Warriors vs. 76ers Preview: Home sweet home

The Golden State Warriors are back home after a successful, but weird homestand. They’re hoping to welcome both Steph Curry and Kevon Looney back as they take on the top seed in the East, the Philadelphia 76ers. But while Philly is exceptional, they’re without their best player, as Joel Embiid remains sidelined.

The deets

Who: Golden State Warriors (22-21) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (30-13)

When: 7:00 p.m. PT

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

TV: TNT (available on fuboTV)

Projected starting lineups:

Warriors: Steph Curry, Jordan Poole, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
Sixers: Ben Simmons, Furkan Korkmaz, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, Tony Bradley

Last results:

Warriors: Lost to the Grizzlies 111-103 — 3-2 in their last 5 games
Sixers: Beat the Knicks 101-100 — 4-1 in their last 5 games

The story

Sooner or later, the Warriors need to start beating good teams. Their win against the Utah Jazz less than two weeks ago was solid, and is the only win against a good team on their resume unless you go back really, really far.

Right now the Warriors are looking firmly like a play-in team, and not even one of the single-elimination play-in teams. They’re facing a Sixers team that is very good, even without Embiid, and the Dubs need to capitalize. These are the types of wins that give them a chance to rise in the standings.

Players to watch

Warrior to watch: Kelly Oubre Jr.

After a spectacular February, Oubre has been slowing down a bit. He struggled mightily in the two games against the Memphis Grizzlies, combining for 16 points on 6-for-20 shooting. After averaging over 20 points per game last month, he’s yet to hit that mark this month.

And now, to add to his struggles, he has to deal with the rumors that the team is shopping him. Can he buckle down and put together a strong game?

Sixer to watch: Ben Simmons.

With Embiid out, Simmons becomes the Sixers best player. And he’s having his usual excellent season, with 15.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, while earning some Defensive Player of the Year buzz.

Matchup to watch: Draymond Green vs. Tobias Harris.

Harris is thriving in Doc Rivers’ offense, averaging 20.7 points per game and being a few free throws shy of a 50/40/90 season. And we all know what Green is capable of on defense. So needless to say, this matchup could determine the game, especially if Green can get out and run and wear Harris down.

Keys to victory

• Don’t let Philly’s wings find too much offensive rhythm
• Get out and run, and play small
• Win the three-point battle

Get a win, Dubs.