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The San Antonio Spurs will continue their road trip when they fly down to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday, January 7th.
The Spurs will head into this game with some momentum. They are coming off a 99-97 win against a healthy Boston Celtics roster to improve to 15-22 record on the season.
The 76ers, meanwhile, will look to continue their winning ways after a 116-106 win against the Orlando Magic. They are now 21-16 on the season.
Match Details
Fixture - San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Friday, January 7th, 2022; 7:00 PM ET (Saturday, January 8th, 2022; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA.
San Antonio Spurs Preview
San Antonio will head into Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers on the back of a close win against the Boston Celtics. Despite a missed layup off a stolen inbound pass, the Spurs managed to cling on to their two-point lead to secure the win.
The game against Boston saw the return of Dejounte Murray to the Spurs' rotation from the league's health and safety protocols. Given the state of the San Antonio Spurs, Murray's return was much needed. As a key contributor for the team, Murray recorded a near triple double of 22 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists. San Antonio also saw great contributions from Derrick White, Devin Vassel and Keldon Johnson. They were the only players to record double-digit scoring.
Although the Spurs won their last game, they may be significantly shorthanded against the 76ers. With many key players entering the league's health and safety protocols, San Antonio find itself in a bind.
Key Player - Dejounte Murray
The key player for the San Antonio Spurs heading into Friday's matchup could be Dejounte Murray.
Considering the absence of most players from their starting rotation against Boston, the Spurs could feature an extremely depleted lineup against Philly. Although Lonnie Walker IV is expected to return, the burden of the Spurs offense will have to be carried by Murray in this game.
Murray is having a solid season so far. Although he missed a few games due to the league's health and safety protocols, the 25-year-old guard is one of the most talented young players in the league.
With a wide wingspan and great athleticism, Murray is a solid two-way player. He has also shown playmaking and leadership skills.
Coming off a solid performance in his first game back, Murray will look to replicate that performance against the 76ers. Currently sitting in the tenth seed, San Antonio are in play-in contention.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
G - Dejounte Murray | G - Bryn Forbes | F - Lonnie Walker IV | F - Keita Bates-Diop | C - Jakob Poeltl.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
Philadelphia have been nothing short of brilliant in their last five games. Going 5-0, thanks to Joel Embiid's imperious performances, the 76ers also saw the return of key players to their lineup.
In their win against the Magic, the 76ers saw a dominant performance from their starting rotation. Apart from Embiid's 31-point night, the 76ers also saw Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Furkan Korkmaz go off on 20-point outings.
Shooting 42.5% from behind the line, the 76ers also did a good job of restricting the perimeter. They held Orlando to 30.8% on the night of Cole Anthony's return to the side.
Philadelphia could face some issues in the game against Spurs, though. With Shake Milton and Danny Green suffering injuries, their availability for this game is questionable. However, they could see Matisse Thybulle return to action from the protocols. Tyrese Maxey is also due to clear protocols soon, but could be unavailable for this game.
Key Player - Seth Curry
The Philadelphia 76ers will look to Seth Curry to be a key player in this matchup against the Spurs.
Curry is one of the best shooters in the league. Playing in a system where he has been given the green light to take open looks or create his own shots, Seth Curry has been given a lot of latitude to find scoring opportunities for the 76ers.
The 31-year-old has also shown significant playmaking skills. Playing in the backcourt with Furkan Korkmaz, Curry can easily switch playmaking duties with the Turkish guard as well.
Coming off a 20-point scoring performance, Curry also showed that he can get the team involved by recording 12 assists on the night. With Joel Embiid carrying most of the 76ers' offensive load, Curry will have to step up and complement the 76ers superstar.
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
G - Furkan Korkmaz | G - Seth Curry | F - Matisse Thybulle | F - Tobias Harris | C - Joel Embiid.
Spurs vs 76ers Match Prediction
Although both sides will miss players in this matchup, the current situation of the San Antonio Spurs could see their starting rotation in shambles.
Additionally, the Philadelphia 76ers have some significant momentum, as they continue to rack up wins. With Joel Embiid at the peak of his powers, the 76ers look like a very competitive team at the moment.
It could be a very tall order for the San Antonio Spurs to overcome Philly. In that regard, Philadelphia have the better odds of winning.
Where to watch Spurs vs 76ers game?
The San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers game will be locally broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game by tuning into 97.5 The Fanatic too.
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