In this cross Conference match-up we will see Houston Rockets visiting Philadelphia 76ers in hopes to get back on track after their 2nd consecutive and 3rd loss in the last 5 games.
Philadelphia are blowing up with another win against Bucks (109:114). That was their 2nd consecutive win and are currently holding a really good record of 8-2 in the past 10 games. They are really showing a different picture to that from the start of the season and if they manage to continue in this way, they just might get into top 8 in the East. But we will just have to wait and see how it all runs out for them. Going back to the game against Bucks, Philadelphia was trailing by 6 going into 2nd quarter (39:33). 2nd quarter was just spectacular from Philadelphia perspective as they outscored Bucks by 20 points. That was shocking to say the least. 76ers shot 73.7% from the field in that quarter and held Bucks at 40%. After a quarter like that you can hardly loose and Philadelphia managed to hold the lead till the end of the match. Bucks did fight back in 3rd quarter (24:16) but it was not enough. Final score (109:114).
Statistics:
Philadelphia; 53.3%FG, 24 turnovers and 9 steals
Bucks; 46.2%FG, 19 turnovers and 11 steals
Top scorers; Monroe (28pts), Henderson (20pts) and Parker (20pts)
Houston Rockets on the other side do not enjoy such a good form as their today’s opponents. They held a 9 game winning streak from late December to mid January, but it all went south. In the last 5 games they only won 2 and are now on a 2 game losing streak. Rockets have been defeated by Bucks (127:114) and Celtics (120:109). With performances shown lately, they are slowly falling down the ladder, but nothing is lost yet. In the match against Celtics, Houston did in fact went into 2nd half with a 6 point lead, which they lost in the 3rd quarter, when Celtics outscored the visiting team by 8 (36:28). With only 2 point lead, Houston still had a good chance to take the win home, but they failed horribly as Celtics added another 9 points to their lead in the last 12 minutes (32:23). The final score showed 120:109.
Statistics:
Houston Rockets; 46.8%FG, 17 turnovers and 8 steals
Boston Celtics; 51.6%FG, 18 turnovers and 10 steals
Top scorers; Thomas (38pts), Harden (30pts) and Crowder (23pts)
Verdict & Prediction
If this match was played a month ago, the decision would be clear, but now it’s not so one sided as expected. Looking at past performances, Houston are slowly losing their rhythm. On the other side Philadelphia is doing the complete opposite, they are surprising us with good performances one after another. Philadelphia will be going into this match with much better morale and home court advantage. The bad news are injuries for Holmes and Okafor, as well as Embiid and Bayless. We could see Okafor in the squad if Embiid won’t be able to step on the court to fill the center position. The visiting team, Houston will be without Gordon.
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers +7 points
Odds: 1.86 Pinnacle, SBOBET
Other previews : Indiana Pacers v Sacramento Kings , Serie A Weekend Accumulator
