On Sunday night we had the Philadelphia version of Halley’s Comet, as we saw the quartet of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe play for the first time as the Sixers. The double overtime loss to the Hawks was certainly exciting, if not the result Sixers fans were hoping to see. I hope you got a chance to enjoy it, because it won’t be happening tonight as Philadelphia is hosting the Washington Wizards. Embiid has already been ruled out of the game as his right knee injury heals. George is also questionable with a left knee injury healing and lower back tightness, while Andre Drummond (questionable – right knee soreness) and Quentin Grimes (probable – right calf soreness) are also listed. After 52 minutes against the Hawks, I’m surprised Maxi isn’t listed as “doubtful – dog tired.”
If there’s any consolation in the Sixers’ injury list rolling back like an old CVS receipt, it’s that you couldn’t ask for a softer landing spot than facing the 3-16 Wizards at home, especially on the tail end of a back-to-back with Washington. However, to their credit, the Wiz got their third win yesterday with a 129-126 win over Milwaukee. CJ McCollum led the way with 28 points, four rebounds and five assists. He is currently second on the team in scoring behind Alex Sarr, who missed last night and will sit out again tonight with an adductor injury. Corey Kispert (fractured right thumb) and Trey Johnson (strained left hip flexor) also will miss the action.
The Sixers needed overtime to win the previous meeting between these two clubs in October, which they ultimately won 139–134. Maxi was huge (as always), exploding for 39 points and 10 assists. The Sixers got big contributions from Embiid and Kelly Oubre Jr., neither of whom will be available tonight, obviously. However, Sarr paced the Wizards with 31 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, so that’s a big hole to fill. The Wizards’ offseason is largely dedicated to seeing what they have in 2024 second overall pick Sarr and 2025 sixth overall pick Johnson. With both of those guys out, it will be a disappointing watch for Wizards fans. It’s not exactly thrilling to see the 34-year-old duo of McCullum and Khris Middleton get a lot of minutes.
Washington’s net rating is the worst in the league, and has already held a players’ only meeting in the early part of the season. At the time of this writing, FanDuel lists the Sixers as 13.5-point favorites for tonight’s contest. It’s certainly better from the Wizards’ standpoint that they’ve won two of their last three rather than a 14-game losing streak, but even with the injuries, this game is one that Philadelphia should try to win in a stress-free manner. Perhaps the Sixers can even do the impossible and keep Maxey under 40 minutes.
When: Tuesday, December 2, 7:00 pm ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: nbc sports philadelphia
radio: 97.5 hardcore
to follow: @libertyballers
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