PhilaPhans

76ers(21-9) @ Rockets(15-14) Preview 76ers' Starting Five:
Harris PF
Oubre Jr SF
Reed C
Melton G
Maxey G

Rockets' Starting Five:
Green PF
Tate SF
Sengun C
Green SG
VanVleet PG

Officials:
Courtney Kirkland #61 Crew Chief
Ray Acosta #54 Referee
Biniam Maru #80 Umpire

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

As the annual Disney On Ice Tour continues for Philadelphia's winter teams, let it be known that the Sixers, at 21-9, are off to their best start since 2000-2001. So as this team has so many haters and detractors, as their star takes fire from enemies foreign and domestic, this team is equaling the record of an all-time great Sixers' unit that went to the NBA finals.

Maxey has the hot hand in the 2nd quarter but the Sixers are getting punished in the paint, getting outrebounded 22 to 10.

Uphill battle for the Sixers for the entire 1st half until finally taking the lead with under a minute left, only to see the Rockets hit a three to take a one point lead at halftime.

Too many easy points in the paint for the Rockets with no Embiid to protect the basket and grab rebounds.

Great 1st half for Maxey with 27 pts, despite being only 1 - 6 from 3pt range.

Rockets are getting too many points in the paint and open treys from VanVleet (7 of 9). Sixers need to tighten the defensive screws if they want to win this.

Sixers getting killed on the boards 42 to 26, giving up too many 2nd chance opportunities to the Rockets.

Morris with the huge 3ball and gets fouled too.

Incredible win by the Sixers without Embiid and Batum against a tough Rockets club.

76ers could not stop the Rockets penetration all night long, but Maxey kept attacking the basket and finished with 42. Huge bucket by Morris and some clutch free throws by Melton.

Credit to Nurse, he took out Reed and Bamba (who is way too slow on defense for this Rockets team), who weren't stopping the Rockets in the paint anyway, and went with Marcus Morris, who is bad defensively but gave the Sixers some reliable offensive punch that they needed down the stretch.