As December rolls on, so do the Philadelphia 76ers. After struggling with inconsistency earlier in the season, the Sixers seem to be slowly getting into a rhythm. Last week’s strong wins against Denver and Boston indicate the team can play with the league’s top teams. Philadelphia needs to utilize that confidence this week when two potential playoff teams come to town. They’ll will look to improve their league-best 14-0 home record against Miami, Dallas and Washington.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18 VS. HEAT, 7:00 PM, ESPN
The Miami Heat have been the East’s biggest surprise this season, jumping to a 19-8 start. Jimmy Butler has Miami playing with an intensity that hasn’t been seen in South Beach for a long time. This is the second meeting between these two teams, the first being a blowout win for Philadelphia in mid-November. In that game, the Sixers held Jimmy Butler to just 11 points, while Josh Richardson scored a season-high 32. Butler and the Heat would love nothing more than to stop the Sixers’ unbeaten streak at home. Offensively, the Sixers will likely rely on Tobias Harris’s hot hand to get much of their scoring done. Harris has been having a career year since starting slow, consistently scoring well over 20 PPG in recent weeks.
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Match-up to watch: Jimmy Butler (MIA) vs. Josh Richardson (PHI) – These two will always be compared when Philadelphia and Miami play, as each team will try and prove that they won the trade. Richardson has dealt with injuries often this year, but has played well when healthy. Butler leads the Heat with 21.2 PPG.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, VS. MAVERICKS, 8:00 PM, ESPN
Luckily for Philadelphia, the Dallas Mavericks will be without superstar and MVP candidate Luka Doncic, who is nursing an ankle injury. Despite this, however, Dallas hasn’t missed a beat offensively. Philly must dominate the paint and exploit Dallas’s lack of defense to win this game. Even without Doncic, the Mavs still pose a large scoring threat. If the game turns into a shootout, Philly might not have the firepower to compete down the stretch. The tone must be set early and enforced throughout the game by the Sixers’ big men and Ben Simmons.
Player to watch: Ben Simmons (PHI) – Doncic’s injury stretches thin Dallas’s backcourt. Simmons has an opportunity to dominate driving the lane. Defensively, Simmons has improved and will need to continue that improvement to shut down the Dallas offense.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, VS. WIZARDS, 7:00 PM, NBATV
The last time the Sixers played the Wizards, they turned in a sloppy performance resulting into an ugly loss. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons combined for 15 turnovers. Washington’s Rui Hachimura and Bradley Beal combined for 53 points. Davis Bertans added 25, including making each of his first 6 three-point attempts. This time around, Philadelphia will need to tighten up their defense and limit turnovers. Washington is a team that thrives off transition basketball, something that is made significantly easier by opponent turnovers. If the Sixers can be smarter with the ball, they should have no problem beating Washington.
This week continues a crucial stretch against some of the NBA’s best for Philly. With all games being played at the Wells Fargo Center, things are set up for a successful week. The Sixers need to improve upon the confidence and grit they picked up last week. If they do that, a 3-0 week could be in store and the Sixers’ strong December can continue.
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