THE lazy NBA In a season full of injuries, the Philadelphia 76ers have held their ground with key players fulfilling their full potential when needed.

Issue 30

The 76ers Hold Strong, Even Without Joel Embiid.

In a year-long season full of injuries throughout the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers have held their ground with key players fulfilling their full potential when needed.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, front, and Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon fight for control of a rebound in the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Hello Lazies.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of a tight race in the Eastern Conference as they look to earn that elusive No. 1 seed before the Playoffs arrive. Philly currently stands with a 32-15 win-loss ratio and sits 2nd, half a game behind the booming Brooklyn Nets with only 25 games left to play before the regular season is up.

In my opinion, that’s an impressive feat for a team that lost their leader, MVP candidate, and superstar Joel Embiid with a bone bruise to his knee suffered earlier in March. That’s nine games without Embiid, and the team has gone 6-3.

So, how has Philadelphia stayed afloat? They dramatically increased their defensive rating over the nine-game stretch to 103.5, the best in the NBA. Remember, that’s without Joel’s towering presence who would be the heart and soul of that department.

The team throughout has stepped up to the plate, such as Danny Green, who’s shot 49.3 percent from three-point range during that stretch. But the biggest surprise has come from Tobias Harris, who’s been the Sixers’ best player with Embiid out. He’s averaging roughly 23 points a game, paired with seven rebounds and five assists. He’s transformed into their ‘go-to’ man to get them out of trouble, and he hasn’t disappointed.

I like where the 76ers are placed right now in the season. There’s a feeling of the team building together and putting themselves in the best position to be alarming come postseason. And with Joel Embiid expected to return to the lineup this Saturday, that’s another point to get the franchise even more excited. If it wasn’t for Tobias’ hot hand, I’m not sure that Philadelphia would be in the same position as they currently are.

Catch you Monday.
Ed

Spotlight

Defenses Throw Everything At Damian Lillard. He Just Finds New Ways To Score.

By Jared Dubin

The Portland Trail Blazers tend to score on plays with screens involving Damian Lillard — and defenses do whatever they can to stop them. STEVE DYKES / AP

This season, no offense has compelled opposing defenses to ramp up their aggression more than that of the Portland Trail Blazers.

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Recent NBA Scores

Monday, Mar 29

	Pacers 124
	Wizards » 132

	Pelicans » 115
	Celtics 109

	Heat » 98
	Knicks 88

	Timberwolves 107
	Nets » 112

	Mavericks » 127
	Thunder 106

	Raptors 104
	Pistons » 118

	Grizzlies » 120
	Rockets 110

	Kings » 132
	Spurs 115

	Cavaliers 75
	Jazz » 114

	Bucks 105
	Clippers » 129

	Bulls 102
	Warriors » 116

Watch Top 10 Plays of the Night

Tuesday, Mar 30

	Hornets » 114
	Wizards 104

	76ers 95
	Nuggets » 104

	Hawks 110
	Suns » 117

	Magic » 103
	Clippers 96

Watch Top 10 Plays of the Night

Wednesday, Mar 31

	Trail Blazers » 124
	Pistons 101

	Heat » 92
	Pacers 87

	Rockets 108
	Nets » 120

	Mavericks » 113
	Celtics 108

	Jazz » 111
	Grizzlies 107

	Raptors 103
	Thunder » 113

	Knicks 101
	Timberwolves » 102

	Kings 106
	Spurs » 120

	Bucks » 112
	Lakers 97

	Bulls 116
	Suns » 121

Watch Top 10 Plays of the Night

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