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With Joel Embiid sidelined, the much-anticipated matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder won’t be as intense. You might recall when the teams met earlier this season that Russ Westbrook wasn’t happy with an Embiid foul and the two exchanged words.
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The following article is courtesy of Bookmaker
They played nice at the All-Star Game, but Embiid’s creaky knee has put him on the shelf for the time being, taking a big chunk off of production off the floor. Producing hasn’t been an issue for Westbrook and Paul George, who will try to end the team’s two-game losing streak on Thursday.
Philadelphia 76ers at Oklahoma City Thunder
Date and Time: Thursday, February 28, 2019, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
Opening NBA Odds: Thunder -7.5, O/U 239
76ers at Thunder TV Coverage: TNT
Odds Analysis
Holding down the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers will have to navigate the next few games without the services of Embiid, who is expected out until early next month. And that puts a wrinkle in the plans to get their new starting five acclimated to each other before the postseason rolls around.
At 39-22, the Sixers are two games clear of the Celtics and they are still entertaining thoughts of moving up the pecking order. They are just a game back of Indiana and 5.5 behind Toronto for the second spot. How they play the next few games without Embiid will determine a lot about their standing. They are 2-1 since their big man went down and 5-2 since the acquisition of Tobias Harris.
The duo of Russ and PG13 has carried the Thunder all season, and they’ll have to lift the team out of its current two-game losing slide OKC was the hottest team in the league for a about a month, going 11-1 in a 12-game stretch to make the race out West a three-team affair. However, losses to Sacramento and Denver and a stretch of three defeats in four games has them looking for answers.
76ers
The absence of Embiid, who is averaging 27.3 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, leaves a void in the middle of the Sixers rotation. It wouldn’t be so bad if the club didn’t also lose his backup Boban Marjanovic, who is also sidelined with a knee issue. Boban was having himself a game in New Orleans with 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting and 10 rebounds before going down after 20 minutes of run time. Jonah Bolden got the start in place of Embiid and added nine points in 18 minutes.
A late meltdown nearly cost the Sixers, but they held on to climb over .500 on the road at 15-14. The Sixers will lack an inside presence, but they have plenty of talent to make up for the short-term losses. Harris has gotten used to his new surroundings scoring at least 20 points in each of the last four games with a Philly-high 29 and 10 boards against the Pelicans.
Thunder
There are three other guys on the floor, but this season is all about Westbrook and George. They are both MVP candidates and putting up staggering numbers. That doesn’t mean the other players don’t contribute, though. Steven Adams becomes a central figure in this matchup with the Sixers down a pair of bigs. Adams averages 14.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per outing and does some of his best work against high-profile post players. He should have a big night going against Bolden.
And OKC is looking to break out a recent funk that’s seen them lose two straight and three of four overall. The defense has been partly to blame allowing 129.5 points per game in that four-game span, though Utah scored 147 in a double overtime contest. George and Westbrook were still recovering from that marathon in a loss to Sacramento the next day. George played over 50 minutes and dropped 45 while Westbrook was on the floor for 43 minutes and scored 43 points.
Bet 76ers at Thunder at BookMaker.eu
The intensity level for this matchup will drop after the Sixers ruled Embiid out. It would have been a fun side show to see how Russ and Embiid interact following their little skirmish in Philly, a game OKC won by the way, 117-115. Instead we should have an entertaining ball game with two quality teams. The lack of defense on the part of the Thunder recently is cause for concern, but without Embiid, the Sixers should have a drop in production. They’ve scored below their season average in each of the three games Embiid has missed. Russ and PG 13 can light it up, and with Adams having his way in the middle it’s hard to go against the Thunder on the NBA betting lines.
NBA Score Prediction: Thunder 121, 76ers 115
