Can I just start off by saying how much I love Joel Embiid? The dude is putting this 76ers team on his BACK…and it seems like he’s one of the few guys on the team who actually cares about winning. In the 76ers’ Monday night overtime win over Charlotte, Embiid recorded a season-high 43 points.

What amazes me is that Joel says he still feels like he’s recovering from COVID-19, and he still goes out on the court and gives it his all. That is all you could ask for in an athlete, especially in the city of Philadelphia, where we all know how much the fans love Philly sports.

Enough chit-chat, let’s get into what the 76ers need to do in order to come out of tonight’s game with a W. The Hornets are going to be without LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee once again. Ish Smith and Jalen McDaniels are also out for tonight’s game, as all five are in the NBA’s Health and Safety protocols.

The main guys the 76ers need to stop are Kelly Oubre Jr. and Miles Bridges. In Monday’s game, Oubre Jr. had 35 points, 18 of them coming from beyond the arc. It’s funny to say that because when Kelly Oubre Jr. was with Golden State, it was actually painful for me to watch him shoot threes sometimes. Bridges is averaging 20.2 points per game, and in Monday’s game he finished with 16.

Tyrese Maxey is questionable with an illness for tonight’s game, and he also did not play Monday night. According to Keith Pompey, Maxey is going to see how he feels during shootaround to determine if he will play or not. The 76ers came into their last game averaging 105.4 points per game, and they finished the game with 127 and shot just over 52% from the floor.

One thing I want to talk about is Tobias Harris, who is probably the most frustrating player to watch on this team at times. Did you see the video of Doc Rivers dropping his head after watching Tobias jab-step and then shoot a mid-range jumper over Kelly Oubre Jr.? It’s actually hysterical to watch because it shows how Doc is even frustrated with him. (We all are frustrated with him too, Coach). Harris is making way too much money for the way he’s playing, and it shows.

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The Sixers cannot let Oubre Jr. get hot like they allowed him to on Monday night. He’s averaging 16.5 points per game on the season, and it would be great if they could hold him to that tonight. If he gets going, then it could be a repeat of Monday night’s game. I think this is going to be another close matchup. However, I just really hope the 76ers come out firing and don’t let Charlotte hang around thinking they have a chance to win this game.

Expect another dominant game from Joel Embiid tonight, the heart and soul of this Philadelphia team. Daryl Morey, if there’s a chance you’re reading this, PLEASE get Joel some help out there…I’m begging you. Let’s go 76ers!!

Mandatory Credit: NBA