Fresh off a 100-98 win vs. the Pistons on Wednesday, the Clippers look to add another game to their seven game win streak. The Clippers (39-18) look to knock off the Eastern Conference’s number one seeded Sixers (38-17) in Philly on Friday.
Clippers vs. 76ers Game Information
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: 4 p.m. PT
How to Watch: ESPN, AM 570 L.A. Sports, 1330 AM Tu Liga
Projected Starting Lineups:
L.A. Clippers: Reggie Jackson – Luke Kennard – Paul George – Marcus Morris – Ivica Zubac
Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons – Seth Curry – Danny Green – Mike Scott – Joel Embiid
Injury Report:
L.A. Clippers: Patrick Beverley – OUT (Left Hand Fourth Metacarpal Fracture), Serge Ibaka – OUT (Lower Back Tightness), Kawhi Leonard – OUT (Foot), Paul George – Questionable (Illness)
Philadelphia 76ers: Dwight Howard – OUT (Knee, Day-to-Day), Tobias Harris – Questionable (Knee, Day-to-Day), George Hill – OUT (Thumb)
The Big Picture
With seven straight wins, the Clippers hold the league’s longest win streak. With just 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Clippers have positioned themselves to make one final run at the No. 1 seed. L.A. (39-18) sits just three games behind the conference-leading Utah Jazz and just two games behind the second seed Phoenix Suns.
As other in-conference foes have begun to falter amidst elongated injuries to star players, head coach Ty Lue and the Clippers hope to continue their streak while allowing time for Kawhi Leonard, Patrick Beverley and Serge Ibaka to return to the lineup in time for the playoffs. After sitting out last game due to rest, Paul George will revitalize a short handed Clippers’ lineup on Friday.
The Antagonist
While the Clippers eye the number two seed in the west, the Eastern Conference leading Sixers are stuck in a battle of their own. With the Brooklyn Nets looming just one game behind in the win column, the Sixers are deadlocked in a race to the finish.
With MVP-candidate Joel Embiid seemingly fully recovered from his recent knee injury — scoring over 36 points per game in his last two — the Sixers provide one of the league’s nastiest defenses. Their plethora of size on the inside and lock-down ability on the perimeter has vaulted them into the top-five NBA team defenses according to Nba.com/stats.
Clippers vs. 76ers Game Notes
- Paul George’s Scoring Prowess: George continues to prove himself a viable No. 1 option in the wake of the team’s leading scorer Kawhi Leonard. Over his last four games, George is averaging more than 34 points a game, shooting over 55% from the field.
- Clippers Look to Sweep Season Series: After downing the Sixers in Staples Center on March 27 behind 28 points from Leonard, the Clippers look to sweep the Sixers in the team’s second and only remaining matchup on the year.
- A Light(er) Home Stretch: With just 15 games remaining for the Clippers to make a push towards the one or two seed in the West, they’ll have some help from a light schedule. Just seven of the 15 opponents remaining are teams with a winning record.
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