NBA 2018-19: Predicted starting lineups for the Cleveland Cavaliers vs Philadelphia 76ers game
After losing to the Milwaukee Bucks twice in one week, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to redeem themselves.
In their last game, the Cavs lost to the Bucks 114-102. Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly had a triple-double with 44 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. And on Monday, the Bucks beat the Cavaliers without Antetokounmpo, winning 108-92.
Although the Cavs lost to the Bucks, they did win a game on Wednesday, as they beat the New York Knicks 113-106. This temporarily put the Cavs ahead of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings.
But their lead was short lived. The Knicks currently have a record of 9-21, while the Cavs stand at 7-22. This places the Knicks at the 12th spot and the Cavs at the 13th.
Now, the Cavs' next opponent are going to be a challenge, the third team in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers are a talented team, but they've loss their last two games - to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Jimmy Butler has missed the last two games with a lingering groin injury. But Joel Embiid has played well, scoring 40 points with 21 rebounds against the Pacers. If the Cavs want to win, they must take advantage of Butler's absence and also try to stop Embiid (if possible).
In their last game, the Cavaliers never had a lead against the Bucks. They also did not tie the game at any point; the Bucks had the lead the entire game. The Cavs shot as good as the Bucks, but they could not sustain a run.
The Bucks shot 42.6% from the field and the Cavs shot 40.2%. The Cavs even shot better from 3-point range - 36.1% - in comparison to the Bucks, who shot 29.3%. The biggest issue for the Cavs though was their amount turnovers; they had a total of 15 turnovers.
The Cavs also missed contributions from two of their key starters. Cedi Osman and Collin Sexton scored 5 points each; Osman shot 2-of-6 and Sexton shot 2-of-11. If the Cavs want to beat the Sixers, they'll need bigger contributions from Osman and Sexton.
Predicted starting line-ups:
Cavaliers: Collin Sexton (PG), Alec Burks (SG), Rodney Hood (SF), Cedi Osman (PF), and Channing Frye (C)
Sixers: Ben Simmons (PG), JJ Redick (SG), Furkan Korkmaz (SF), Wilson Chandler (PF), and Joel Embiid (C)