76ers at Bobcats
In an Eastern Conference that boasts only two teams with winning records, the Charlotte Bobcats and the Philadelphia 76ers represent the middle of the pack. The 76ers will be looking to pull even with the Bobcats in the standings when they visit Charlotte on Friday. The Bobcats are one of the best defensive teams in the league but struggle on offense - the opposite of Philadelphia’s issues.
The Bobcats are last in the NBA in scoring average at 88.8 points and will be without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the next 4-to-6 weeks after he suffered a broken hand in an 89-82 loss at Dallas on Tuesday. That setback marked the 15th straight game in which Charlotte failed to reach 100 points and gave the Bobcats four losses in the last five contests. The 76ers reached the century mark in three straight contests but are surrendering a league-high 110.8 points.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, SportSouth (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (7-12): Michael Carter-Williams picked up his first career triple-double with 27 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 126-125 double-overtime victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday but is fighting through a sore right knee that will probably leave him missing Friday’s contest. That win snapped a four-game slide for Philadelphia, which is hoping to avoid an eighth straight road loss. The 76ers have plenty of players that can score with Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes all averaging 16.2 points or better, and Tony Wroten will run the offense if Carter-Williams takes the night off.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS (8-11): Charlotte does not enjoy as many scoring options and is down another with Kidd-Gilchrist out. Jeffery Taylor is expected to make his second start of the season in Kidd-Gilchrist’s spot, robbing the bench of one of its few scoring options. The Bobcats squandered a pair of second-half leads in losing to Miami and Dallas on the road but are opening a stretch of three straight and eight of the next 11 games at home with the 76ers.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bobcats snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with an 88-83 triumph on Apr. 3.
2. Young is averaging 22.5 points on 50.7 percent shooting in the last four games.
3. Charlotte C Al Jefferson has recorded three straight double-doubles.