<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/dwight.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>VIDEO: Sixers’ Dwight Howard tests long-range prowess with strange free-throw routine</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T17:54:12-08:00">January 20th, 5:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T17:54:12-08:00">January 20th, 5:54pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard has struggled his whole career from the charity stripe, but the one-time NBA champion has a <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1352065947054399488" rel="noopener">new free-throw routine</a> that he sported on Wednesday against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics" rel="noopener">Boston Celtics</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dwight's unique FT routine: <a href="https://t.co/D9mY0dUgEl" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/D9mY0dUgEl</a></p><p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1352065947054399488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 21, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As can be seen, Dwight Howard was standing way behind the free-throw line, closer to the circle, and proceeded to shoot both free throws just like that.</p><p>The big man shot just 51.4 percent from the line last season with the Lakers, and that was his worst mark since 2014 with the Houston Rockets. Howard has gotten off to a bit better start this year, shooting 52.9 percent with the Sixers.</p><p>However, Howard sports a 56.5 percent career mark from the line, so improving that aspect of his game isn’t necessarily a bad thing.</p><p>Social media had a field day with Howard’s new “technique,” and perhaps the Sixers big man didn’t realize he was standing so far back–although it certainly seems like he knew where he was standing.</p><p>Was it an accident? Or is this something Howard planned and practiced?</p><p>If standing behind the free-throw line is going to help Howard make his shots, more power to him. If the Sixers center did this on accident, he will watch the tape later and laugh it off and go back to his normal free-throw antics.</p><p>Nonetheless, Howard sank the first one and missed the second, all while getting some laughs and surprised looks from everyone on the court.</p><p>Let’s see if Howard continues his new free-throw strategy, or if he steps a little closer to the basket the next time around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Sixers’ Dwight Howard tests long-range prowess with strange free-throw routine

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/tatum-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Jayson Tatum’s improved odds to return vs. Sixers, per Celtics coach Brad Stevens</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T15:17:30-08:00">January 20th, 3:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T15:17:30-08:00">January 20th, 3:17pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics have been missing the services of superstar forward Jayson Tatum over the past couple of games, as the 22-year-old continues to remain out due to health and safety protocols. However, it appears that the All-Star wing will return to action sooner rather than later, with Cs coach Brad Stevens providing an optimistic update on Tatum’s status star moving forward.</p><p>According to Stevens, Boston could get Tatum back as early as Friday’s tilt with the Philadelphia 76ers (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1352024501068967939">Keith Smith</a> of Yahoo Sports):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brad Stevens said that Jayson Tatum is out of the health and safety protocol and is working up to a return to action. Stevens said that Tatum was 50-50 to return to play on Friday. Tatum is out tonight.</p><p>— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1352024501068967939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Tatum returned a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-rumors-jayson-tatums-covid-19-quarantine-due-to-single-positive-test/" rel="noopener">positive test</a> result for COVID-19 on Jan. 10, and has since been self-isolating. He is now nearing the two-week mark of his mandatory quarantine period, and as the report states above, he could be available for Boston for Friday’s matchup against the Sixers.</p><p>One of the league’s health and safety requirements for quarantined players include registering negative test results for the coronavirus. With reports stating that Tatum was already able to practice on Wednesday, it would be safe to assume that he was able to meet this particular protocol.</p><p>It is worth noting, though, that even if Tatum is indeed available for the Celtics on Friday, conditioning could be an issue. Not only was he forced to sit out a couple of weeks, but also, his body had to go through a taxing bout against COVID-19. It would not be surprising if Stevens opts to ease his star back into action, so Tatum could be on a minutes limit for Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jayson Tatum’s improved odds to return vs. Sixers, per Celtics coach Brad Stevens

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/doc2-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers coach Doc Rivers reacts to Joe Biden Inauguration, admits to texting VP Kamala Harris</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T15:01:23-08:00">January 20th, 3:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T15:01:23-08:00">January 20th, 3:01pm</time><address><a>Aayush Patel</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday, the nation watched as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were inaugurated in Washington D.C. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/philadelphia-76ers" rel="noopener">Philadelphia 76ers</a> head coach Doc Rivers expressed how he felt on this momentous day, via <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1352019107605065729">Tim Bontemps of ESPN</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Doc Rivers said he's known Vice President Harris for "8 or 9 years" and said that he's had a chance to talk to her and text her a couple of times since she was elected. Said today was an emotional day for him, and said it felt good to say she and President Biden were Pres./VP.</p><p>— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1352019107605065729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Rivers was never one to hold back what he had to say on matters of racial injustice and police brutality. When the Black Lives Matter movement was gaining traction last season, an emotional Rivers would always address the media and express his concerns about how black individuals are perceived in this country. This particular statement was given by the Sixers coach after the shooting of Jacob Blake, via <a href="https://www.skysports.com/nba/news/36226/12056908/black-lives-matter-doc-rivers-delivers-emotional-response-to-jacob-blake-shooting">Sky Sports NBA</a>:</p><blockquote>“We are the ones getting killed. We are the ones getting shot. We are the ones denied [the right] to live in certain communities. We have been hung. We have been shot. And all you do is keep hearing about fear,” said Rivers, who was with the Clippers at the time before the Sixers snagged him in the past offseason.“It’s amazing to me why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back. It’s really so sad. I should just be a coach. I am so often reminded of my colour and it’s just really sad. We have got to do better. But we have to demand better.”</blockquote><p>With President Biden and Vice President Harris in office, Doc Rivers believe the citizens of the nation can take the necessary steps to heal and move forward. The Sixers tactician emphasized “fear” in the said interview in August of last year, and now he–along with the black individuals of this country–feel that change will come.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers coach Doc Rivers reacts to Joe Biden Inauguration, admits to texting VP Kamala Harris

