As the 2019-20 NBA regular season comes to an end, teams are finally tuning up for the playoffs. The Houston Rockets are up against the Philadelphia 76ers in their last seeding game this Friday. The matchup may not sound too interesting since neither team has much to lose.
However, from the looks of it, both teams are battling injuries. This has led to their key players being absent from the game, providing an opportunity to the benched to showcase their potential. Let’s take a look at what they’re made of.
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Houston Rockets injury updates and lineup predictions
It’s about time the Houston Rockets pull up their socks. They’re just coming out of two consecutive losses and in order to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first-round match, they need to gain their momentum back. In fact, this game can help them fix issues such as holding their lead longer.
For the Rockets, their missing key player would be Russell Westbrook who is also expected to miss out on a few of the playoff games. With Westbrook out, the burden to perform well would fall on players like James Harden, Eric Gordon, Jeff Green, and Austin Rivers. Harden is averaging a whopping 34.4 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.6 rebounds. Jeff Green has also been incredibly efficient off the bench and has shown ease inside the paint, a very crucial quality for the team.
The predicted lineup would be Austin River, James Harden, P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, and Robert Covington.
Philadelphia 76ers injury updates and lineup predictions
The Sixers will be facing a scarcity in terms of players in this matchup. As a result, this could be very disadvantageous for them unless they play their cards right. By improving their offense spacing and transition defense while also relying on their good three-point shooting, the Sixers could go a long way.
All-star center Joel Embiid and Glenn Robinson III have been listed as questionable against the Rockets. On top of this, the announcement of Ben Simmons being officially out for the season caused a major setback for the team.
However, Tobias Harris and Al Horford can give tough competition to Tucker and Covington. Kyle O’Quinn can also help lead the way after his tremendous performance against the Phoenix Suns. He can prove to be very efficient in the paint.
The predicted lineup would be Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Al Horford, and Matisse Thybulle.
Game predictions
The bench players will be deciding the fate for the two teams on Friday. Unless the 76ers work on their defense, the Houston Rockets are more likely to take home the win.
