![[CSNPhily] Sixers at Wizards: 3 storylines to watch and how to stream the game](https://media.nbcphiladelphia.com/2019/09/ap-ben-simmons-matisse-thybulle.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=320%2C180)
The Sixers (15-6), winners of four in a row and eight of their last nine, will look to get to the .500 mark on the road when they visit the Wizards (6-13) Thursday night.
Josh Richardson (right hamstring tightness) remains out. He did individualized workouts the last two days at practice, but the team is being cautious as Richardson will miss his fourth straight game. Shake Milton (right hip discomfort) will be available.
Washington will be without starting center Thomas Bryant (right foot stress reaction) and veteran wing C.J. Miles (left wrist). Backup bigs Ian Mahinmi (right Achilles strain) and Moritz Wagner (left ankle sprain) are questionable.
Here are tonight's essentials:
When: 7 p.m. ET with Sixers Pregame Live at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena
Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia+
Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the NBC Sports MyTeams app
And here are three storylines to watch:
Philadelphia 76ers
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers and their rivals in the NBA from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The competition
Rookie Matisse Thybulle has wreaked havoc on the defensive end in almost every one of his appearances this season. He leads all rookies with 29 steals and is third among them in deflections - despite playing far less minutes than the other first-year players at the top of the list.
But it hasn't just been Thybulle that's been so disruptive. Ben Simmons, who looks well on his way to earning some type of All-Defensive team honors, leads the NBA in steals and is second in deflections.
A competition has formed.
"I'd say it's me, him and J-Rich when it comes to steals, trying to see who can get the most, within reason, without trying to put guys in tough positions," Thybulle said after practice Tuesday. "I think it's cool that we have that competitiveness. You've seen it with Ben, he's changed games - he's won games - with steals down the stretch. I think it's cool to have that little competition within ourselves."
The caveat of not "trying to put guys in tough positions" is important here. Thybulle has been walking the fine line all season of being disruptive and not leaving his teammates out to dry. To Thybulle's credit, you can see the improvement. And to Brett Brown's credit, he admitted before the Jazz game that he needs to be more tolerant with Thybulle.
Despite playing at the fastest pace in the NBA, the Wizards are one of the better teams in the league at taking care of the basketball. Something will have to give Thursday night.
Feed Embiid
Joel Embiid is the focal point of the Sixers' offense and that shouldn't change against Washington. He'll likely see plenty of rookie Rui Hachimura playing the five with the Wizards' frontcourt so banged up. With that, Embiid is likely to see plenty of double teams and possibly even some zone.
It'll be on the other Sixers to make plays and shots around Embiid, who has improved greatly in navigating double teams. They should be able to expose Washington's defense. The Wizards have the worst-rated defense in the NBA and give up the third-most points per game.
Beal is the real deal
News flash: Bradley Beal is really freaking good. And he's having one of his best seasons. He's averaging 28.7 points and 7.2 assists a game - both marks would be career highs. He's taking the most threes he ever has so his percentage is down, but he's getting to the line just a little under seven times a game.
And Beal's supporting is no joke on the offensive end. The Sixers will have their hands full with how Davis Bertans (44.6 percent) and Isaiah Thomas (41 percent) are shooting from three. With that said, both player can be exposed on the defensive end.
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.
