Philadelphia 76ers vs Denver Nuggets
When: 3/30/2021 9:00 PM
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -175
PREDICTION: Philadephia 76ers, Denver Nuggets

Oddsmakers currently have Denver Nuggets listed as 4 point favorites versus the Philadelphia 76ers while the game’s total is sitting at 221.

After one game with Aaron Gordon in the mix, it looks like the Denver Nuggets made a smart move in acquiring the young forward.

The second test comes Tuesday night when Denver hosts the Philadelphia 76ers in a matchup of teams with title aspirations.

The Nuggets increased their chances when they acquired Gordon from Orlando last week, bolstering their frontcourt and adding another scoring option as well as a versatile defender. Gordon made his Denver debut Sunday night in a win over Atlanta and he came away impressed with his new squad.

“I see no limits for this team. It looks like we have all the pieces for this team, we have depth,” Gordon said after scoring 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting in 21 minutes. “We’re covered in a lot of different spots. As long as we’re working together there’s no stopping us.”

The Nuggets expect there to be some growing pains as Gordon becomes integrated into the system, but they also know there isn’t much time left in the regular season. Denver has only 26 games left, and in the tight Western Conference and a constant shifting of positioning, time is not a luxury.

“Our guys understand with (26) games to go, you look at the standings, it’s going to be a really tight race and every game counts, but It’s not going to happen overnight,” coach Michael Malone said. “Aaron Gordon is not going to fit in seamlessly tonight and be like, ‘yep, we got this,’ it’s going to take a little bit of time and we understand that.”

The Nuggets face a Philadelphia team that sits atop the Eastern Conference but with little margin for error. The Sixers are 10-2 in March but are in a stride-for-stride race with Brooklyn, which was 9-2 in the month heading into Monday night’s game with league-worst Minnesota.

Philadelphia players are well aware of the standings.

“I look at the standings, I know where we are, I know the race,” Tobias Harris said. “I’d be lying to you if I said I don’t look at the standings. I look at the standings every day; it is just something that I do.”

Being locked in such a tight battle with the Nets doesn’t bother Harris.

“I look at the standings and say, ‘We need a win,'” he said. “If it was any different, I would look at it the same exact way.”

The Sixers have stayed atop the Eastern Conference despite not having Joel Embiid for most of the month. Embiid was having an MVP-caliber season before a bone bruise in his left knee has sidelined him for the past eight games. He’s also likely to miss Tuesday’s game, too.

They had a four-game winning streak snapped Saturday night at the Los Angeles Clippers, the fourth of a six-game road trip that has touched down in New York (Knicks), the Bay Area (Warriors), Los Angeles (Lakers and Clippers), Denver and finishes in Cleveland on Thursday night.

Denver, meanwhile, is settling in for plenty of home games. Sunday’s win over the Hawks was the start of having seven of eight at home, with only a one-game trip to Los Angeles to face the Clippers in the next two weeks.

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PHILADELPHIA vs SACRAMENTO
When: 2/9/2021 10:00 PM
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: 5.5
PREDICTION: 76ers 5.5

Oddsmakers currently have the Philadelphia listed as 5.5 point favorites versus the Sacramento, while the game’s total is sitting at 229.5.

The Kings are 7-6 on their home court. Sacramento is sixth in the Western Conference scoring 113.7 points while shooting 47.5% from the field.

The 76ers are 6-5 on the road. Philadelphia has a 9-4 record against teams below .500.

The teams square off Tuesday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS:

De’Aaron Fox leads the Kings scoring 23 points per game, and is averaging 3.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Richaun Holmes is shooting 57.8% and averaging 12 points over the last 10 games for Sacramento.

Joel Embiid leads the 76ers averaging 29.3 points and grabbing 10.7 rebounds. Ben Simmons is shooting 53.4% and averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games for Philadelphia.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Kings: 7-3, averaging 113.9 points, 44.9 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.1 steals, and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points on 44.9% shooting.

76ers: 8-2, averaging 114.8 points, 43.2 rebounds, 20.5 assists, 10 steals, and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.8 points on 46.0% shooting.

INJURIES:

Kings: DaQuan Jeffries: out (left ankle).

76ers: Terrance Ferguson: day to day (health and safety protocols), Mike Scott: out (knee).

BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento comes into a matchup with Philadelphia as winners of four straight games.

