cent shooting in the same period.
Phoenix Suns @ Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant is reportedly frustrated with the Suns since they are not where he wants them to be, sitting outside the play-in spots with a 14-15 record.
The Suns are currently on a three-game losing streak, and it doesn’t help that Bradley Beal, whom they traded for last summer, just can’t catch a break against the injury bug.
Three places above them are the Rockets, who have won two of their last three.
The Suns have to prepare for Alperen Sengun since he has posted a double-double in three consecutive contests for the first time this year, averaging 29.7 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game over that span.
New York Knicks @ Oklahoma City Thunder
The Knicks are 4-2 over their last six games, and Jalen Brunson has been their main catalyst in that run.
During that period, the 27-year-old has posted norms of 31.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per contest while shooting 54-per cent from the field and 61-per cent from three-point range.
They are set to face the third-best team in the Western Conference, the Thunder, with whom they share an identical record over the last six games.
Brunson’s counterpart is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has averaged gaudy numbers of 32.8 points, 7.0 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game recently.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Dallas Mavericks
Because this game against the Cavaliers is the front end of a back-to-back, there’s a possibility that the Mavericks could look to sit Luka Doncic, who was just given the questionable tag due to quad soreness.
Doncic is fresh from one of the greatest Christmas Day games in NBA history, as he recorded 50 points, six rebounds, 14 assists, four steals, and three blocks in their win against the Suns.
On the other hand, the Cavaliers are hoping to have Donovan Mitchell back. The four-time All-Star has missed the last three games due to an illness and is questionable to play tomorrow.
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