The 76ers carry a four-game winning streak into San Antonio to play the hobbled Spurs on Sunday, but all anyone wants to talk about is will Philadelphia center Joel Embiid be in the lineup.
Sunday’s game will be the second of a road back-to-back set for the 76ers (43-35), who got 30 points and 12 rebounds from Embiid in just three quarters in a 116-96 victory in Memphis on Saturday.
Embiid was listed as questionable to play vs. the Grizzles but dominated in just his third game back from a 29-game absence due to torn meniscus in his left knee.
Philadelphia is in a battle to stay out of the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference and heads to the Alamo City in eighth place, a half-game behind seventh-place Miami (43-34) and a game in back of No. 6 Indiana (44-34). The 76ers are just 2 1/2 games behind fourth-place Orlando for the chance to host a playoff series with four games left.
Jeff Dowtin Jr. finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes of court time for Philadelphia. Saturday’s game was his first since his two-way contract was converted to a standard deal.
“You just have to be ready at any opportunity that you get,” Dowtin said. “Be prepared whenever you step on the court, be aggressive, make plays contribute to winning. It’s a chance to help the team play more games, get to the playoffs and contribute there as well.”
The 76ers’ Tobias Harris missed his second consecutive game with a left knee contusion. He is considered questionable for Sunday’s game.
Three of the 76ers’ final four games will be against teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Spurs (19-58) head home after a rousing come-from-behind, 111-109 win at New Orleans on Friday. Devonte’ Graham scored a season-high 20 points to lead San Antonio, while rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama added 17 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
The Spurs rallied from 14 points down in the third quarter to tie the game at 86 heading into the final period. San Antonio scored seven straight points to seize a 102-97 lead with five minutes to play and never let the Pelicans get closer than a point the rest of the way.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Julian Champagnie and Zach Collins hit for 15 points apiece for the Spurs, with Tre Jones and Malaki Branham scoring 14 each. San Antonio was without reserves Keldon Johnson and Cedi Osman and starters Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell; the latter two players are out for the season.
“A lot of guys stepped up and played well,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “Physicality we picked it up in the second half, and there were contributions from a lot of guys that haven’t been played a lot. Overall it took a good number of people to keep up the energy.”
The Spurs ended a two-game losing streak Saturday and won for the fourth time in their past six games. San Antonio still is the last-place team in the Western Conference and must win two of its final five games to avoid matching its worst-ever record of 20-62, set in 1997.
Philadelphia won the only other meeting with the Spurs this season, 133-123 at home on Jan. 22. San Antonio has not beaten the 76ers at home since Dec. 17, 2018, and has dropped three straight in the series in the Alamo City.
–Field Level Media
