Sixers vs. Spurs: 3 things to watch for as Sixers look to rebound

The Sixers lost opening night inside the bubble. Tonight provides an opportunity to bounce back.

To quote Tobias Harris, the Sixers were handed a large serving of humble pie in Saturday’s loss to Indiana. After a week of hype built around the Sixers’ scrimmages, Philadelphia looked unbearably close to the discombobulated, often frustrating team we last saw in March. Tonight is a chance to right some wrongs and restore optimism.

Philadelphia will play neutral-court host to the San Antonio Spurs, who are without star big man LaMarcus Aldridge. The Spurs are 2-0 so far in the bubble, and in hot pursuit of a play-in tournament for the eighth seed out West. The Sixers cannot take them lightly, as it seemed they did the Pacers.

This is another favorable matchup for Philadelphia on paper. The Sixers have a walking size advantage in Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons can’t possibly defend as poorly as he did Saturday, and the Shake Milton experience can only get better from here.

While San Antonio has been a perennially tough out for decades, this is not the Spurs team of old. And, without Aldridge, it’s not as if the Spurs have enough firepower to combat a fully operational Sixers team. If Philadelphia is hitting shots and executing on both ends, this game should swallow easily.

All the Sixers need to do is keep DeMar DeRozan from dropping 53. Easy enough, right? The game tips off at 8:00 PM E.T. on NBC Sports Philadelphia or NBA League Pass.