Overview

It’s gameday! The Philadelphia 76ers are taking on the Charlotte Hornets tonight at 7:00 pm EST in the Spectrum Center. Tonight’s contest will be broadcasted on NBC Sports Philadelphia and on local station 97.5 “The Fanatic”. Additionally, the Hornets plan to wear their white association jerseys, while the 76ers will rock their blue icon jerseys. 

Today marks the first of three meetings between these teams this season. Last year, Philadelphia swept Charlotte 3-0 in their season series. Overall, the 76ers have a dominant 14-game win streak over the Hornets that has lasted for five consecutive seasons. 

Hornets Outlook

The Charlotte Hornets are 14-11 on the season and sit at 6th place in the Eastern Conference. To add on, Charlotte is 6-4 in their last 10 game. This includes their impressive win last night. 

The COVID-19 depleted Hornets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 130-127. This victory was a joint effort from MIP candidate Miles Bridges and offseason acquisition Kelly Oubre. Both players combined for an impressive 60 points. Last night, Miles Bridges was proud of the team’s effort in their win, despite being very short-handed. He stated “We did it together. We did everything together”.

Unfortunately, the Hornets had several key contributors enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols this past weekend. Specifically, rising star LaMelo Ball, scoring guard Terry Rozier, third year forward Jalen McDaniels, and center Mason Plumlee. 

Woefully, tonight’s game against the 76ers is the second part of their back-to-back. Fatigue and the absence of multiple players will be crucial for this game. However, the Hornets are one of the best home teams in the NBA. To boot, they’re 7-2 at Spectrum Center this season. 

Hornets 4:30 pm EST Injury Report:

  • LaMelo Ball (Out – Health and Safety Protocols)
  • Jalen McDaniels (Out – Health and Safety Protocols)
  • Mason Plumlee (Out – Health and Safety Protocols)
  • Terry Rozier (Out – Health and Safety Protocols)

76ers Outlook

The Philadelphia 76ers are 12-11 on the year and possess the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference. Undoubtedly, Philadelphia has struggled as of lately as they’re 4-6 in their last 10 games. Last Friday night, star Joel Embiid acknowledged the team’s struggles saying “There wasn’t anybody that was not likeable in the past, but it makes it easier when you have guys like that that care about winning. When we lose, you look at the Boston Game, we were all pissed off. We all played so bad, and we were still right there” (quote from Lauren Rosen of the Philadelphia 76ers). 

Nonetheless, the 76ers picked up a much-needed win over the Atlanta Hawks 98-96. Even greater, Joel Embiid had a bounce-back performance of 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Moreover, Embiid was very fired up after the win. As a result, he threw his arms around and yelled on Atlanta’s court in celebration. Unsurprisingly, the star center received some criticism on social media for his actions.

Luckily, Tobias Harris could return to the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup tonight. He missed last Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to a non-covid illness. Yesterday, Harris practiced with the Sixers in Charlotte, and he’s officially listed as questionable for tonight’s contest (reported by Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). 

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off two days of rest and are 7-6 on the road this year. Because of this and Charlotte’s COVID-19 issues, the Sixers should get the win tonight.

76ers 4:30 pm EST Injury Report:

  • Tobias Harris (Questionable – Illness)
  • Grant Riller (Out – Right Shoulder Soreness)
  • Ben Simmons (Out – Personal Reasons)

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