Trail Blazers at 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers survived their first test without All-Star center Joel Embiid, but the road is about to get tougher. The 76ers will try to make it two straight without the big man when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Embiid, who posted a double-double in Sunday's All-Star Game in Charlotte, was ruled out for at least a week with tendinitis in his left knee on Thursday and did not play in Philadelphia's 106-102 home win over the Miami Heat later that night. The 76ers, who improved to 24-7 at home with the victory, hit the road after Saturday's contest and will travel to New Orleans and Oklahoma City without Embiid available. The Trail Blazers are just 11-15 on the road but began a seven-game trip by knocking off the Brooklyn Nets 113-99 on Thursday behind 27 points and 12 rebounds from center Jusuf Nurkic. "Good to get a road win, good to get that first win after the break," Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "I thought we did a good job with pick-and-rolls when we had it. Obviously our two big guys dominated inside. That was an important part of our offense."
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NBCS Northwest (Portland), NBCS Philadelphia
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (35-23): Portland will challenge the Embiid-less 76ers on the inside with Nurkic and newcomer Enes Kanter, who made his Portland debut on Thursday. The veteran center, who was signed after being waived by the New York Knicks, contributed 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and nine rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. "Yeah, that's my game," Kanter told reporters. "Just go out there, I play hard and bring energy, rebounds – the inside game. I think it's just the important thing to go out there and get a win."
ABOUT THE 76ERS (38-21): Philadelphia's big move before the trade deadline brought in small forward Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers to give the team arguably the most formidable starting lineup in the East, but an unheralded part of that deal is proving to have just as big an impact. Center Boban Marjanovic logged a season-high 27 minutes while starting in place of Embiid on Thursday and delivered 19 points and 12 rebounds. Marjanovic is 19-of-25 from the floor in five games with the 76ers and outplayed Miami center Hassan Whiteside in Thursday's triumph.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harris recorded his first double-double in five games with the 76ers with 23 points and 11 rebounds against the Heat.
2. Trail Blazers Gs Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined to go 3-of-15 from 3-point range on Thursday.
3. Portland crushed Philadelphia 129-95 at home on Dec. 30 in a game Embiid missed.