The Philadelphia 76ers are taking on the Indiana Pacers in the first of six games that could be a season-changing stretch for the Sixers.
The Philadelphia 76ers are officially back in action tonight after a five day break in between games. Coming off a tough loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, they will be looking to bounce back against one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference in the Indiana Pacers.
While the loss to Los Angeles was tough, it was essentially LeBron James turning back the clock in the fourth quarter that beat them, which is something you can live it. Additionally, this is the first of six games that are winnable for the Sixers, so they could go on another winning streak.
If they actually do win all six games, they would advance to 19-10 on the season and be in a great position in the conference. That said, with the Pacers being the first of these matchups, it's very important that they walk away with a victory against them, as they need to take advantage of the favorable matchups that they have on their schedule.
Unfortunately, Tyrese Maxey will be out with an illness, putting some pressure on the rest of the backcourt to make up for his absence. With Maxey being the team's MVP this season, it will likely be difficult to adjust to an offense that isn't led by him.
That said, Joel Embiid should be playing, so hopefully he can revert to his old self and lead the team to victory, even without their star player. Paul George will also be playing, so they should be fine if he can step up a bit as well.
VJ Edgecombe will be a key player to watch in this matchup, as he hasn't had to step up into a bigger role yet this season, making it a big test for him. He also hasn't had a huge scoring night since his debut, so it could be a good opportunity to have a similar outing as well.
Jared McCain is another player to keep an eye on with his recent production. If he can get a nice chunk of minutes tonight, he could easily score 15-20 points, helping lead the way for the Sixers.
Overall, even without Maxey, this is still a great matchup for Philadelphia, and it should be a relatively easy victory if they don't shoot themselves in the foot.