Published on: Mar 23, 2022 10:48 pm IST|Updated on: Mar 23, 2022 10:50 pm IST
LAL vs PHI Dream11: Hello, NBA followers! How has it been going for you! The NBA is steadily heading towards the Postseason window and we are bound to see a classic Playoffs as usual. The window to make a comeback for various teams is collapsing with each day and with the way matters are ensuing, there is no doubt that there are some teams that are grinding their teeth. The LA Lakers fans have been grinding out their teeth pretty much all season long while the Philadelphia 76ers fans may have to save their nails for the Playoffs, but before that, these two will clash against there.
The Lakers have not been among elite teams all season long and their record instead of improving has fallen off since February. The frustration of the fans has been felt by Westbrook the most, who is yet to gel with the Lakers system. However, the team somehow remains in the Play-in tournament contention thanks to the Fountain of Youth drinker LeBron James.
On the other hand, the 76ers have been heralded as the title contenders and of course, when you pair up a dominating Center like Embiid with two-time MVP Harden, such talks will take place. However, the road to the Finals remains hard and long and it is a too early to call if they can go all the way despite the incredible duo.
Host: LA Lakers Visitors: Philadelphia 76ers Match Timing: 24 March, @ 07:30 AM Venue: Crypto.com Arena
The 76ers come into this game after a surprising 113:106 win versus the Heat, winning without Harden and Embiid as rising guard Tyrese dropped 28 points
The 76ers have continued to be in the title conversations and with a powerful Center in Embiid and a big-time PG in Harden, they have built a duo that surely complements each other well. Unlike the Nets, Harden can dominate the ball and also stay more motivated alongside a vocal leader like Embiid. On the other hand, Tyrese Maxey’s growth can’t be stated enough and he will be huge during the postseason while Tobias Harris also remains vital to the team’s plan. The bench depth looks a bit suspect for the team but Niang can knock down a decent amount of jumpers. Thybullle and Green play amazing pressure defense to make the 76ers a strong defensive squad.
The Lakers come into this contest after beating the Cavaliers 131:120 as LeBron garnered a 38-point triple-double.
The Lakers have surely fallen out of the title contender conversation and this is usually not the case for a LeBron-led team. Well, LeBron can surely say that he has done more than enough, and if not for him, the Lakers would have fallen around the bottom teams. Although Westbrook gets much of the fingers pointed at him, he has done a decent job recently, hey, what if it takes another season for him to adjust, we don’t wait for such a long time in the “Big Three” experiment, do we? Davis’ injury has made it so that there is a lack of size inside and the opponents have stacked offensive rebounds against the team. Monk has been not scrapping as many points as before while Carmelo has mostly gotten the job done. The Lakers have won the last two games against 50%+ win teams for the first time this season, can they make it three in a row?
LA Lakers (9th spot in West) | Philadelphia 76ers (3rd spot in East) Games: 72 | 71 Wins: 31 | 44 Defeats: 41 | 27
Philadelphia 76ers Team News
Sixers Expected Starting Five Forward: PF: Tobias Harris Middle: C: Joel Embiid Guards: SG: Matisse Thybulle | PG: James Harden| PG: Tyrese Maxey
BENCH: Georges Niang, Furkan Korkmaz, Paul Millsap, DeAndre Jordan, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Henry, Charles Bassey, Charlie Brown Jr., Braxton Key, Myles Powell, Aaron Johnson.
Los Angeles Lakers Team News
Lakers Expected Starting Five Big-Forward: PF: Wenyen Gabriel Wing: SF/PF: LeBron James Middle: C: Dwight Howard Guards: PG: Austin Reaves | PG: Russell Westbrook
BENCH: Trevor Ariza, Malik Monk, Stanley Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Avery Bradley, DJ Augustin, Kent Bazemore, Sekou Doumbouya.
LeBron James(LAL) Points: 38 Rebounds: 10 Assists: 12 Blocks: 01 Steals: 01 Wing LBJ has continued to lead the Lakers, continuing to be an MVP-type of player and he has given all-around harvests. The SF has mostly been in 30+ points, 6-10 rebounds, and 6+ assists range. He is usually the favorite for Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario. He is QUESTIONABLE for the game. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 55-68
Joel Embiid(PHI) Points: 21 Rebounds: 13 Assists: 02 Steals: 01 Blocks: 01 Joel was rested in the last 76ers match-up and when he plays, he brings brilliant scoring, rebounding, and defense. The Center has mostly been in 26-31 points, 9-13 rebounds, and 1-2 steals/blocks range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 40-57
Russell Westbrook(LAL) Points: 20 Rebounds: 05 Assists: 11 Steals: 01 Point Guard Westbrook has been derided, harrassed, and has been disrespected this season by various fans, but they forget that he is still a wonderful player. The Guard has played well recently, mostly being in 15-22 points, 5-10 rebounds, and 8-11 assists range these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-44
James Harden(PHI) Points: 17 Rebounds: 09 Assists: 08 Steals: 02 Point Guard James has done a great job as the playmaker and scorer for the 76ers, giving a boost to the PG position. The Guard has mostly been in 21-26 points, 8-12 assists, 6-9 rebounds, and 2-3 steals range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 41-57
Austin Reaves(LAL) Points: 11 Rebounds: 05 Assists: 06 Blocks: 01 Rookie guard Austin has done well as the starter and he has brought some more than decent energy for the team. He has mostly been in 9-11 points, around 6 assists, and 5-7 rebounds range these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 18-27
Tyrese Maxey(PHI) Points: 28 Rebounds: 05 Assists: 04 Blocks: 01 Guard Maxey pumped the above statline when Harden and Embiid rested and there is no doubt that he can do much more damage if he was running the offense. The youngster has mostly been in the 15-21 points range when playing alongside Harden. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 22-32
(If LeBron plays) PG: R Westbrook, A Reaves SG: M Monk SF: L James(SP), M Thybulle PF: G Niang, W Gabriel C: J Embiid(PP)
(If LeBron doesn’t play) PG: R Westbrook, A Reaves SG: M Monk, J Harden(SP) SF: M Thybulle PF: G Niang, W Gabriel C: J Embiid(PP)
(lineup may be updated)
Isn’t it fun to see Embiid jamming it hard or Harden just putting defenders on his twister moves or well, what about LeBron who still keeps posterizing bigs! And in an encouraging piece of news for India-based NBA viewers, this match can be seen on streaming platforms JIO TV and Voot, the two designated streaming platforms for viewers in India. However, there is a LOT MORE going on in the rest of the league, so how can you catch that action? Download or access the NBA League Pass and buy the annual subscription (599 rupees per year), which gives you access to all live games while you also can get the full game replay if you are unable to watch the live stream. To know the scores, stats, and news, go to the official website of the NBA.