Sixers vs. Cavaliers Preview

Now that we’ve all stuffed our faces with various Thanksgiving foods, let’s turn the attention to something else we’re thankful for that is also being stuffed down at the Wells Fargo Center, recently: wins.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been stuffing the win column wins (especially at home). The Sixers are the only team in the NBA that is undefeated at home (10-0), and have the second longest current win streak in the NBA at four games. Both the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies (not a typo) have five game win streaks.

Since acquiring All-Star wing Jimmy Butler, the Sixers are 4-1 after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 121-120 on Wednesday night. Joel Embiid racked up ANOTHER 30+ point/10+ rebound performance (31 and 19 to be exact) against the Pels. Ben Simmons added 22/8/7, and the new toy the Sixers picked up (Butler) 13 points and six rebounds to go along with three steals.

Things are going great right now -- which is something you can’t say about the Cleveland Cavaliers who make way to South Philly tonight.

Listen, it was expected the Cavaliers would experience some drop off after losing LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers, but yikes. The Cavaliers fired their head coach, Tyronn Lue, after six games, and interim coach Larry Drew has only gone 2-8 since taking over.

The Cavaliers hosted LeBron James and the Lakers on Wednesday night and lost 109-105 -- their third straight. James had 32/14/7 in his second return home to Cleveland wearing the colors of the opposing team. All five Lakers scored in double figures in the four point Cleveland loss. The Cavs did get 21 points from second year guard Cedi Osman and 20 points off the bench from Jordan Clarkson.

Osman has started 13 of 14 Cavs games this year, and he’s averaging 11.4 ppg. His shooting percentages of 38 from the field and 36% from three aren’t stellar, but he has shot 6/10 from three in his last three games.

(LeBron might actually miss Cedi a little bit if this clip is any indication.)

Tristan Thompson is still a Cavalier (for now, anyway), and he’s still a capable “Windex Man”. Thompson averages close to 11 rebounds per game and about half of those (4.8) are of the offensive variety. Let’s just make it a priority to keep him boxed out.

Rookie point guard Collin Sexton had 12 points off 5/17 shooting, but the Cavaliers are minus a few guys due to injury (Kevin Love, George Hill, and Sam Dekker) and minus the best player in basketball due to free agency (LeBron James).

The Cavaliers have not won a game on the road, yet, either -- which was something familiar to Sixers fans not too long ago. With the Sixers having some serious home cooking -- much like everyone’s dinner last night -- this seems to be a good equation for another satisfying night. It won’t be as satisfying as the birth of “Heel Dario” …

… but it should still be fun. (God, I miss Dario so much.)

Game Info:

When: 7:30 pm EST

Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: 97.5 the Fanatic

Twitter: @Liberty_Ballers