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BROOKLYN vs PHILADELPHIA
When: 2/6/2021 8:05 PM
Where:

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA , BROOKLYN

Oddsmakers currently have the PHILADELPHIA listed as point 4.5 favorites versus the BROOKLYN, while the game’s total is sitting at 236.5.

Brooklyn Nets (14-10, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (16-7, first in the Eastern Conference)

Philadelphia; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Kevin Durant leads Brooklyn into a matchup against Philadelphia. He’s second in the NBA scoring 29.5 points per game.

The 76ers are 4-1 against the rest of their division. Philadelphia is 9-4 against opponents below .500.

The Nets are 3-1 against Atlantic Division opponents. Brooklyn is 2-6 when opponents grab more rebounds and averages 45.2 rebounds per game.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Nets won 122-109 in the last matchup on Jan. 7. Joe Harris led Brooklyn with 28 points, and Shake Milton led Philadelphia with 24 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Dwight Howard is third on the 76ers with 8.0 rebounds and averages 6 points. Danny Green is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers and 8 points over the last 10 games for Philadelphia.

James Harden leads the Nets averaging 23.4 points and is adding 8.1 rebounds. Harris is averaging four made 3-pointers and scoring 15.7 points over the last 10 games for Brooklyn.

LAST 10 GAMES: 76ers: 7-3, averaging 112.8 points, 43.4 rebounds, 20.1 assists, 9.3 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.6 points on 45.9% shooting.

Nets: 6-4, averaging 126.5 points, 44.1 rebounds, 28.6 assists, 5.2 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.9 points on 47.3% shooting.

INJURIES: 76ers: Ben Simmons: day today (calf), Terrance Ferguson: out (health and safety protocols), Seth Curry: day to day (illness), Joel Embiid: day today (knee), Mike Scott: out (knee).

Nets: Nicolas Claxton: out (right knee), Spencer Dinwiddie: out for season (acl).

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BOSTON vs PHILADELPHIA
When: 2/3/2021 8:08 PM
Where:

TV: 8:08 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA , BOSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as -135-moneyline favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

Boston guard Kemba Walker played a season-high 31 minutes on Tuesday night, and he might be dressed in street clothes when the Celtics visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Walker hasn’t played on consecutive nights this season, but coach Brad Stevens didn’t rule out the possibility after Boston’s 111-107 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The win came in the opener of the Celtics’ five-game western swing.

Of course, Walker’s availability will depend on how his troublesome left knee is feeling. Trainers will surely examine him closely to see if the knee looks ready for a second straight night of pounding on the court.

Walker has played in just seven games this season and is still rounding into form while averaging 15 points per game.

Walker scored 19 against Golden State but hit just 6 of 18 field-goal attempts. Still, that was an improvement from his awful 1-of-12 effort while scoring a season-low four points Saturday in the Celtics’ 96-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

So naturally, Walker felt he took a welcome step forward.

“After tough ones, you have to bounce back,” Walker said. “I’m not perfect. I wish I was. I just want to do what I can to help us win.”

Stevens saw the look on Walker’s face prior to the Tuesday game and sensed he was ready to rebound from the Saturday showing.

“You could tell he was waiting for another chance to play,” Stevens said. “I thought he did a good job. … I’m sure he would say he would have liked to have shot it better, but I think he looked good.”

It was a much-needed win after Boston dropped five of its previous seven contests.

The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum recorded 27 points and nine rebounds against the Warriors. Fellow star Jaylen Brown scored 18 points, just shy of his 11th consecutive 20-point outing.

Boston, on the latter end of the back-to-back, will have to contend with the speed of dynamic Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox.

Fox poured in 38 points Monday during Sacramento’s 118-109 comeback road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The rising star took over the game with a 3-pointer with 7:07 left to begin a stretch in which he scored 17 straight Sacramento points over a span of 6:34.

The explosive effort marked Fox’s second-highest outing of the season and raised his scoring average to 22.1.

“Just trying to do whatever it takes to put us on top, and sometimes it’s hitting another gear in the fourth (quarter),” Fox said. “When it’s time to make plays, you’ve got to be ready.”

Fox outscored New Orleans all by himself in the final quarter as the Kings finished with a 31-15 flurry to post their fourth win in five games.

Fox is averaging 28.3 points and 8.4 assists over the past seven games. He logged 12 assists against the Pelicans, one shy of his season high.

“I think he’s proven he’s taken that next step,” Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton said of Fox. “He’s been an All-Star this year.”