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DOC-7.jpg"></figure><h1>One part of Ben Simmons’ game Sixers coach Doc Rivers desperately wants to see</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T14:53:29-08:00">January 20th, 2:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T14:53:29-08:00">January 20th, 2:53pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers superstar Ben Simmons is currently one of the top point guards in the league today. That’s a fact that not many folks out there will want to (or be able to) argue against. Nevertheless, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers still wants to see more for the 24-year-old, and the veteran shot-caller has pinpointed a specific area in Simmons’ game that he wants to develop further.</p><p>According to Rivers, Simmons’ post-up game is something that he wants to utilize more than they currently have:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sixers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Sixers</a> coach Doc Rivers: 'We want to post Ben (Simmons as well as Joel Embiid). I don't think we've posted him enough.' Says he likes the double post.</p><p>— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomMoorePhilly/status/1352019538435596288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>At 6-foot-11, Simmons is one of the tallest point guards out there. This is something the Sixers could/should exploit, and Rivers wants to do so by using Simmons more heavily in the paint. It is no secret that the two-time All-Star’s outside game leaves a lot to be desired, so while he continues to work on this weakness, he should pose as a more potent threat playing inside.</p><p>Simmons has had a so-so start to the 2020-21 campaign. In 11 games played, the former first overall pick is currently putting up averages of <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/simmobe01.html#all_per_game">12.3 points</a> (career-low) on 50.0 percent shooting (career-low), to go along with 9.3 rebounds (career-high), 8.o assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks (career-high). The scoring may not be there (yet), but Simmons has been contributing for the Sixers across the board.</p><p>Simmons and the rest of the Sixers are coming off an extended break after their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-sixers-sunday-contest-with-thunder-postponed/" rel="noopener">postponed</a> due to the fact that Philly was unable to field the league minimum of eight players for that contest. They return to action on Wednesday to battle against an old foe in the Boston Celtics.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

One part of Ben Simmons’ game Sixers coach Doc Rivers desperately wants to see

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/nba-news-celtics-sweep-away-sixers-with-commanding-game-4-victory.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA odds: Celtics vs. Sixers prediction, odds, pick, and more</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T11:53:05-08:00">January 20th, 11:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T11:54:14-08:00">January 20th, 11:54am</time><address><a>Noam Bernstein</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers meet for the first matchup of a back-to-back set tonight. It’s time to continue our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2021-nba-championship-odds/" rel="noopener">NBA odds</a> series and make a Celtics-Sixers prediction and pick.</p><p>The Celtics hold an overall record of 8-4 and are 7-5 against the spread. Boston is coming off a blowout loss to the New York Knicks.</p><p>The 76ers stand at 9-5 overall, but they are only 7-6-1 against the spread. In the Sixers’ most recent game, they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies in a tight contest.</p><p>Here’s how <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/basketball/nba" rel="noopener">sportsbooks</a> have set the opening Celtics-Sixers odds.</p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Celtics-Sixers Odds</b></h2><p>Boston Celtics +5  (-115)</p><p>Philadelphia 76ers -5 (-105)</p><p>Over 221.5 Points (-105)</p><p>Under 221.5 Points (-115)</p><h2><b>Why The Sixers Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/76ers-Ben-Simmons.jpg"></figure><p>After a hot start, the Sixers have been frustrating bettors over their last few matchups.</p><p>Without Ben Simmons, they were blown out by the Atlanta Hawks. When Simmons returned, they were barely able to defeat a Miami Heat team ravaged by COVID-19.</p><p>Sixers fans might’ve thought they turned a page in a blowout win over the Heat in the next matchup, but Philadelphia (sans Joel Embiid) promptly lost to the Grizzlies.</p><p>The good news for Philly bettors is they expect to have both of their stars in this game, with Simmons and Embiid both suiting up.</p><p>When both Sixers stars suit up, the team has been excellent.</p><p>Philadelphia has played 10 games with both of their All-Stars in the starting lineup. In those games, they are 9-1, with the sole loss coming against the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>The average margin of victory in those games? 10.1 points.</p><p>The Sixers will be helped further by the absence of Jayson Tatum, the Celtics’ leading scorer.</p><p>Against a Celtics team that has struggled offensively, missing Tatum will be a critical blow. The Sixers already hold teams to the third-lowest field-goal percentage in the league, and Boston could struggle to score without their go-to guy. Five points could be eclipsed quickly if the Celtics can’t produce good looks against an efficient Philly defense.</p><h2><b>Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kemba-Walker-Celtics.jpg"></figure><p>While the Celtics will be playing without Jayson Tatum, you could make an argument that Tatum hasn’t even been their best player this season.</p><p>Jaylen Brown has been a key part of the Celtics’ success this season, averaging career-highs in points (26.9), rebounds (7.1), and assists (3.8).</p><p>Boston will miss Tatum on the floor, but they have guys capable of stepping up in his absence.</p><p>Kemba Walker will play his second game of the season, giving the C’s another scoring threat. Walker struggled to find his shot in his first game back against the New York Knicks, but he should improve incrementally as he regains his footing.</p><p>Additionally, the Celtics have thrived as underdogs this season. Vegas has ticketed Boston as an underdog five times this season, and the Celtics won four of those games straight up.</p><p>Boston needs a big performance out of Brown today if they want to stay in this game and an excellent defensive performance. If the Celtics can make Embiid work for his points down low and keep the game slower paced, they can pull an upset on the Sixers home floor.</p><h2><b>Final Celtics-Sixers</b><b> </b><b>Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>While the Sixers have been inconsistent lately, their record when they have both their stars healthy is hard to bet against. Even if Brown has a big game, the Celtics might not have enough to keep up with both Embiid and Simmons. I’ll take the team that has their MVP candidate playing to cover the small spread.</p><p>FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: PHI 113, BOS 103</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA odds: Celtics vs. Sixers prediction, odds, pick, and more

