76ers vs. Blazers: Live Updates From Sixers' Sunday Night Seeding Game
Saturday's news makes the Philadelphia 76ers' Sunday night matchup much more interesting. After spending days mulling over treatment options for Ben Simmons' injured knee, Simmons and the Sixers officially decided on surgery being the best option for the third-year forward's knee to heal.
Now, Simmons' bubble season is likely over and the Sixers have no choice but to move on without him. This past Friday night, the Sixers got another taste of life without Simmons on the court. They managed to come out on top with a victory over the Orlando Magic led by Joel Embiid, Al Horford, Tobias Harris, and Alec Burks.
Can the strong performances for the aforementioned players continue on Sunday night? Soon enough, we'll see as the Sixers are set to take on the Portland Trail Blazers for a Sunday night matchup. Here, we'll offer live updates before and throughout the matchup beginning with notes from Brett Brown's pregame press conference.
Game Details
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Time: 6:30 PM EST.
Location: Orlando, Florida
Odds: Sixers +3, O/U 229
Broadcast: NBA TV, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Pregame Reading
Sixers Injury Report
- Glenn Robinson III (hip) - Questionable
- Ben Simmons (knee) - Out
Blazers Injury Report
- Hassan Whiteside (hip) - Out
Brett Brown's Pregame Notes
- Brett Brown explained his decision to put Al Horford back in the starting lineup. "Sort of it was gut feel," Brown said. "Some of it was based on his history in the NBA and how over time he really has responded to playoff basketball. The decision of 'do I split [Embiid and Horford] up?' versus 'pair them up' really didn't take much thought."
- After going from a ten-man rotation to nine recently, will Brown stick to the same gameplan with Ben Simmons out? "I'm gonna go with nine," Brown claimed. "You know, [we'll] see how that goes. I think it helps everybody out where people are getting a legitimate role.
- That brings us to the next point... Raul Neto is out of the rotation officially. "He understands, he's been around long enough," Brown said in regards to the veteran point guard. Although he's out of the lineup, Brown still credits Neto and some other guys on the bench for helping the Sixers have a "home court advantage" feel.
- Will Alec Burks eventually find himself in the starting lineup? It doesn't seem to be trending that way, despite Burks' recent performances. Brown mentioned he believes the Sixers are starting to settle in on the current starting group. However, he will extend Burks' minutes if he's heating up again off the bench just as he did on Friday night.
GRIII is Good to Go
It's been quite some time since Glenn Robinson III has been on the court for the Sixers. After suffering a hip pointer during the team's second scrimmage game a couple of weeks ago, Robinson III is finally available for the Sixers on Sunday night.
Sixers' Starting Lineup
PG: Shake Milton
SG: Josh Richardson
SF: Tobias Harris
PF: Al Horford
C: Joel Embiid
Jusuf Nurkic Snagging Early Fouls
Portland's starting big man Jusuf Nurkic has already picked up a couple of fouls through two minutes of action. Joel Embiid could really take advantage early as Hassan Whiteside is also out of the game with an injury tonight.
Joel Embiid is Getting Frustrated Early
Despite Nurkic being on the bench in early foul trouble, and Whiteside being out, the Blazers' bigs are playing Embiid pretty physical and clearly are frustrating him on the floor early on. Not to mention, he also landed awkwardly on his ankle at a point and is currently being checked out during a timeout. We'll see what that's about shortly.
Embiid Heads Back to the Locker Room
Embiid appeared to OK after doing some stretches. At this point, though, he's out of the game and heading back to the locker room.
Not Ideal
Norvel Pelle Will Make his Seeding Debut
With Embiid back in the locker room, and Al Horford playing as a starter, the rookie Norvel Pelle will make his seeding game debut tonight against the Blazers. Pelle had a strong three scrimmages before the regular season restarted.
END OF FIRST QUARTER. BLAZERS LEAD SIXERS 33-19.
Sixers Forming a Rythm
The first quarter was rough for the Sixers. In addition to losing Joel Embiid for the time being, the 76ers struggled on both sides of the ball. After turning the ball over four times and shooting just 25-percent from the field, the Sixers are starting to find a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball. They are trailing seven points at the moment.
That's All for Embiid Tonight
The big man is dealing with an ankle injury and will not return tonight. Tough blow for the Sixers as they are now without two of their All-Stars.
END OF SECOND QUARTER. BLAZERS LEAD SIXERS 67-58.
Congrats Carmelo
Josh Richardson Taking Control
With Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid out, the Sixers need somebody to step it up offensively. In the first half, Tobias Harris helped take charge, but Josh Richardson is having himself a solid game as he's currently leading the Sixers in scoring with 19 points.
A Good Sign for Embiid
Joel Embiid is out for the game, but the Sixers' big man is back on the bench. That's a promising sign as it shows he doesn't have to leave the arena to get further tests done on his ankle at the moment.
The Sixers Tie it up
The first half was rough for Philly as they struggled to get adjusted to an Embiid and Simmons-less lineup. The second half has been a completely different story, though. Josh Richardson is red-hot and his inspiring performance is making other players step up too. At this point, the Sixers evened the score 86-86 in the third.
END OF THIRD QUARTER. SIXERS LEAD BLAZERS 92-91.
Sixers Playing Small Ball
With Embiid out, the 76ers have to be creative with their lineups. As Al Horford rests for a bit, Brett Brown elected to not go with the other bigs such as Kyle O'Quinn and Norvel Pelle. Instead, he trotted out a lineup of Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, Matisse Thybulle, Glenn Robinson III, and Alec Burks.
Damian Lillard is Cooking
The Blazers' star came into Sunday's game with a chip on his shoulder after Saturday's loss so it's no surprise to see him playing some elite ball. With under two minutes left to go, Lillard leads all scorers with 49 points as Portland possesses a four-point lead.
Horford is Clutch!
With the shot clock unplugged, the Sixers trailed four points. It probably wasn't an ideal scenario to have Horford shoot the three that would bring the Sixers within one point but he took the shot and drained it. The 76ers currently trail by a point with ten seconds left in the game.
END OF GAME. BLAZERS DEFEAT SIXERS 124-121.