Harrison Barnes scored 24 points against New Orleans and big man Richaun Holmes added 17 points and 10 rebounds and had a career-best six blocked shots for the third time this season.

Sacramento will play seven of its next eight games at home. The lone road outing is a short plane flight to Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Sunday.

Boston has won eight of its past 10 meetings with Sacramento.

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PORTLAND vs PHILADELPHIA
When: 2/4/2021 8:05 PM
Where:

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA , PORTLAND

Oddsmakers currently have the PHILADELPHIA listed as 9.5 point favorites versus the PORTLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 227.5.

If the 76ers have their regular starting five on the floor Thursday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia figures to have a strong chance of winning.

After a 118-111 victory over the host Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, the Sixers are 12-0 this season when Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Danny Green all start.

Philadelphia built a 26-point lead at Charlotte, then held on for its fourth consecutive win overall behind Joel Embiid’s 34 points and 11 rebounds.

Harris added 26 points for the Sixers, who own the best record in the Eastern Conference.

“Just getting downhill and making good decisions when I’m there,” said Harris, who continues to make a strong case for his first career All-Star berth. “The next thing is drawing more contact and fouls when I’m down there. And I have been looking for ways to do that.”

Simmons provided another solid all-around performance while passing effectively out of double teams down low. Simmons had 15 points and nine assists.

“You have to pick your poison,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “If you’re doubling Ben, you’re asking for trouble with his passing ability.”

Key reserve Shake Milton sustained an apparent knee injury in the first half, which looked bad initially. However, Milton was able to return, and he is expected to play against the Trail Blazers.

“Yeah, he’s good,” Rivers said of Milton postgame. “I was scared, I’ll tell you that I thought it was his knee when he did.”

The depleted Trail Blazers have managed to win 11 of their first 20 games despite an array of injuries.

The Trail Blazers continue to play without key players such as Jusuf Nurkic (broken wrist), CJ McCollum (broken foot) and Derrick Jones Jr. (sprained foot), among others.

Portland’s marquee talent, Damian Lillard, is competing at a high level even with an abdominal issue. Lillard had 32 points and eight assists in the Blazers’ 132-121 road victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

“We’ve been having guys dropping left and right, dealing with a lot,” Lillard said postgame Tuesday. “And I’ve been dealing with some nagging things myself, where coming into tonight, I felt like I could barely move out there to start the game. And I was even thinking, ‘Should I have sat last night? Or sat tonight?’

“I was pushing and fighting that the whole game, because I knew how important this one was for our season.”

Portland’s Gary Trent Jr. provided a huge lift with 26 points, hitting seven 3-pointers. And Robert Covington, a former Sixer, snapped out of a maddening shooting slump to knock down 6 of 10 shots for 19 points to go along with nine rebounds.

“I like the way he shot the ball with confidence,” Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said of Covington.

Covington added, “We needed everybody tonight, and so many guys stepped up. That was an overall great team win.”

Team defense has been the biggest issue for the Trail Blazers all season. But to be fair, the team is so short-handed that consistency has been difficult to find.

“I feel really pleased with how we played,” Stotts said after the win against Washington. “We got off to a great start and held the lead. We had a lot of contributions from a lot of guys.”

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PHILADELPHIA vs CHARLOTTE
When: 2/3/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 7
PREDICTION: CHARLOTTE , PHILADELPHIA

Oddsmakers currently have the CHARLOTTE listed as 7 point favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The Philadelphia 76ers are finding ways to win away from the City of Brotherly Love.

While that statement shouldn’t come as much of a surprise for a team that rests atop the Eastern Conference standings, the 76ers have taken on both Jekyll and Hyde personas given the locations of their games.

Philadelphia hopes Wednesday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets follows a positive script as it bids for a three-game sweep of its road trip.

The 76ers, who offset a 31-4 record at home with a 12-26 mark on the road last season, are 10-1 and 5-5, respectively, this season. Philadelphia, however, has won three of its past four games away from home and six of seven overall heading into the finale vs. the Hornets.

The 76ers overcame the absence of three-time All-Star center Joel Embiid (back tightness) and a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to post a 119-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. It was not immediately known if Embiid will play Wednesday.

“It’s not rocket science. We are a better team with Joel Embiid on the floor,” said Tobias Harris, who scored 10 of his season-high 27 points in the fourth quarter. “But for the nights he does have to rest his body and get himself at 100 percent, we have to figure out our flow and how we are going to play out there.”

