The Philadelphia 76ers (25-16, 8-9 Away) and their exceptional defense are on the road to face the Utah Jazz (22-23, 14-7 Home) and their potent offense on Saturday. Philadelphia was outplayed by the Oklahoma City Thunder 133-114 at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. With 30 points and 10 rebounds, Joel Embiid led the way in the loss.
The 76ers are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Utah is playing the second of a back-to-back after triumphing yesterday at Vivint Arena, beating the Orlando Magic 112-108.
Lauri Markkanen had 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead the team. The Jazz are 10th in the Western Conference. This marks the last meeting of the season between the teams. Philadelphia will be seeking a season sweep against Utah after triumphing in the only earlier game 105-98 at Wells Fargo Center in November 2022.
Embiid led the 76ers with 59 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and seven blocks. Malik Beasley had 18 points in the loss. Embiid is averaging 33.5 points per game, second-highest in the league, to lead the Sixers in scoring this season. Embiid also is contributing 9.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Markkanen’s 24.6 points per game have powered the Jazz on offense. Markkanen also has collected 8.6 rebounds per game. Mike Conley has distributed 7.5 assists per game. The 76ers are the NBA’s fourth-best team in defensive efficiency, while the Jazz rank fifth in offensive efficiency.
The 76ers have had little success at Vivint Arena in recent seasons, losing eight of the last 10 trips. Meanwhile, the Jazz are 4-7 when playing the second of a back-to-back this season and 3-4 with a rest disadvantage. The 76ers are 3-2 with a rest advantage.
In the last 10 games, Philadelphia is 6-4 with an average margin of +3.2 (120.6-117.4). For the season, the 76ers are averaging 113.7 points per game, compared to 110.0 for opponents. Utah has gone 3-7 over the last 10, allowing 119.2 points per game on average while scoring only 118.7 (-0.5 margin).
76ERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Montrezl Harrell: 17.2 | 9.4 | +7.8
Rebounds per game:
James Harden: 8.4 | 6.5 | +1.9
Assists per game:
Joel Embiid: 1.5 | 4.4 | -2.9
JAZZ HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points per game:
Collin Sexton: 18.0 | 14.2 | +3.8
Kelly Olynyk: 9.0 | 12.2 | -3.2
Rebounds per game:
Walker Kessler: 8.4 | 6.7 | +1.7
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Utah Jazz (+200)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
