Sixers taking a break from stretch of weary road games
On Monday, they’ll embark on a four-game road trip over eight days.
The 76ers are home for just enough time to play on back-to-back nights, spend Easter Sunday with family members, and get a new set of clothes.
The Sixers arrived in Philadephia in the early hours of Friday morning following a 12-day road trip. They went on to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 122-113, Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center and will host the Memphis Grizzlies there on Sunday. Then, on Monday, they’ll embark on a four-game road trip over eight days. The Sixers will kick off that trip Tuesday against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
The team is scheduled to return home after facing the Celtics (24-25) before heading back on the road on Thursday.
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“I just take it day-by-day,” Seth Curry said of staying healthy, alert, and competent throughout this stretch. “Approach every day, what I need to get done with my body, physically and mentally. Try to take the proper amount of rest days and game-day try to turn it on and just focus.”
The shooting guard knows that he can’t skip any steps and that every game matters right now.
The Sixers (34-15) are tied atop the Eastern Conference standings with the Brooklyn Nets, who face the Chicago Bulls Sunday on the road.
Following Tuesday’s contest against the Celtics, the Sixers will play on back-to-back nights at the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. They’ll conclude the road trip at the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
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The game against the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena was originally scheduled to be played on Jan. 17. However, the game was called off by the NBA 90 minutes prior to its scheduled start because of contact tracing related to the coronavirus.
The Sixers did not have the eight required available players because of their ongoing contact tracing for COVID-19.
They didn’t have any new positive COVID-19 tests to report, but had to remain in Oklahoma City that night as part of contact tracing/quarantining and to await test results. The tracing stemmed from their Jan. 16 game in Memphis. Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas, who played that night, had entered the league’s health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID.
Before returning home early Friday, the Sixers went 4-2 on a road trip against the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clipper, Denver Nuggets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.