Rise and shine Philadelphia, it’s game day!!! The 76ers hit the road Monday as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies at 8 p.m.

The Grizzlies are currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 16-11 record. The Sixers have been slowly climbing back up the standings, as their 15-12 record is good for sixth place in the East.

Memphis is once again without star player Ja Morant, who is recovering from a knee sprain, and still remains in NBA health and safety protocols. The Grizzlies are dealing with a couple injuries on their team Brandon Clarke, Ziare Williams, and Sam Merrill, just to name a few. Joel Embiid should absolutely dominate in this matchup as Jaren Jackson Jr. is questionable, and Steven Adams is doubtful.

If both players miss the matchup, it looks like Xavier Tillman Sr. will have the tall task of matching up with Embiid. Tillman had an absolute NASTY dunk over Houston Rockets Alperen Sengun the other night.

Philly is coming off a huge win over the Golden State Warriors Saturday night, and need to look to build off that moving forward. I was at that game, and it was electric! Matisse Thybulle had an incredible defensive performance against Stephen Curry (which I will not be getting into because Steph is my favorite player ever). Memphis has won seven of their last eight games despite being without their star point guard.

This is going to be a tough test for the 76ers, as the Grizzlies are a fast-paced team. The Sixers transition defense is going to be crucial tonight, as Memphis loves to run. The 76ers need to apply pressure like they did against the Warriors Saturday.

In five of Grizzlies last seven games, they have held their opponent to under 100 points. Their defense has improved a lot throughout the season, which has been a catalyst to their success. What’s interesting is their defense has actually improved since Morant was forced to exit the lineup. With Morant they ranked 23rd, and without him they rank seventh in defensive rating.

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Tonight, I would like to see big performances from Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey. We all know Harris is an inconsistent player, so it would be nice if he went out there tonight and silenced some of the outside noise. He finished with 16 points on Saturday, while Maxey scored 14.

It’s honestly a blessing Morant is out, as I think the 76ers would have a tough time containing him on offense. They just need to take it one game at a time. Tonight is the perfect game to get a win before the Sixers have back-to-back games this week. Looking ahead, they play the Miami Heat on Wednesday, and the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports