Sixers want to make amends!
The Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets face off in a top NBA matchup. The Sixers won their only matchup of the season so far last November, and the victory was not only surprisingly clear by a 14-point margin, but also somewhat surprising, as top center Joel Embiid was unable to contribute against the men from the Mile High City.
Philadelphia 76ers – statistics & current form
Head coach Doc Rivers, who is the second most experienced coach behind San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich with 26 seasons under his belt already, can count on Embiid this time around. “The Process” is on board and so far the Cameroonian is already delivering another very strong season.
While he was repeatedly slowed down by injuries in previous years, the playmaking “big man” is now free of complaints for a longer period of time. On top, it turned out that the signing of James Harden was a right move from the Sixers’ point of view.
“The Beard” immediately fit in well with the existing team in Philly, and since he’s started for the 76ers, they’ve won six of seven league games with him in the lineup. Thanks to this yield, the home side have now climbed up to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Denver Nuggets – statistics & current form
The Nuggets provided the best player in Nikola Jokic in the only duel of the season so far. Despite his very good performance, however, the game was lost, as described, on the part of the team of head coach Michael Malone.
Nevertheless, the Serbian will again be their biggest trump card in the upcoming encounter. As in the previous year, the “Joker” is putting in gala performances and there are many indications that the Serbian will be able to defend his title as MVP. A feat last achieved by his predecessor Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks.
Philadelphia 76ers – Denver Nuggets Tip
For the showdown between the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, the prediction includes a home win. As described, the squad of the Sixers could be strengthened once again by the signing of James Harden and “The Beard” will show up like the rest of the team very motivated, as they have to make amends with the fans.
The last home game against the Nets, in which Harden played against his former colleagues for the first time again, was a big disappointment from the point of view of the home side. The highly emotional exchange of blows against Brooklyn was lost crashingly and especially “The Beard” but also other previously very consistently acting players such as Tyrese Maxey failed the nerves.
With this background we can expect a reaction from the home side. On top, the guests are once again decimated and thus have a personnel disadvantage compared to the Rivers troop.