The Sixers (32-18) have a tough matchup against the Golden State Warriors (36-14) at Oracle Arena, so it's a good thing that everyone (with the exception of Amir Johnson - out for personal reasons) is available for tonight's game. Here are the essentials:
• When: 10:30 p.m. ET with Sixers Pregame Live at 10 p.m.
• Where: Oracle Arena
• Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the NBC Sports MyTeams app
Point guard Jimmy Butler
Brett Brown said heading into the Sixers' game Tuesday against the Lakers that the team would be experimenting with Butler running the point, and Butler said he loved it. At shootaround Thursday morning, Brown said to expect that again. The goal is to jumpstart the type of basketball they want to play come playoff time, which means figuring out the best way to utilize Butler in the rotation.
Defensive test
We all know how good the Warriors are from deep, but just to emphasize the point, they currently have three of the top 28 all-time leaders in three-point field goals made on their team (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant) and in the last 11 games, the Curry and Thompson duo has knocked down 109 threes, just 26 fewer than all of their opponents combined over that span. The Sixers' defense will certainly be tested tonight, especially in regards to guarding the perimeter.
Philadelphia 76ers
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers and their rivals in the NBA from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Time to break the streak
It has been a long time since the Sixers had a win against Golden State (10 games, with their last win on March 2, 2013), and the Warriors have won the past six games in Oakland. It's also been a long time since the Warriors have lost a game, as they are currently on an 11-game winning streak. It doesn't help that tonight is also DeMarcus Cousins' home debut.
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