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Joel-Embiid-Ben-Simmons-have-been-using-practice-facility.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics-76ers: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Wednesday, January 20th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-20T10:00:22-08:00">January 20th, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-20T10:00:22-08:00">January 20th, 10:00am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/boston-celtics">Boston Celtics</a> (8-4) take on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/philadelphia-76ers">Philadelphia 76ers</a> (9-5) at Wells Fargo Center.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 7:00PM EST/4:00PM PST on Wednesday, January 20th</p><p><b>TV:</b> ESPN</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. With a subscription, you can watch the live stream on <a href="http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch ESPN app</a>. You can also follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>Celtics Active Roster:</b> Payton Pritchard, Tacko Fall, Javonte Green, Tristan Thompson, Grant Williams, Aaron Nesmith, Jayson Tatum, Jeff Teague, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/kemba-walker/c61a0a6f">Kemba Walker</a>, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, Tremont Waters, Romeo Langford, Carsen Edwards, Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye, Jaylen Brown</p><p><b>Celtics Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Jayson Tatum (Out – Health and Safety Protocols): Tatum is out for Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) game against Philadelphia.</li><li>Romeo Langford (Out – Right wrist): The Celtics announced G-F Romeo Langford underwent surgery on his wrist and he’s expected to miss the next four-to-five months.</li><li>Carsen Edwards (Out – Health and Safety Protocols): Edwards is listed as OUT for Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) game.</li></ul><p><b>76ers Active Roster:</b> Seth Curry, Vincent Poirier, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/ben-simmons/b7cf09aa">Ben Simmons</a>, Isaiah Joe, Danny Green, Shake Milton, Tony Bradley, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Dwight Howard, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/joel-embiid/bafc0a09">Joel Embiid</a>, Terrance Ferguson, Paul Reed, Mike Scott, Furkan Korkmaz</p><p><b>76ers Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Vincent Poirier (Out – Health and Safety Protocols): Poirier is OUT for Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) game.</li><li>Mike Scott (Out – Knee): Scott is listed as OUT for Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) game.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/CelticsNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@CelticsNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SixersNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@SixersNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BostonCelticsNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Boston Celtics</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaSixersNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Philadelphia 76ers</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics-76ers: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Wednesday, January 20th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jayson-Tatum-Joel-Embiid-Celtics.jpg"></figure><h1>Jayson Tatum slated to miss matchup with Joel Embiid, Sixers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T21:38:54-08:00">January 19th, 9:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T21:38:54-08:00">January 19th, 9:38pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The much-anticipated matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers will be on Wednesday. Fans from both sides not only look forward to some good basketball between two Eastern powerhouses, but also a bunch of stars battling it out. Unfortunately, Jayson Tatum will not suit up against Joel Embiid and the 76ers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-rumors-jayson-tatums-covid-19-quarantine-due-to-single-positive-test/">for health and safety reasons.</a></p><p>The Celtics are set to face the 76ers two consecutive times at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday and Friday. According to Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, star swingman Tatum’s status for the games is “to be determined.” To recall, three of the Celtics’ games this month have been postponed. Tatum, Robert Williams, and Carsen Edwards have been out in observance of health and safety protocols.</p><p>Amid the uncertainty of Tatum’s status, Stevens and the Celtics have their eyes locked on the 76ers who have a bunch of players who are having a breakout year.</p><blockquote>“Obviously, [Joel] Embiid and [Ben] Simmons are special,” Stevens said, per <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2021/1/19/22239042/robert-williams-iii-back-from-covid-jayson-tatum-remains-out-boston-celtics-76ers-nba-coronavirus">Bobby Manning of SB Nation</a>. “They’ve surrounded those guys with really good players. The guards are playing great — [Tyrese] Maxey and [Shake] Milton are having a great year, Tobias Harris is a really good player, obviously, and on down the line. They’ve got a really nice team and not a surprise they’ve started the way they’ve started.”</blockquote><p>It’s unfortunate that fans may not witness both teams at full strength. Despite this, they can still expect a classic duel between two teams who are expected to represent the East in the NBA Finals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jayson Tatum slated to miss matchup with Joel Embiid, Sixers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/doc-6.jpg"></figure><h1>The reason Ben Simmons’ high turnover rate doesn’t concern Sixers coach Doc Rivers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T20:57:01-08:00">January 19th, 8:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T20:58:41-08:00">January 19th, 8:58pm</time><address><a>Chris Guest</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/philadelphia-76ers" rel="noopener">Philadelphia 76ers</a> head coach Doc Rivers was asked about the fairly sluggish start to the season that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/ben-simmons/b7cf09aa">Ben Simmons</a> has experienced, but the Sixers tactician was having none of it.</p><p>The venerable Rivers was quoted by <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/sixers/sixers-boston-celtics-joel-embiid-knee-seth-curry-matisse-thybulle-doc-rivers-furkan-korkmaz-seth-curry">Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia</a>, saying that the Aussie’s uncharacteristic turnover rate doesn’t bother him.</p><blockquote>“I really don’t care, honestly. I don’t even look. I let the world look at it. Everyone’s going to tell you anyway. I’m not that concerned with it yet. Right now we don’t have enough in to see where any of our guys are at, if we’re going to be honest. And we’re working on it. We had a day today that was important. We worked on a lot of stuff — probably too much, being honest, but we had to. In my opinion, we had no choice. Not that concerned right now,” the Sixers coach explained.</blockquote><p>Indeed, that is a reasonable argument for Doc Rivers to make, as the Sixers have been absolutely clobbered by the injury bug and, perhaps more so, the omnipresent specter of COVID-19 has deeply impacted many of the team’s players in multiple games.</p><p>Rivers’ thoughts about the early portion of the season seems to be an understandable one, as all players adjust to different factors.