Opponents paint a portrait of one of the NBA’s up-and-coming defenders so convincing that they are open about wanting him on their team.

Following an 0-3 road trip that took them past the regular season's midway point, the shorthanded Sixers are tumbling into Friday’s matchup against the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Sixers entered Tuesday night losers of six consecutive games, and things were not going to get any easier as they concluded their three-game road trip. With Joel Embiid still out due to increased swelling in his left knee, the undermanned Sixers took on three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, altitude and the Denver Nuggets.

As the Sixers' disastrous season only gets tougher, they must ensure their young star point guard carries a reasonable workload.

The 76ers reached the halfway point of their 2024-25 season, facing the team they began their season against, the Bucks.

Joel Embiid, a 7-time All-Star, has played in only 13 games on the season due to a variety of ailments and is averaging 24.4 points and 7.9 rebounds along with 3.8 assists per night. The latest All-Star voting reveals Maxey No. 6 in Eastern Conference backcourt voting while Embiid is No. 9 in frontcourt voting.

Tyrese Maxey had 31 points and nine assists, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 22 points and 12 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 109-97 on Saturday night for their second straight victory.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić continue to set the Kia MVP pace for each other and the rest of the field.

Trae Young, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey and, yes, Cade freaking Cunningham earned consideration. But somewhat lost in Milwaukee’s bizarro season is that Dame is back to being Dame .

The Knicks and Nuggets are surging, while the Warriors watch their window close. Meanwhile, the Cavs and Thunder have their business on lock.

Multiple sources there told The Inquirer that they could hear screaming from the visitors' locker room, which shares a wall with the Nuggets' press conference room.

Nikola Jokic logged (another) triple-double in just three quarters with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 30 minutes. Jokic didn’t play in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets extended the blowout, the fourth straight game he hasn’t had to reenter the contest.