Harris registered team-best scoring performances to pace Philadelphia to two home wins over Charlotte this season. He had 24 points in a 127-112 win on Jan. 2 and 22 in a 118-101 victory two nights later.

Like Harris, Ben Simmons and Furkan Korkmaz posted season-high scoring performances Sunday. Simmons made 9 of 12 shots from the floor to finish with 21 points, and Korkmaz recorded 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as Philadelphia outscored Indiana 37-15 in the final stanza of regulation.

“I hope we’re talking about gratifying wins all year. I mean, that’s the plan,” said Doc Rivers, who on Monday was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in December and January.

Like the 76ers, the Hornets enjoyed a spirited fourth-quarter comeback to extend their winning streak to three games. Charlotte rallied from a 10-point deficit with 2:47 remaining in the fourth quarter to record a 129-121 overtime victory at Miami on Monday.

“It’s been a resilient group all year,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “We never dropped the sword. Our mentality is to keep fighting to the end. Down 10 with two-plus minutes to go, nobody hung their heads.”

Malik Monk made nine 3-pointers to highlight his career-high 36-point performance, while Devonte’ Graham had 24. Graham, however, made just 1 of 10 shots and finished with five points in the first meeting with Philadelphia before going 5 of 13 for 15 points in the second.

Rookie LaMelo Ball added 14 points and seven assists Monday in his first start for Charlotte. The No. 3 overall pick was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Terry Rozier, who is nursing an ankle injury.

The Hornets could be missing another starter after P.J. Washington suffered a sprained right foot in the third quarter Monday.

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PHILADELPHIA vs INDIANA
When: 1/31/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 1.5
PREDICTION: INDIANA , PHILADELPHIA

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 223.5.

Joel Embiid didn’t let back tightness slow him down during another impressive performance in a 118-94 win over host Minnesota on Friday night in Minneapolis, Minn.

Two days after a scary fall against the Lakers, Embiid finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in only 27 minutes to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-94 win.

The Sixers have won five of their past six games and will continue their three-game road trip Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers at Indianapolis.

“The last treatment that I had (late Thursday) night was at like 1 a.m. so even if it means not sleeping, just make sure that the body is right,” said Embiid, who is averaging a career-high 28.3 points as well as 11.1 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 54.4 percent from the field, including 40.4 percent from 3-point range.

“Obviously, sleeping helps a lot, too, but treatment is the first thing. So, little stuff like that matters. You gotta keep on going. It’s hard, but that’s what we get paid for, and you gotta do your job.”

Assuming Embiid can go against Indiana, his next challenge will come against Domantas Sabonis (20.5 points, team-leading 12.2 rebounds per game).

Despite Sabonis’ efforts, the Pacers have suffered five frustrating defeats this season by five points or less with the latest coming Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets.

Part of the problem has been on defense, which showed again as the Hornets finished with six players scoring in double figures in the 108-105 win.

“We didn’t get as many stops as we would’ve liked to, all game long,” Myles Turner said. “Rebounding hurt us, too. It seemed like every time we missed a rebound they hit a 3. …This is one of these games you kick yourself for.”

Indiana’s struggles on that end have come despite Turner’s improved play on that end. He has an NBA-best 4.1 blocks per game.

The Pacers also shot just 7-for-26 down the stretch from 3-point range and Doug McDermott was limited to only 11 points in 17 minutes after scoring 28 points two nights earlier in the first of Indiana’s back-to-back games against Charlotte. It was the Pacers’ third back-to-back set and they have split all three.

“They don’t make any excuses about anything — about not being able to leave the hotel or being around people,” Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren said. “They’re following the rules. They’re doing a good job of that. We were together here for a few days out on the road, it’s a lot of time to bond together as a team. We fought tonight. We just got beat.”

The Sixers continue to be one of the league’s best defensive teams with a 106.7 defensive rating per NBA Advanced Stats.

Tobias Harris (8.6 plus-minus) and Ben Simmons (1.6 steals per game) have kept the defense effective while often playing as the lone starter on an otherwise all-reserve lineup on the court. Harris is also off to a career-best shooting start (51.4 percent overall and 46.8 percent from 3-point range).

Matisse Thybulle (1.4 steals per game) has provided help defensively as well since the club lost forward Mike Scott to a knee injury on Jan. 14.

