Cavs Come to Town

Heading towards the All-Star break, the 76ers (22-11) remain atop the Eastern Conference, 0.5 games ahead of the No. 2 Brooklyn Nets. 

The team’s next opportunity to maintain the top spot comes Saturday, as it meets the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-21) for the second time this season. 

The Sixers’ 111-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Thursday – in which the Sixers never trailed after taking a 59-43 lead into halftime – was both an impressive win, and an opportunity to build confidence.

Five Sixers finished in double-figures, as Joel Embiid led the team with 23 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Seth Curry and Ben Simmons each added 15 apiece.

Simmons also tacked on three rebounds, seven assists, two steals, a block, and many mighty minutes defending Luka Doncic, helping hold the Western Conference All-Star starter to 19 points on 6-for-13 shooting.

“I like taking those challenges,” Simmons said postgame. “Just tell me who to guard.”

Simmons felt that his team’s defense reached new heights Thursday.

“I think we were locked in for four quarters defensively. I think overall, that was the best defensive game, collectively, that we’ve played.”

Dwight Howard, who finished with a bench-high 14 points – on nearly perfect 6-for-7 shooting – plus eight rebounds, an assist, a steal, and three blocks, believes Thursday’s performance could be just a glimpse of what’s to come.

Asked if the Sixers have championship DNA, Howard’s answer was simple:

“We do. We have everything we need, and we have what it takes to win a championship.”

With three games remaining until All-Star 2021 (all at home, where the Sixers boast the best home record in the East at 14-2), Howard adds that while there’s plenty of work left to do, it started long ago.

“We stay in the moment, stay locked in on winning this championship day by day. We can’t wait until the end of the season to focus on a championship. We’ve got to do it every single day.”

Saturday’s matchup tips at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Opponent Outlook:

The Cavs had lost 10 straight ahead of their active two-game winning streak. 

Jarrett Allen led the way for Cleveland in its most recent win over Houston Wednesday, notching a 26-point, 18-rebound double-double in Cleveland’s 112-96 victory.

Collin Sexton leads the Cavs in scoring this season, averaging 23.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

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