Pregame: 76ers at Trail Blazers

Opponent: Philadelphia 76ers (18-7 overall, 8-2 in last 10 games)
Offensive Rating: 111.4 (13th)
Defensive Rating: 107.2 (2nd)
Net Rating: +4.2 (6th)

Where: Moda Center
Time: 7:00 p.m. (PST)
Broadcast: TNT

Point Spread: Philadelphia -5.5
Moneyline: Philadelphia -235, Portland +140
Over/Under: 229.5

Injuries

Philadelphia: Shake Milton (doubtful), Mike Scott (out)
Portland: Zach Collins (out), Nassir Little (questionable), C.J. McCollum (out), Jusuf Nurkic (out)

Primer: Sorry, Rip City. Go ahead and forget most everything learned from the Trail Blazers' shocking road win over the Philadelphia 76ers last week.

Terry Stotts said it best himself during Wednesday's chat with media: The Sixers "are a different team with Ben Simmons," who was a late scratch for Portland's victory last Thursday. Seth Curry's game-long presence will also be of major consequence; he didn't play in the second half in Philadelphia because of illness.

The good news for the Blazers is that they're a much different team with Damian Lillard. He's close to full health after missing the last meeting between these two teams with an ab strain, then clearly feeling some lingering pain against the New York Knicks two days later.

Thursday's game presents a perfect opportunity for Lillard's nascent MVP campaign to gain the steam it deserves. Not only should Joel Embiid be frontrunner for the league's highest individual honor, but the Sixers' adjusted pick-and-roll defense under Doc Rivers and assistant Dan Burke–with Embiid playing closer to the three-point line than in past seasons–means Lillard will have many opportunities to roast the big man on the perimeter.

Philadelphia has a long a history of trouble containing the speediest point guards, an issue that hasn't completely abated despite its top-five defensive rating. Simmons is the Sixers' best option on Lillard, but might be better served as a help defender behind the point of attack. Expect to see Danny Green and sophomore ballhawk Matisse Thybulle spending the most time on Lillard, a potential win for the Blazers given the latter's utter lack of punch offensively.

Even though he's a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, it's the other side of the ball where Embiid poses the biggest problem for Portland. He abused Enes Kanter and Harry Giles one-on-one a week ago, using not just his back-to-basket game but facing up for short jumpers from the mid post and as a trailer.

The Blazers adjusted in the second half by sending more frequent double-teams at Embiid, a strategy they'll no doubt employ on Thursday. The problem? Portland's struggles to rotate in sync behind the play are well-documented, and Embiid–a much more patient passer this season–has lethal shooters like Curry and Tobias Harris to find when the defense commits him extra attention.

Bottom Line: The Blazers are still woefully short-handed, while the Sixers are near full-strength. If Jusuf Nurkic was available to deal with Embiid it would be far easier to imagine a Portland win. Instead, don't be surprised if a motivated Philadelphia squad makes a statement on national TV–unless Lillard's heroics prove enough to steal a close one late.