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The Philadelphia 76ers will be hoping to continue their purple patch when they face the inconsistent Washington Wizards. The Sixers have already beaten their Eastern Conference rivals twice this season and will be gunning for a season sweep on Friday.
Match Details
Fixture: Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Friday, March 12th, 8 PM ET (Saturday, 6:30 AM IST)
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The in-form Philadelphia 76ers are currently on a three-game winning streak. They decimated the Chicago Bulls last night without the services of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons who were both sidelined due to contact tracing. Embiid is expected to play against the Washington Wizards but Simmons will miss out again. Matisse Thybulle is likely to slot into the starting lineup in his absence.
Tobias Harris took charge of proceedings for the Philadelphia 76ers against Chicago but Tony Bradley was the real star. He finished with 14 points on 100% shooting in addition to five boards and three blocks. Meanwhile, Seth Curry is enduring a tough spell from the field. He's averaging 10.4 points on merely 40% shooting in the last five games.
Key Player - Tobias Harris
Tobias Harris kickstarted the second half of the season with a solid 24-point outing against the Bulls. He's arguably having the best year of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 20.3 points on 60.8% true shooting in addition to 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Harris couldn't leave a mark in the last two games against the Washington Wizards this season but will be hoping to rectify the situation on Friday.
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
G Matisse Thybulle, G Seth Curry, F Danny Green, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards are back to their inconsistent ways after their five-game winning streak in mid-February. They've lost three of their last four games, including their latest matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bradley Beal looked clunky to start off the second half of the season. He shot less than 30% from the field and also picked up a knock that could force him to miss the matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Rookie Deni Avdija shined off the bench against Memphis with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Despite his struggles this season, Avdija has shown the potential to become a volume catch-and-shoot option from the perimeter. The Washington Wizards' primary sharpshooter, Davis Bertans, has also found his rhythm of late and has averaged 14.8 points on 50% shooting in the last five games.
Key Player - Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook's performances have improved as the season's progressed and that's majorly due to his quad that has healed in the meantime. Westbrook was one of the few Washington Wizards players who looked at ease in their last matchup as he managed 20 points and 10 assists. The 2017 NBA MVP has already recorded a triple-double against the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this season and will have to come up with a similar effort if Beal misses out.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
G Russell Westbrook, G Bradley Beal, F Garrison Matthews, F Rui Hachimura, C Moritz Wagner
76ers vs Wizards Match Prediction
The Washington Wizards have been too slow to find their rhythm after every break this season. They lost several matches to start the campaign, exhibited rust following their extended stretch of postponed games, and weren't too convincing in their first matchup after the All-Star break. In the meantime, the Philadelphia 76ers thrived without two of their biggest stars and should be the favorites to win again on Thursday.
Where to watch 76ers vs Wizards?
Local coverage of this game will be available on NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports Washington. You can also live stream the same via the NBA League Pass.
Also read: Indiana Pacers vs LA Lakers: Prediction & Match Preview - March 12th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
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