“He’s just a hell of a defender,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “He’s got his legs under him now. He knows what we expect of him, and he’s been terrific.”

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PHILADELPHIA vs OKLAHOMA CITY
When: 1/17/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , PHILADELPHIA

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 3 point favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

The Philadelphia 76ers are still trying to figure out how to win without Joel Embiid.

Heading into Sunday’s road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 76ers are 0-3 this season without Embiid in the lineup.

Philadelphia is 7-0 with its starting lineup intact and 2-5 when missing one or more starters.

Embiid doesn’t figure to be the only starter out for the 76ers, as Seth Curry has missed six consecutive games, the last five after testing positive for COVID-19.

Philadelphia will be without its All-Star center for the second consecutive game after Embiid remained in Philadelphia for the two-game road trip, which began Saturday with a 106-104 loss in Memphis.

Embiid is dealing with right knee soreness.

“Get over it and win the game,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said, rejecting the notion that missing Embiid or others was an excuse.

Rivers said the 76ers are going to continue to be cautious with Embiid.

“We want him to play as many games as he can play,” Rivers said. “But again, we have to be smart; it is a long season. We want everyone, not just Joel, we want everyone to be healthy and at their prime state when they get to the playoffs.”

The 76ers haven’t had much success in Oklahoma City with or without Embiid, going 1-10 there since the Thunder franchise began.

Overall, the Thunder are 20-3 against Philadelphia, their best mark against any opponent since 2008-09.

In his third year, Shake Milton figures to play in his home state for the first time. Milton has been inactive in each of the 76ers last two visits to Oklahoma City. Over the last three games, Milton is averaging 27.7 points, by far the best three-game stretch of his career.

Oklahoma City is coming off one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history. The Thunder trailed Chicago by 22 points in the third quarter before coming back to win 127-125 in overtime.

That game, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said was an important growing experience for an inexperienced Thunder team.

“That’s the type of mentality we’re trying to nurture,” Daigneault said. “Even if we didn’t win it, we stood back up, which was progress for us. There’s no guarantee you’re going to win when you continue to compete but if you continue to compete, you give yourselves a chance.”

Sunday’s game is the finale of a four-game homestand for the Thunder. The win over the Bulls was their first at home this season.

For the third consecutive game, the Thunder will face off against a key piece of its recent run of success before an offseason roster overhaul.

Sunday, it’ll be Terrance Ferguson playing against Oklahoma City for the first time after being traded with Danny Green to the 76ers in a package that brought Al Horford and Theo Maledon to the Thunder.

Ferguson has yet to break into the 76ers regular rotation, though and didn’t play in the loss to Memphis.

Neither Embiid nor backup forward Mike Scott, who also has right knee pain, made the two-game road trip.

The Thunder are likely to be without Horford for the third consecutive game. After missing Wednesday’s game for rest, Horford has remained away from the team for personal reasons, missing the win over Chicago and Saturday’s practice.

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CHARLOTTE vs PHILADELPHIA
When: 1/2/2021 7:05 PM
Where:

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -9.5
PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA , CHARLOTTE

Oddsmakers currently have the PHILADELPHIA listed as -9.5 point favorites versus the CHARLOTTE, while the game’s total is sitting at 214.

The Philadelphia 76ers will look for their third consecutive victory when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

The Sixers won for the fourth time in five games in resounding fashion on Thursday, thumping the host Orlando Magic 116-92.

Joel Embiid had 21 points and nine rebounds, Seth Curry scored 21 points and Tobias Harris added 20 points and nine rebounds. Since the game was so out of reach, the Sixers’ starters rested for the majority of the second half.

Philadelphia appears to be picking up new head coach Doc Rivers’ up-tempo system very quickly.

The pace begins with Ben Simmons, who has been oft-criticized for his lack of willingness to shoot from the perimeter. However, Simmons dropped in a rare 3-pointer against the Magic and the bench erupted. It was first lone long-range attempt of the season.

“I could care less,” Rivers said of whether Simmons takes outside shots. “I’ll let you guys talk about what Ben doesn’t do. I just want Ben to keep playing great defense, running our team and winning games.”

In addition to the starters producing against the Magic, the Sixers also received a huge lift from their bench, highlighted by Shake Milton (14 points), Tyrese Maxey (10) and Matisse Thybulle (nine). Thybulle failed to score in each of the first four games but took advantage of added playing time with Furkan Korkmaz sidelined due to an adductor injury.

