The Philadelphia 76ers (28-16, 11-9 Away), one of the league’s top scoring defenses, head to face the Portland Trail Blazers (21-23, 11-8 Home) on Thursday. Philadelphia beat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-110 at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday, their third win in a row. With 41 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, Joel Embiid was the standout player. The 76ers are the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
Portland fell short on Tuesday at Ball Arena, falling to the Denver Nuggets 122-113. Damian Lillard had 44 points and eight assists in defeat to lead the team. The Trail Blazers are the 11th seed in the Western Conference.
This is the first meeting of the season between the teams. Philadelphia and Portland split their matchups last season, taking one apiece. The Trail Blazers triumphed in the last meeting 118-111 at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter in November 2021.
Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 39 points, seven assists, and three blocks. Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and nine assists in the loss.Embiid is averaging 33.6 points per game, second-highest in the league, to lead the Sixers in scoring this season. Embiid also is contributing 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Lillard (29.3 ppg) has powered the Blazers on offense. He ranks as the eighth-highest scorer in the league. Lillard also has doled out 7.1 assists per game. Jusuf Nurkic has posted 10.0 rebounds per game. Holding opponents to 110.2 points per game, the 76ers are one of the stingiest scoring defenses in the NBA (4th).
The 76ers have not found much success at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter in recent seasons, losing eight of the last 10 trips. Philadelphia is pursuing a sixth consecutive road win this season. In the last 10 games, Philadelphia is 8-2 with an average margin of +5.3 (121.1-115.8).
For the season, the 76ers are averaging 113.9 points per game, compared to 110.2 for opponents. Portland has gone 3-7 over the last 10, scoring 116.5 points per game on average while allowing 115.4 (+1.1 margin).
76ERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
De’Anthony Melton: 11.0 | 18.4 | -7.4
Points per game:
De’Anthony Melton: 5.6 | 11.0 | -5.4
Assists per game:
Joel Embiid: 2.4 | 4.2 | -1.8
TRAIL BLAZERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Trendon Watford: 3.0 | 9.8 | -6.8
Points per game:
Damian Lillard: 40.0 | 29.3 | +10.7
Josh Hart: 7.0 | 9.5 | -2.5
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Philadelphia 76ers
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
