Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers will not go as Paul George had expected.
After five seasons with the Clippers, George signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the 76ers in the offseason. However, the team has only won three of its first 15 games, with key players like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and George all missing significant time due to injuries.
Embiid is still recovering from a knee injury and will not play in this game, while George (with a hyperextended knee) will miss the chance to face his former team.
The Clippers have had an up-and-down season, playing the entire time without star player Kawhi Leonard (knee).
Los Angeles began the season 2-1 before losing three straight games. After that, they won four in a row, lost three more games, and now come into this game having won four straight as they start a four-game road trip.
Over the weekend, the Clippers announced Leonard would miss the entire road trip, increasing the pressure on James Harden, the former Sixers guard, who is averaging 20.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and a team-high 8.8 assists per game.
Norman Powell, the Clippers’ leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, will miss his third consecutive game due to a hamstring injury.
The Clippers won twice without Powell, including a 104-88 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday. In that game, Harden led with 22 points, and Ivica Zubac added 10 points and 15 rebounds.
“All games are meaningful for us,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue after the win. “Playing for the Cup and having a chance to go to Vegas to play for the big money is always intriguing. But we got to play the same way every night, whether it’s the Cup, whatever we are doing, being short-handed.”
After committing 22 turnovers in a win against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the Clippers only had 12 turnovers against the Kings.
“We’ve just got to take care of the basketball,” Lue said.
That will be crucial on Sunday against a 76ers team that forced 19 turnovers in their 113-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. On offense, rookie Jared McCain and All-Star Tyrese Maxey combined for 56 points, helping the Sixers end a five-game losing streak.
“I ain’t gonna lie, it felt good to win,” Maxey said after scoring 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting. “I’m not going to sit here and talk about making shots. We played so hard, offensively and defensively, and played together. Guys stuck together.”
McCain, who had 30 points, was caught on camera in the fourth quarter saying, “I’m Rookie of the Year.” This was his seventh straight game scoring at least 20 points.
“It’s one of my goals for the season, obviously,” McCain said. “But it was just that competitiveness coming out of me. I respect every other rookie in this league, but obviously I’m a believer in myself, and so, yeah, some words definitely came out at that point.”
The two teams met on November 6 in Los Angeles, where the Clippers won 110-98, led by Powell’s 26 points.
