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The Philadelphia 76ers and the Charlotte Hornets will face off on Wednesday night and will head into the matchup as the East's two in-form sides, both boasting 3 wins in a row.
The 76ers toppled the LA Lakers in what could be a prequel to an NBA Finals matchup before battering the Minnesota Timberwolves over the weekend. The run culminated in Monday night's display in Indiana as the Joel Embiid-less Sixers knocked off their conference rivals.
Meanwhile, the Hornets had their own headline performances in the past week. Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball combined for 54 points at the weekend to brush aside the Milwaukee Bucks. The franchise then overcame a stubborn Miami Heat side in overtime on Monday.
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Both sides have benefitted from their bench effort in recent times. The Charlotte Hornets' Malik Monk registered a stunning 36-point display in Miami from the bench. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers support outscored the Indiana Pacers' 54-37 in their own matchup on Sunday.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be expecting to win this encounter with the wealth of All-Star talent they have. However, the Charlotte Hornets' young talent are not to be written off. Gordon Hayward has proven doubters wrong since making his mega move to Charlotte in the offseason and will be out to continue silencing his critics on Wednesday.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets Injury Updates
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers was able to give a positive update on the status of Joel Embiid on Tuesday, stating that the center had been practicing and is looking good. Without any meaningful setbacks, we can expect Embiid to return to the court and continue what is currently an MVP-worthy season for the big man.
Rivers was less optimistic about the future return of Mike Scott, who suffered a minor setback in his recovery from a knee injury. Vincent Poirier also remains sidelined through illness.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets' injury worries are a lot more worrisome heading into a fixture that they haven't won on the last 13 attempts.
P.J. Washington had to leave the court on Monday night after spraining his right foot and will be absent for Wednesday's matchup.
At the time of writing, Terry Rozier also remains a doubt after missing the game in Miami. LaMelo Ball stepped up in his absence to make his first career start and finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets Predicted Line-ups
Philadelphia 76ers
Should Joel Embiid return to the lineup, the Philadelphia 76ers will be expecting to extend their winning run and maintain their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Aside from the Sixers' superstar center, Rivers is unlikely to change the remaining starting lineup. Rivers has managed to get the best out of Tobias Harris this season, with the forward averaging 20.3 points and 7 rebounds.
Harris will be joined by fellow sharpshooter Danny Green in the frontcourt. Meanwhile, in the backcourt, Ben Simmons and Seth Curry have been dictating Philly's offense.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a top team because of their prolific starting lineup as well as their bench production. In a game where the bench players were especially needed in Embiid's absence, they scored 54 points in Miami, with Furkan Korkmaz leading the way with 17 points.
Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball is expected to return to the point guard position after impressing throughout January and leading the 2020 Draft class for NBA Rookie of the Year.
However, PJ Washington's absence may prove to be a bigger worry for the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets will likely play Miles Bridges at power forward again and will rely on Cody Zeller's experience at center after the veteran scored 19 points and 12 rebounds in Miami.
Malik Monk has been impressing off the Charlotte Hornets bench and scored a stunning 36 points on the Heat, draining 9 threes.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets Starting 5s
Philadelphia 76ers
G Ben Simmons, G Seth Curry, F Tobias Harris, F Danny Green, C Joel Embiid
Charlotte Hornets
G LaMelo Ball, G Devonte' Graham, F Gordon Hayward, F Miles Bridges, C Cody Zeller
