76ers vs. Lakers: Talking Points
What to look out for as the Sixers welcome the Lakers into town.
On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers welcome the Los Angeles Lakers into the Wells Fargo Center, coming off of their close win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Against the Thunder, Joel Embiid’s return was felt, after sitting out of a game earlier in the week due to hip soreness, as he dropped a game-high 35 points, while also picking up 11 rebounds, missing out on his first triple-double of the season by one assist.
Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris had big nights from the field, combining for 44 points against Oklahoma City, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 33 against the Sixers.
A win on Monday night would help Philadelphia climb up the Eastern Conference standings, as they look to bounce back from their recent hazy slate of results.
To no one’s surprise, Lebron James is the leading scorer for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 26 points per game, with 56 percent accuracy from the field.
Ahead of Monday night’s match, James has been listed as questionable with a contusion in his left calf.
While the 38-year-old has had a clean bill of health for the most part this season, he has only missed one game, in which the Lakers nearly lost to the Portland Trailblazers, beating them by six points.
Can Joel Embiid add to his dominance against the Lakers?
While Embiid puts on a show against most of the teams in the NBA, his matches against the Lakers are always extra special.
Throughout the ten games he’s played against Los Angeles in his career, the Cameroonian star is averaging a 32-point, ten-rebound double-double, which sits at the joint second-highest scoring number in the league.
Pair this with his league-leading 32 points per game this season, and the defending MVP could be slated to have a night against the Lakers.
Can the Sixers slow down Anthony Davis?
The past four games have been massive for Anthony Davis, who sits as the Lakers’ second biggest scoring option.
Across his recent stint of games, the 30-year-old is averaging 24 points and 13 rebounds, where he is shooting with surgical precision from the field, posting a 66-percent accuracy.