The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to rebound from a tough loss, but they won’t find much sympathy from the Philadelphia 76ers, who are determined to snap a seven-game losing streak when they host Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers on Friday.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Recent Performance: Cleveland had an impressive 12-game winning streak before dropping three of its last six contests. Despite this 3-3 stretch, the Cavaliers maintain the best record in the Eastern Conference with a stellar 36-7 mark. However, their latest 109-108 road loss to the Houston Rockets left them with a bitter taste.
Key Moments:
- In their loss to the Rockets, Cleveland executed a 19-0 run to take a six-point lead with about four minutes left but fell behind in the closing seconds.
- Darius Garland had three free throws with 2.1 seconds left but missed two of them, followed by Donovan Mitchell’s missed 3-pointer at the buzzer.
- Mitchell scored 19 points on 7-of-21 shooting, while Garland led the team with 26 points and is an 87.3 percent free-throw shooter.
Philadelphia 76ers
Recent Performance: The 76ers have endured a challenging season, plagued by injuries to key players, including Joel Embiid (foot, knee), who will miss Friday’s game. Philadelphia’s defense has struggled, giving up at least 115 points in six of their last seven games during their current skid. Their defense hit a low point in a 144-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, where the Nuggets shot 61.2 percent from the floor and dominated the boards 51-25.
Key Players:
- Tyrese Maxey: Scored a team-high 28 points in their recent loss.
- Guerschon Yabusele: Chipped in 22 points off the bench.
Outlook:
- The light at the end of the tunnel for the 76ers is the potential return of Joel Embiid soon. Additionally, seven of their next eight games are at home, providing an opportunity to turn things around.
