Bucks, Sixers Collide In Heavyweight Showdown
The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Milwaukee Bucks at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night.
The 76ers (0-1) didn't start the season on a strong note and suffered a disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics. Philadelphia finished 51-31 overall and 32-20 in Eastern Conference games a season ago, but the team needs to look better in this season. The trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden is impressive in its own right, but Philadelphia showed its lack of depth in the loss against the Celtics -- a strong team in its own right. Analyzing the team's performance against Boston, James Harden led the way for the 76ers with 35 points, complementing them with eight rebounds and seven assists. Joel Embiid generated a 26-point, 15-rebound double-double that included five assists and one block. Tyrese Maxey furnished 21 points, two assists, one rebound and two steals. Tobias Harris delivered 18 points, two rebounds and three steals. P.J. Tucker totaled six points, four rebounds and one block in his Philadelphia regular-season debut.
The Sixers do not report any injuries ahead of this game.
The Bucks (0-0) start their season knowing this is another chance to potentially win another NBA title, but there are several areas in which they need to improve in order to make that happen. Milwaukee finished 51-31 overall and 33-19 in Eastern Conference action during the 2021-22 season, and while those are strong numbers in their own right, this team will once again be judged based on what it can do in the postseason, as this roster is built entirely to perform in the playoffs. Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo while dealing with the absence of Khris Middleton, the Greek superstar will need to be at his best once again in order to carry the Bucks, something he's done in the past with consistency. The Bucks ended as the third-best team in the Eastern Conference last season but lost to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, a defeat they will try to avenge here.
The Bucks won't have Middleton (wrist), Pat Connaughton (calf) and Joe Ingles (knee) due to injury.
The 76ers (0-1) didn't start the season on a strong note and suffered a disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics. Philadelphia finished 51-31 overall and 32-20 in Eastern Conference games a season ago, but the team needs to look better in this season. The trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden is impressive in its own right, but Philadelphia showed its lack of depth in the loss against the Celtics -- a strong team in its own right. Analyzing the team's performance against Boston, James Harden led the way for the 76ers with 35 points, complementing them with eight rebounds and seven assists. Joel Embiid generated a 26-point, 15-rebound double-double that included five assists and one block. Tyrese Maxey furnished 21 points, two assists, one rebound and two steals. Tobias Harris delivered 18 points, two rebounds and three steals. P.J. Tucker totaled six points, four rebounds and one block in his Philadelphia regular-season debut.
The Sixers do not report any injuries ahead of this game.
The Bucks (0-0) start their season knowing this is another chance to potentially win another NBA title, but there are several areas in which they need to improve in order to make that happen. Milwaukee finished 51-31 overall and 33-19 in Eastern Conference action during the 2021-22 season, and while those are strong numbers in their own right, this team will once again be judged based on what it can do in the postseason, as this roster is built entirely to perform in the playoffs. Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo while dealing with the absence of Khris Middleton, the Greek superstar will need to be at his best once again in order to carry the Bucks, something he's done in the past with consistency. The Bucks ended as the third-best team in the Eastern Conference last season but lost to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, a defeat they will try to avenge here.
The Bucks won't have Middleton (wrist), Pat Connaughton (calf) and Joe Ingles (knee) due to injury.
Clippers Kick Off Season Against Intra-City Rival Lakers
The Los Angeles Clippers take on the Los Angeles Lakers at crypto.com Arena on Thursday night.
The Clippers come into their regular-season opener with no shortage of elevated expectations after a middling 42-40 season in the 2021-22 campaign and a subsequent ouster in the play-in round. The long-awaited return of Kawhi Leonard, whose absence for the entirety of the season while rehabbing from knee surgery naturally played a part in the team's occasional struggles, is what's most fueling the abundant optimism surrounding the franchise. The Clippers also made an intriguing offseason addition in veteran John Wall, who also didn't take the floor last year based on a mutual agreement with his former Houston Rockets squad and will open the season on the bench behind Reggie Jackson. Paul George, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac, the latter who took a significant step forward with a career-high 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 block in 76 games.
The Clippers come into Thursday's season opener without any injuries to report.
The Lakers (0-1) will be playing their second game of the new campaign Thursday after falling to the Golden State Warriors on the road Tuesday night by a 123-109 score. Los Angeles was led by LeBron James' 31 points, which he complemented with 14 rebounds and eight assists. Anthony Davis followed with 27 points, six boards and four steals. Russell Westbrook generated a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double that included three assists and one steal. Kendrick Nunn furnished 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes off the bench.
The Lakers will be without Dennis Schroder (thumb), Thomas Bryant (thumb) and Troy Brown (back) for Thursday's game.
The Clippers swept the four-game 2021-22 season series from the Lakers.
The Clippers come into their regular-season opener with no shortage of elevated expectations after a middling 42-40 season in the 2021-22 campaign and a subsequent ouster in the play-in round. The long-awaited return of Kawhi Leonard, whose absence for the entirety of the season while rehabbing from knee surgery naturally played a part in the team's occasional struggles, is what's most fueling the abundant optimism surrounding the franchise. The Clippers also made an intriguing offseason addition in veteran John Wall, who also didn't take the floor last year based on a mutual agreement with his former Houston Rockets squad and will open the season on the bench behind Reggie Jackson. Paul George, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac, the latter who took a significant step forward with a career-high 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 block in 76 games.
The Clippers come into Thursday's season opener without any injuries to report.
The Lakers (0-1) will be playing their second game of the new campaign Thursday after falling to the Golden State Warriors on the road Tuesday night by a 123-109 score. Los Angeles was led by LeBron James' 31 points, which he complemented with 14 rebounds and eight assists. Anthony Davis followed with 27 points, six boards and four steals. Russell Westbrook generated a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double that included three assists and one steal. Kendrick Nunn furnished 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes off the bench.
The Lakers will be without Dennis Schroder (thumb), Thomas Bryant (thumb) and Troy Brown (back) for Thursday's game.
The Clippers swept the four-game 2021-22 season series from the Lakers.