</p><blockquote>“I swear you’re almost in let’s try to win a game mode right now, and that’s really not the way you should be in this part of the season. You should be working on your execution and in getting better mode. … Let’s figure it out, see what we can do and keep working when we have time,” Rivers added.</blockquote><p>Ben Simmons’ <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/simmobe01.html" rel="noopener">27.0 percent turnover rate</a> for the Sixers this 2020-21 is a career-high, though his 33.4 percent assist rate is right along with his career average in that category.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The reason Ben Simmons’ high turnover rate doesn’t concern Sixers coach Doc Rivers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/seth.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers’ Seth Curry cleared of COVID-19, will play Wednesday vs. Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T15:20:50-08:00">January 19th, 3:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T15:20:50-08:00">January 19th, 3:20pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers have received a boost ahead of their Wednesday matchup against arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics. Sources say that after being sidelined for the past couple of weeks due to a bout with COVID-19, Sixers point guard Seth Curry has been cleared to play and is expected to return to action on Wednesday.</p><p>This report comes via <a href="https://twitter.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/1351664974373015554">Keith Pompey</a> of the Philly Inquirer:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sixers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Sixers</a> SG Seth Curry has been cleared to play in tomorrow’s game vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Celtics</a>. He is not listed on the NBA injury report.  Curry had missed the last five games while in the NBA’s health and safety protocol  after testing positive for COVID-19.</p><p>— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/1351664974373015554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Curry <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-seth-curry-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/">returned a positive COVID-19 result</a> back on Jan. 7, which incidentally, was discovered during Philly’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. Curry was immediately pulled out of the game and was asked to self-isolate. He has been in quarantine since then, and it is a great development that he has now been cleared of the virus.</p><p>Curry’s prior exposure to his teammates, however, required the Sixers to undergo some intense contact tracing within the squad. Several players were asked to isolate themselves because of the same, which eventually led to Philly being unable to field the league minimum of eight players for last Saturday’s encounter with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The NBA had no other choice but to suspend that game.</p><p>After joining the Sixers in the offseason, Curry has had a hot start to the new campaign. He’s been putting up career-best numbers of <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/curryse01.html#all_per_game">17.0 points</a> (on 60.3 percent shooting), 2.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, while also connecting on 3.1 triples per game on an insane 59.5-percent clip.</p><p>It is also worth noting that after initially being tagged as questionable for the bout against Boston due to a right knee issue, Sixers star big man Joel Embiid is also expected to suit up for Philadelphia on Wednesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers’ Seth Curry cleared of COVID-19, will play Wednesday vs. Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/sixers-news-doc-rivers-opens-up-on-depleted-philadelphia-roster.jpg"></figure><h1>Doc Rivers opens up on depleted Sixers roster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T12:23:59-08:00">January 19th, 12:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T12:26:16-08:00">January 19th, 12:26pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A slew of injuries and COVID-19 concerns have left the Philadelphia 76ers with an especially shorthanded roster of late. The Sixers last played on Saturday, losing 106-104 to the Memphis Grizzlies. Doc Rivers’ group took the floor without Joel Embiid (knee), Seth Curry (COVID), Furkan Korkmaz (adductor strain), and Mike Scott (knee soreness).</p><p>Their matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder scheduled for Sunday was postponed for contact tracing reasons that put Philadelphia below the minimum required available players, per league rules.</p><p>Rivers, in his first season in Philly, spoke Tuesday on the challenges of navigating the season with a depleted unit:</p><blockquote>“It’s been tough,” he said, <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekBodnerNBA/status/1351608445594554368">via Derek Brodner of The Athletic</a>. “[You’re] trying to teach execution, but you’re teaching it with guys that wouldn’t normally be in the spot that you’re teaching it in. At least today we had what looked like the Sixers, instead of the seven Sixers.”</blockquote><p>In some good news, the Sixers expect All-Star center Joel Embiid to return to the lineup for Wednesday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics. Embiid began experiencing pain in his knee in last Thursday’s win over the Miami Heat, and he did not travel with the team to Memphis.</p><p>Rivers gave this update on Embiid’s status:</p><blockquote>“He was in and out of practice today,” Rivers said, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/76ers/news/doc-rivers-sixers-joel-embiid-play-vs-celtics-wednesday">per Justin Grasso of SI</a>. “We didn’t let him do a lot of stuff, but he looked pretty good.” The Sixers are set to take on the Boston Celtics for the first time this season on Wednesday night. Embiid’s playing status isn’t officially confirmed, but it seems that the veteran center will get the green light to go barring any surprise setbacks.</blockquote><p>Embiid is playing at an MVP level this season, averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He’s shooting a career-high 53.6 percent from the field over 11 games.</p><p>Despite the health issues, Philadelphia (9-5) has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Doc Rivers opens up on depleted Sixers roster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Sixers-news-Daryl-Morey-dumps-on-Donald-Trump-as-he-leaves-White-House.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers’ Daryl Morey dumps on Donald Trump as he leaves White House</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-19T10:01:49-08:00">January 19th, 10:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-19T10:08:15-08:00">January 19th, 10:08am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey took a subtle jab at outgoing United States President Donald Trump by posting a GIF of a scene from “Les Miserables” on his <a href="https://twitter.com/dmorey/status/1351532850789703681">Twitter account</a> Tuesday morning.</p><p>The 45th President is set to end his term on Jan. 20 as Joe Biden takes over. Morey is clearly pumped for the occasion:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/DmZosXg251" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/DmZosXg251</a></p><p>— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) <a href="https://twitter.com/dmorey/status/1351532850789703681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Daryl Morey, of course, made waves with a strong opinion on politics in the past. The former Houston Rockets general manager <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-daryl-morey-thought-hong-kong-tweet-might-end-nba-career/" rel="noopener">came under fire after he sent out a tweet</a> supporting the protests in Hong Kong against China.