“He’s going to be a key factor — we’ve been telling him that from the beginning,” Rivers said of Thybulle. “Matisse is going to be a key player for this basketball team. Defensively in the second half he was phenomenal.”

The new-look Hornets, who had been steadily improving, were drubbed 108-93 by the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

The Hornets did place five players in double figures, but the game was decided relatively early.

Bismack Biyombo led Charlotte with 16 points. Rookie LaMelo Ball added 15, Caleb Martin and Gordon Hayward had 14 each, and P.J. Washington scored 10.

Charlotte struggled with its long-distance shooting, going 9 of 31 (29 percent) from beyond the arc.

Despite the loss, head coach James Borrego has been pleased with the team’s progress.

“For us it’s just about building and growing,” Borrego said. “We didn’t have the best training camp. There’s a lot of factors there, but I believe now we have found our footing.”

That especially applies to Ball, the No. 3 overall pick by the Hornets in the 2020 draft. Ball also contributed six assists, three rebounds and two steals while continuing to show why the franchise selected him.

“He’s growing up right before our eyes,” teammate Miles Bridges said of Ball. “As long as he’s playing his game and having fun, we just want to focus on the defensive end.”

Ball has been a spark of the bench, but after the loss to the Grizzlies, Borrego was asked about shifting his rookie into the starting lineup.

“That’s one area I’ve got to continue to look at and look at it hard,” he said. “That’s not the only one, but I’ll continue to look at that area.”

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PHILADELPHIA vs ORLANDO
When: 12/31/2020 6:35 PM
Where:

TV: 6:35 PM
LINE: 2.5
PREDICTION: ORLANDO , PHILADELPHIA

Oddsmakers currently have the ORLANDO listed as 2.5 point favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.

The Orlando Magic will look to continue their historic start when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

The Magic have won their first four games for the first time in franchise history and entered Wednesday’s play as one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the league, with the Atlanta Hawks (3-0).

Orlando defeated the host Oklahoma City Thunder 118-107 on Tuesday to improve to 4-0.

The goal now is to keep the amazing streak going.

“It’s very exciting to be 4-0,” said Orlando guard Markelle Fultz, a former No. 1 overall pick by the Sixers. “Our goal is to come out every night and win, so to be able to have four wins and especially going on a road trip and go 3-0 is a boost for us. We’ve got to continue improving and growing.”

Ever-improving Nikola Vucevic, another former Sixer, led the way against OKC with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Dwayne Bacon added 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field.

Statistics aside, head coach Steve Clifford remains more focused on day-to-day improvement.

“It’s about either losing or winning, being able to learn from the game and get better,” Clifford said. “And that’s what I hope that we’re able to do. Three games in a row on the road is difficult in this league and guys have done a good job.”

With a 12-for-18 effort against the Thunder, Vucevic increased his career total to 4,084 made field goals with the Magic, breaking Nick Anderson’s record of 4,075.

“It was very humbling for me,” Vucevic said. “All of the great players that have played for the Magic, for me to be the all-time leader in field goals made, especially when you know all of the great scorers that played here, it’s a huge honor and a big motivation for me to keep working.”

The 76ers, meanwhile, will be looking for their second straight victory.

Philadelphia improved to 3-1 with a 100-93 win over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Joel Embiid overcame a brief injury scare to his right leg in the third quarter to finish with 29 points and 16 rebounds.

Embiid has reached at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in the three games he has played to become the first Philadelphia player to accomplish the feat since Charles Barkley in 1986-87.

“He was terrific, dominant,” Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said of Embiid. “It’s funny … obviously, he had 29 points. I thought he made the three key plays down the stretch by passes.”

Embiid limped to the locker room for a 4:01 stretch of the third quarter, but Rivers wasn’t fazed too much.

“Every time I asked, I got bad news,” Rivers said. “You can tell, I didn’t even go down there. I rarely go down there, because every time I go down there to ask ‘how are you’ the news is bad. So I didn’t want any bad news, let me put it that way.”

The Sixers were drilled by 24 points in their first road game at Cleveland on Sunday. They were one of the worst road teams last season, going 10-24.

Next stop, Orlando.

If the Sixers are going to win, they’ll likely need another stellar effort from Tobias Harris, who had 26 points and 11 rebounds against the Raptors.

“That leadership and that toughness he showed was terrific,” Rivers said of Harris.

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