Scene Setter:
The 76ers (7-40) face what figures to be their staunchest challenge to date, hosting the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors (42-4) at 5:00 PM EST at The Center on Saturday. The contest begins a segment of the Sixers’ schedule in which they play five of their final six games at home before the All-Star Game break. Golden State, meanwhile, is opening a three-game road trip that runs through next Wednesday. The Sixers visited the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, only to return home with a hard-fought 110-97 defeat. Despite the Sixers holding a lead on the scoreboard for 35 of the tilt’s first 40 minutes, Detroit finished the night on a decisive 22-9 run. Absent center Jahlil Okafor, who was sick for a second straight outing, the Sixers still managed to receive substantial contributions from their starting frontcourt duo. Using their speed and athleticism, power forward Jerami Grant and center Nerlens Noel – amidst an array of impressive dunks – teamed up to manufacture 41 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Grant’s 21-point effort marked the highest of his 110-game career. Golden State, even on the heels of a couple recent hiccups, continues to roll. After enduring two losses in three games two and a half weeks ago, the Warriors have won their past five match-ups, all of which have been against clubs currently holding playoff spots. Golden State’s average margin of victory during this dominant stretch has been 25 points. Point guard Stephen Curry paces the NBA in both scoring, averaging 29.9 points per game, and three-point field goals, with 213. In addition to Curry, the Warriors’ roster features two more Western Conference All-Stars. Klay Thompson, posting 20.9 points per game, ranks second in the league with 140 triples. Forward Draymond Green found out Thursday he will be a first-time All-Star this year. The Michigan State product, now in his fourth campaign, accounts for 14.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. He’s generated eight triple-doubles, the most of any player. Series: The Sixers have been swept each of the past two years in their annual two-game series with Golden State. A season ago, after suffering a 40-point road loss to the Warriors on December 30th, the Sixers fared far better in the second meeting between the two teams in February, thanks to a sound defensive effort. In a 89-84 defeat at The Center, the Sixers held Golden State to what would end up being their second-lowest scoring output of the campaign. Additionally, the Warriors shot just 40.0 percent from the field, and hit a mere seven of their three-point field goals. In particular, Curry converted three of his 12 triple attempts. Robert Covington topped the Sixers with 21 points. He nailed four threes of his own. Subplots:
While respecting Golden State’s success and talent, the Sixers did not sound intimidated Friday when discussing their impending confrontation with the Warriors. “I think we feel confident coming into this game,” said Nerlens Noel, who tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the Sixers’ 89-84 loss to Golden State last February 9th. “We know what the Warriors have done. It’s definitely an accomplishment in this league. They’re a great team that deserves a lot, but I think we had a good day preparing for this in practice, just getting over the screens, communicating on the defensive end especially.”Ish Smith began the current campaign with New Orleans, a Western Conference affiliate, and had to go up against the Warriors twice in the Pelicans’ first three games of the season.”Heck of a team,” Smith said of the reigning NBA champions. “One day, we want to be where they’re at. They took the proper steps and stages to be stages, and to be as dominant as they are right now, so it’s a tall task, but we’re going to go out there and tie our shoes up like everybody else does, and go out there and compete like we have been playing well, and close out a good game, hopefully. Keep it close, close it out, like we have been doing lately, so we’re excited by the competition.”Smith had 17 points, nine assists, and three steals versus Golden State in New Orleans’ season-opener. Four days later, in limited playing time, he finished with four points and three assists.
Jahlil Okafor is set to return to action after missing the Sixers’ two previous games with the stomach flu. While sidelined, he found out that both he and Nerlens Noel were selected to play for the United States in the annual BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge. The exhibition will be staged in Toronto on Friday, February 12th, two days before the NBA All-Star Game.”It was a good feeling,” said Okafor about getting the good news on Wednesday. “Something I always wanted to be a part of. To know that I’m going to be part of one of the events All-Star weekend is exciting for myself, my family, and I thank the city of Philadelphia.””Nerlens and I are going to go out there and try to represent as best as we can.”Okafor is the league’s most prolific rookie, producing 17.4 points per game. He has put together a particularly strong January, not only maintaining a scoring rate that’s on par with his regular season output, but increasing his shooting efficiency as well. The 20-year old has converted 59.7 percent of his field goal attempts this month. That figure is second-best among his peers.
Midway through Wednesday’s third quarter in Detroit, 6’0″ tall Ish Smith delivered a dunk, doing so for the eighth time in his 289-game career. http://on.nba.com/1SpVq9MThe six-year veteran point guard discussed the slam on Friday.”You really want to know? I surprised myself,” Smith said. “I kept missing lay-ups in the first half, cause I was making tough shots. I keep making these tough jump shots, but then I’m getting all the way to the rim, and I’m missing easy ones. [Assistant] coach Lloyd Pierce told me, ‘You have to go to the hole to mean it.'””I drove baseline,there wasn’t anyone there, and I just went up, and was like, ‘Might as well go dunk it, I’m up here.’ It surprised me, I’m not going to lie to you.”Smith’s dunk was one of 11 the Sixers threw down at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Sixers Health Report:
Elton Brand (conditioning)
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