</p><p>The Asian nation is known to house a big percentage of the league’s fans, and the Rockets especially have a strong link to China because of Yao Ming. The tweet damaged the longstanding relationship between China and the NBA, causing financial losses to both the Rockets and the league in general.</p><p>This Daryl Morey saga even caused a stir among lawmakers.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nba-china-feud-timeline-daryl-morey-tweet-hong-kong-protests-2019-10#on-october-7-democrat-and-republican-lawmakers-hit-back-over-the-nbas-shameful-response-to-chinese-backlash-7">Via Rosie Perper of Business Insider:</a></p><blockquote>“As a lifelong @HoustonRockets fan, I was proud to see @dmorey call out the Chinese Communist Party’s repressive treatment of protesters in Hong Kong,” Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said on Twitter.“Now, in pursuit of $$, the @NBA is shamefully retreating.”“And the #NBA, which (correctly) has no problem with players/employees criticizing our govt, is now apologizing for criticizing the Chinese gov’t,” Democratic Representative Tom Malinowski of New Jersey tweeted. “This is shameful and cannot stand.”</blockquote><p>Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and President Trump also talked about the issue involving Morey in a meeting back in May 2020:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The interaction between Tilman Fertitta and President Donald Trump about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Rockets</a> GM Daryl Morey</p><p>Fertitta: “You know, it’s funny you brought up about China. I should have realized it was gonna be a bad year for China when my general manager tweeted out “Freedom for Hong Kong.” <a href="https://t.co/oywIGoDgsW" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/oywIGoDgsW</a></p><p>— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rockets_Insider/status/1262472398667907073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">May 18, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Daryl Morey is now enjoying a fresh start with the Sixers, and he’s clearly ready for a fresh start in the White House with Donald Trump out and Joe Biden in.</p><p>Philly will be back in action on Inauguration Day against the Boston Celtics, and it looks like Joel Embiid <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1351584264857522186" rel="noopener">will be back in the lineup.</a></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers’ Daryl Morey dumps on Donald Trump as he leaves White House

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/chris.jpg"></figure><h1>Chris Brown pissed off with comparison to Sixers star Ben Simmons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-18T19:52:42-08:00">January 18th, 7:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-18T19:52:42-08:00">January 18th, 7:52pm</time><address><a>Nick Andre</a>Basketball Enthusiast</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>R&amp;B singer Chris Brown was not pleased with the comments he read regarding himself and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons. After Simmons casually air-balled a 3-pointer against the Memphis Grizzlies, a particular fan took to social media to <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1351013287731875844" rel="noopener">voice frustration</a> after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/9d0f9e3c-8c69-4a1c-b2da-48fdeb322013/philadelphia-76ers-memphis-grizzlies-01-17-2021" rel="noopener">Saturday night’s game</a>.</p><p>Simmons has been in the same peculiar situation for some time now. Through his first four years in the NBA, the Sixers star has not transcended his game into becoming a perimeter scorer. In today’s modern NBA, spacing has became an important factor where shooting is given a premium. While the Aussie point-forward has great court vision and can finish at the rim, his lack of shooting has received heavy backlash over the years.</p><p>Twitter account @flyoutchase posted: “Chris Brown really is the R&amp;B Ben Simmons… no progression, no decline… just the same ole sh*t a** musician.” A screenshot of the tweet was later posted on Instagram, which later on caught Brown’s attention.</p><p>Brown commented under the Instagram post, stating: “Yall p***y a** n***** gone stop playing with me like I aint better than any n***** u can possibly think of. BASKETBALL A TEAM sport n****… you f**k a** lil n***** better watch sports center because you’ll lose count watching my paper. Now go ask ya mamma who ya real daddy is.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chris Brown got compared to Ben Simmons and went off 😳 <a href="https://t.co/a5QAbx1q2n" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/a5QAbx1q2n</a></p><p>— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1351013287731875844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 18, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The comment that Brown made certainly didn’t look like a shot towards the Sixers star. Or did it? The R&amp;B singer, who has broke thousands of barriers in the music industry, certainly was not fond of the fan who took shots at both him and Ben Simmons on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chris Brown pissed off with comparison to Sixers star Ben Simmons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Rockets-rumors-Houston-used-Sixers-Celtics-as-leverage-to-get-ideal-James-Harden-trade-return-from-Nets.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets used Sixers, Celtics as leverage to get ideal James Harden trade return from Nets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-18T09:39:55-08:00">January 18th, 9:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-18T10:34:16-08:00">January 18th, 10:34am</time><address><a>Candice Evans</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The James Harden saga with the Houston Rockets proved that the NBA is still one of America’s best reality television series – and what reality show doesn’t have its fair share of manipulation?</p><p><a href="https://theathletic.com/2329532/2021/01/18/inside-the-final-days-of-the-james-harden-era-with-the-houston-rockets/?source=emp_shared_article">According to The Athletic</a>, the Rockets used the Sixers and Celtics as leverage to garner the perfect trade with the Nets.</p><p>Despite the Sixers having former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, someone who has a relationship with Harden, the Sixers were never able to gain any ground in their Harden talks. Even with Simmons included in the talks, Philly couldn’t compete with the Nets – who seemed to up the ante at every turn.</p><p>Sources told The Athletic that Philadelphia felt that their ultimate purpose in the negotiations was to provide the Rockets with the leverage needed to maximize the return with the Nets – despite their strong interest in landing Harden. </p><p><a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/1/18/22236679/nba-power-rankings-james-harden-trade" rel="noopener">According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer</a>, the Rockets demanded Simmons, Tyrese Maxey and three first-round picks.</p><p>Towards the end of the saga, the Celtics entered the chat. There were reportedly multiple configurations of a deal still possible between the Celtics and Rockets but, just like the Sixers, the Celtics were unable to ever gain any ground. </p><p>“Brooklyn went Full Monty,” <a href="https://theathletic.com/2329532/2021/01/18/inside-the-final-days-of-the-james-harden-era-with-the-houston-rockets/?source=emp_shared_article">one rival executive whose team showed interest in Harden said</a>. “Desperation was in the cards, and there’s nothing better in this league than to have desperation. …(The Rockets) are banking on it blowing up.”