The Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers face each other for their second outing in the 2016-2017 NBA Preseason Games on Thursday, Oct. 6 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
Washington is coming off a 106-95 loss to the Miami Heat in their preseason-opener at the Verizon Center on Tuesday.
All-Star John Wall is out for the Wizards as he is still recuperating from the double knee surgery he had gone through in the summer. In his place was fourth-year point guard Trey Burke, who was recently acquired by Washington via a trade with the Utah Jazz last July.
Burke took advantage of his opportunity and played well in 29 minutes, scoring 14 points and dishing out five assists. Starters Bradley Beal and Otto Porter both looked in top form and suited up in limited minutes as expected.
Starting big men Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris played regular season minutes and had been effective all throughout the match. New head coach Scott Brooks is projected to rest them in his match against the Sixers to give the bench the opportunity to showcase their skills.
Sophomore small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was impressive as he topscored with 16 points off the bench.
Other players who are still sidelined by injuries as well are Ian Mahinmi and Marcus Thornton, who are both projected to play crucial roles off the bench for Washington in the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, The Sixers turned back the Boston Celtics, 92-89, at the Wells Fargo Center also on Tuesday to win their own preseason-opener.
Joel Embiid finally made his first professional start and had six points while shooting 2-of-6 from the field in only 13 minutes of playing time. He also contributed four rebounds and two shot blocks, which are impressive considering the little amount of time he was on the floor.
Croatian power forward Dario Saric started alongside Embiid and played 18 minutes, scoring 10 points and hauling down six boards. He was 2-for-3 form three-point range, which showcased his above average outside shooting skills for a big man.
Nerlens Noel came off the bench and had six points and three rebounds in 17 minutes of play. Jahlil Okafor was not available as he is still recuperating from the season-ending knee surgery he had last March.
Prediction
Head coach Brett Brown is projected to still limit the minutes of Embiid while giving Saric more taste of NBA play. The Wizards will also continue to hold back Beal and Porter until the regular season. A close home win for the Sixers is predicted.