</p><p>And that’s what happened. Brooklyn broke their bank to land Harden. But that’s not the only thing that blew up. The Rockets’ locker room was nearly in shambles prior to the trade – John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins <a href="https://theathletic.com/2329532/2021/01/18/inside-the-final-days-of-the-james-harden-era-with-the-houston-rockets/?source=emp_shared_article">calling Harden out </a>after what became their last game together.</p><p>And therein lies the dirty truth of the reality show that the NBA is: When big deals transpire there are always casualties made – whether it be financial, opposing teams, or even the main squad in the locker room. </p><p>In the end, Brooklyn’s urgency and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-james-harden-nets-debut/">Harden desire to move on from the Rockets</a> landed the four-team blockbuster trade that nearly broke Twitter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets used Sixers, Celtics as leverage to get ideal James Harden trade return from Nets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/doc-5.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers coach Doc Rivers dishes on plan for Ben Simmons, beyond just his shooting</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-17T21:27:14-08:00">January 17th, 9:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-17T21:27:14-08:00">January 17th, 9:27pm</time><address><a>Kriel Ibarrola</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers has grand plans for Ben Simmons to take his game to the next level. Step one was bringing over his former Los Angeles Clippers assistant Sam Cassell to the City of Brotherly Love and have him work closely with the Australian star.</p><blockquote>“Sam, you give him to players, he has done a great job,” Rivers said of Cassell’s impact, per <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/philadelphia-sixers-sam-cassell-ben-simmons-covid-nba-20210118.html" rel="noopener">Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer</a>. “It is more than about shooting. It is his post game, his passing. How to play the unique position that he plays.”</blockquote><p>Before he became a respected deputy around the league, Sam Cassell won three titles as a player for the Houston Rockets and the Boston Celtics. Sam-I-Am was a terrific 3-point shooter during his playing days, but it seems like Rivers him to impart valuable knowledge to the Sixers star far beyond his range.</p><p>Doc understands he has a unique player in Simmons and wants him to become the best player he can possibly be.</p><blockquote>“He is not a point, not a two, not a three, he is a ballplayer. We put him in every spot on the floor, literally every spot on the floor. Having a guy like Sam explain to him what we are looking for is really what we are trying to do here,” the Sixers coach added.</blockquote><p>The Sixers’ relationship with Ben Simmons is actually intriguing at the moment considering reports that Philly almost sent him to the Rockets for James Harden. The 24-year-old point-forward has since insisted that all is good between him and the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2016.</p><p>Philadelphia (<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings" rel="noopener">9-5</a>) is actually enjoying a hot start in the 2020-21 campaign despite Simmons’ numbers regressing a bit from the year before. The 6-foot-11 facilitator is notching 12.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in his first 12 games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers coach Doc Rivers dishes on plan for Ben Simmons, beyond just his shooting

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/postponed-2.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>REPORT: Sixers’ Sunday contest with Thunder postponed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-17T15:12:00-08:00">January 17th, 3:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-17T15:12:00-08:00">January 17th, 3:12pm</time><address><a>Brandon Biskobing</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Another NBA game has been postponed due to COVID. This time it’s the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/0b5e65bf-0c10-4fa9-afc6-8e4e37102aff/philadelphia-76ers-oklahoma-city-thunder-01-18-2021" rel="noopener">contest</a> between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>The game has been postponed after contact tracing has forced eight Sixers players to go into quarantine, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1350934208970166282" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Contact tracing with Sixers left them short eight players. <a href="https://t.co/LPDtNoWcZR" target="_blank">https://t.co/LPDtNoWcZR</a></p><p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1350934208970166282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 17, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>This is the <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/postponed-games-2020-21-index" rel="noopener">15th game to be postponed</a> already this season, though many both inside and outside the league were concerned with the possibility of COVID-19 delays heading into the 2020-2021 season.</p><p>There are a number of reasons for why many expected the NBA to have issues with postponements. For one, the league was the first to put a halt to the their 2019-20 campaign last March, setting off a chain reaction that shut down all of sports. The second reason is numbers. With only 15 players per team, even one player being forced to quarantine creates a big hole. Also, with the sport being played indoors, it creates more issues than outdoor sports like football do, with the virus being trapped into an enclosed area.</p><p>The league has not made any official announcement on how they will address the rising amount of postponements. The season already had to be delayed due to the late finish to the previous season.</p><p>Another added issue the league has to contend with is the looming, as of right now still on, Olympics that are scheduled for this summer. Basketball is one of the most popular Olympic sports, with many NBA players participating. One way the league has discussed coping with the issue is by expanding the roster of each team. While discussions are ongoing with the NBPA, nothing official has been decided on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

REPORT: Sixers’ Sunday contest with Thunder postponed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Thunder-video-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-gets-water-bottle-shower-after-20-20-10-game.jpg"></figure><h1>76ers-Thunder: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Sunday, January 17th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-17T10:02:03-08:00">January 17th, 10:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-17T10:02:03-08:00">January 17th, 10:02am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers (9-5) take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (6-6) at Chesapeake Energy Arena.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 7:00PM EST/4:00PM PST on Sunday, January 17th</p><p><b>TV:</b> NBA TV</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>76ers Active Roster:</b> Seth Curry, Vincent Poirier, Ben Simmons, Isaiah Joe, Dakota Mathias, Danny Green, Shake Milton, Tony Bradley, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Dwight Howard, Joel Embiid, Terrance Ferguson, Paul Reed, Mike Scott, Furkan Korkmaz</p><p><b>76ers Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Seth Curry (Out – COVID): Curry is expected to miss some time as he has tested positive for COVID, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.</li><li>Vincent Poirier (Out – Health and Safety Protocols): Poirier is out for Sunday’s (Jan. 17) game against Oklahoma City.</li><li>Joel Embiid (Out – Knee): Embiid is listed as OUT for at least the next two games.</li><li>Mike Scott (Out – Knee): Scott is listed as OUT for at least the next two games.</li><li>Furkan Korkmaz (Out – Groin): Korkmaz will miss at least two weeks due to an adductor strain.</li></ul><p><b>Thunder Active Roster:</b> Ty Jerome, Aleksej Pokusevski, Justin Jackson, Josh Hall, Moses Brown, Luguentz Dort, Hamidou Diallo, Darius Bazley, George Hill, Mike Muscala, Theo Maledon, Kenrich Williams, Trevor Ariza, Isaiah Roby, Al Horford, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Miller</p><p><b>Thunder Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Ty Jerome (Out – Left Ankle): Jerome has yet to appear in a game this season and his return is unknown.</li><li>Trevor Ariza (Out – Personal): Ariza remains away from the team indefinitely.</li><li>Al Horford (Out – Personal): Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said there’s no timetable for Horford’s return.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/SixersNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@SixersNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ThunderNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@ThunderNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaSixersNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Philadelphia 76ers</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheThunderNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers-Thunder: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Sunday, January 17th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Doc-Rivers-blasts-Philly-for-poor-effort-in-Grizzlies-loss.jpg"></figure><h1>Doc Rivers blasts Sixers for poor effort in loss to Grizzlies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-17T08:33:24-08:00">January 17th, 8:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-17T08:33:24-08:00">January 17th, 8:33am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Heading into the game with a two-game winning streak, the Philadelphia 76ers were stopped in their tracks by the Memphis Grizzlies, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-lets-out-6-word-reaction-to-first-game-back-after-injury/" rel="noopener">bannered by the returning</a> Ja Morant.</p><p>After the loss, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers was critical of his team’s performance and highlighted their lack of effort and focus:</p><blockquote>“I didn’t like how we played,” Rivers said, via <a href="https://theathletic.com/2327894/2021/01/17/ben-simmons-struggles-underscore-sixers-sloppy-play-in-loss-to-grizzlies/">Derek Bodner of The Athletic</a>. “I thought we were a sloppy basketball team, and when you play that way, you deserve to lose the game. On the road, 22 turnovers is unacceptable.”</blockquote><blockquote>“Disappointing loss because it was a very winnable game tonight, and we just didn’t get it done.”</blockquote><p>After a tight first quarter, the Sixers found themselves trailing by 12 points heading into the fourth quarter. They attempted to mount a comeback late in the final frame, but the Grizzlies still managed to fend off their offensive attack to snag a 106-104 victory.</p><p>Playing without Joel Embiid, Shake Milton stepped up with 28 points off the bench. Ben Simmons nearly recorded a triple-double with 11 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, but he turned the ball over seven times and shot just 3-of-9 from the field.</p><p>On the opposite end, Ja Morant returned from an ankle sprain, which ruled him out for eight games. Morant came out with 17 points and six assists in his first game back and was joined by six other Grizzlies players who scored in double digits.</p><p>The loss dragged the Sixers down to a 9-5 record, while the Grizzlies improved to a 6-6 tally to extend their winning streak to four games. Doc Rivers and his squad will aim to bounce back and improve their overall performance on the floor when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 17.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Doc Rivers blasts Sixers for poor effort in loss to Grizzlies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Ja-Morant-posts-first-career-triple-double-in-win-vs.-Wizards.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers-Grizzlies: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Saturday, January 16th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-16T11:00:16-08:00">January 16th, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-16T11:00:16-08:00">January 16th, 11:00am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/philadelphia-76ers">Philadelphia 76ers</a> (9-4) take on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/memphis-grizzlies">Memphis Grizzlies</a> (5-6) at FedExForum.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 8:00PM EST/5:00PM PST on Saturday, January 16th</p><p><b>TV:</b> FS-SE</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. Local viewers watch the live stream on <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox Sports Go</a>. Non-local viewers watch the live stream on <a href="http://www.nba.com/leaguepass" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA League Pass</a>. You can also follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>76ers Active Roster:</b> Seth Curry, Vincent Poirier, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/ben-simmons/b7cf09aa">Ben Simmons</a>, Isaiah Joe, Dakota Mathias, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/danny-green/a45508f9">Danny Green</a>, Shake Milton, Tony Bradley, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Dwight Howard, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/joel-embiid/bafc0a09">Joel Embiid</a>, Terrance Ferguson, Paul Reed, Mike Scott, Furkan Korkmaz</p><p><b>76ers Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Seth Curry (Out – COVID): Curry is expected to miss some time as he has tested positive for COVID, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.</li><li>Vincent Poirier (Out – Health and Safety Protocols): Poirier iis out for Saturday’s (Jan. 16) game against Memphis.</li><li>Joel Embiid (Out – Knee): Embiid is listed as OUT for at least the next two games.</li><li>Mike Scott (Out – Knee): Scott is listed as OUT for at least the next two games.</li><li>Furkan Korkmaz (Out – Groin): Korkmaz will miss at least two weeks due to an adductor strain.</li></ul><p><b>Grizzlies Active Roster:</b> Justise Winslow, Jontay Porter, Killian Tillie, Kyle Anderson, Sean McDermott, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, De’Anthony Melton, Dillon Brooks, John Konchar, Ja Morant, Jonas Valanciunas, Brandon Clarke, Tyus Jones, Xavier Tillman, Gorgui Dieng, Grayson Allen</p><p><b>Grizzlies Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Justise Winslow (Out – Hip): There is no timetable for Winslow’s return, according to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.</li><li>Jontay Porter (Out – Knee): Porter has yet to appear in a game for the Grizzlies this season and his return is unknown.</li><li>Killian Tillie (Out – Hip): Tillie will miss 4-6 weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.</li><li>Jaren Jackson Jr. (Out – Knee): Jackson Jr. has yet to appear in a game for the Grizzlies this season and his return is unknown.</li><li>Ja Morant (Day To Day – Ankle): The Grizzlies have listed Morant as QUESTIONABLE for Friday’s game (Jan. 15) against the Timberwolves.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/SixersNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@SixersNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@GrizNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaSixersNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Philadelphia 76ers</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GrizzliesNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Memphis Grizzlies</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers-Grizzlies: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Saturday, January 16th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Sixers-rumors-Philly-thought-they-had-James-Harden-trade-done-with-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>RUMOR: Sixers thought they had James Harden trade done with Rockets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T14:06:33-08:00">January 15th, 2:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T14:06:33-08:00">January 15th, 2:06pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly believed they had finalized a deal with the Houston Rockets to acquire James Harden prior to him being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-nets-trade-for-rockets-superstar-james-harden/" rel="noopener">traded</a> to the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p><a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/philadelphia-sixers-ben-simmons-brooklyn-nets-james-harden-houston-rocckets-20210115.html">Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer</a> reported that the Rockets demanded Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey and two draft picks from Philly, though a source close to the Sixers told Pompey that was not the case.</p><p>Pompey also said Houston never issued a counteroffer to the Sixers prior to making the three-team trade with Brooklyn and the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Philly felt it had the best package, per Pompey:</p><blockquote>But the Sixers thought they had a deal for Harden done, according to sources. The team won’t come out and say it, but Morey pushed hard to reunite with the 2018 MVP. Simmons and Thybulle were even informed by their agents on Wednesday of an expected trade.</blockquote><p>Perhaps Rockets general manager Rafael Stone felt it necessary to prioritize draft capital over player returns. After all, four first-round picks and four pick swaps from the Nets could be a gold mine, especially if Brooklyn fails to win a title and is forced to blow it all up in the coming years.</p><p>Or, maybe Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta really did hold a grudge against Daryl Morey, as Pompey suggested was the case. Regardless, Morey the Sixers were powerless as Houston finalized the three-team blockbuster.</p><p>It remains to be seen how this could impact the relationship between Simmons and the organization, especially after Morey had said he would not trade the former No. 1 pick.</p><p>What does seem clear is Morey felt he would be reunited with James Harden. Obviously, that is not what went down.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Sixers thought they had James Harden trade done with Rockets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ben-Simmons-James-Harden-Sixers-Rockets.jpg"></figure><h1>The Sixers made the right decision in not trading Ben Simmons for James Harden</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T05:26:49-08:00">January 15th, 5:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T05:26:49-08:00">January 15th, 5:26am</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s clear that the Philadelphia 76ers have a ton of confidence in Ben Simmons. In valuing what he brings to the table, they decided not to cave and give the Houston Rockets whatever they wanted in exchange for James Harden.</p><p>But just days prior to the trade, both the Sixers and the Rockets were apparently in a serious conversation to swap superstars amid the frantic Harden trade talks that finally ended with the former MVP heading to the Brooklyn Nets to form a massive three with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Sixers were prepared to ship off Simmons and Matisse Thybulle as well as future picks in exchange for the three-time scoring champ, but the Rockets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-rumors-ben-simmons-trade-package-could-not-beat-nets-in-james-harden-deal/">reportedly wanted more</a>. Philly GM Daryl Morey wouldn’t go as far as including Tyrese Maxey in the deal which eventually blew the whole thing up. After all that drama, Simmons is still a Sixer and the process continues in the City of Brotherly Love.</p><p>Passing on Harden and sticking with their current guns might look like the wrong move to some. But if you take everything into consideration, Morey’s decision to stick with Simmons and Joel Embiid certainly makes more sense in terms of long-term success. Obviously, putting Harden alongside Embiid would immediately propel the Sixers to new heights but with the way Harden <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/nba-twitter-reacts-james-harden-houston-rockets-tirade-1561103">has acted these past few months</a>, you don’t really know what you’re getting with the 31-year-old.</p><p>Yes, the current tandem between Simmons and Embiid hasn’t been perfect. This is the main reason why the Sixers found themselves shopping around for a potential trade to beef up their line-up. But, these two are young superstars in the league, and playing together and getting reps in should only make them and the Sixers better as the years go by. Simmons (24) and Embiid (26) have only played three full seasons together and they were able to make the playoffs in all those three seasons. They were able to make the playoffs immediately in Simmons’ first ever playing year, which only increased the expectations laid on the team when they were barely scratching the surface of their talents. With Daryl Morey now running things for Philly, and making moves like signing breakout performer Seth Curry, veteran guard Danny Green, and shipping out the ill-fitted Al Horford, there’s a chance we’ll see a maximized Embiid-Simmons tandem for the first time ever. If these two continue to progress, which they’ve shown so far in their respective careers, the sky is really the limit for them in Philadelphia.</p><p>For Simmons, it’s time to repay the franchise for their trust in what he can do. As poor as his shooting is, the two-time All-Star has developed into one of the more well-rounded talents in the league. His length and athleticism have been troublesome for opponents, especially on defense. Last season, Simmons found himself leading the league in steals (2.1 per game) while adding 16.4 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, and a career-high of 8.0 assists.</p><p>The Sixers’ latest move of keeping Simmons might not result in a ring this season. Maybe even not next season. But if Morey and head coach Doc Rivers continue to build and develop their young core, and add a few more key pieces along the way, they should be legitimate championship contenders sooner rather than later. They already have been in previous seasons and if everyone can stay healthy and locked in, they should be in the conversation again this season. So far so good for these Sixers as their 9-4 standing 11 games in puts them at the top of the East. Hopefully, they can set aside all this off-court hoopla and focus on what they have to do which is keep winning basketball games.</p><p>The process continues for Philadelphia and everyone just has to trust it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Philadelphia76ers NEWS

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