The blisteringly hot Philadelphia 76ers, winners of 12 straight, take on the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight in Philadelphia in what could be a changing of the NBA guard — or not. The Sixers are past the hard part of The Process, having virtually the same record as the Cavs with three games to go and securing a playoff spot for the first time since 2013. Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and company are the young comers of the Eastern Conference, which is what makes their battle tonight with the Cavaliers so interesting to fans. LeBron James is as hungry as ever. He’s not about to surrender the crown without a fight — and he’s in fightin’ shape, too. James is doing it with a revamped Cavaliers lineup and Kyrie Irving long gone, and the Cavs are still the favorite in the East — no matter what Raptors fans may believe.
The Cavaliers, especially for these ambitious Sixers, have always signified a reckoning. Last time these two teams played, LeBron’s 30 points and 8 assists weren’t enough to carry the Cavs, who dropped a March 1 meeting 108-97. JJ Redick, the oldster in the Sixers locker room, led a balanced Philly attack with 22 points in the victory. Game time tonight, Friday, April 6 is 7 pm on NBA TV. James is looking to go to his eighth straight NBA Finals and the Sixers finally look like a real obstacle. A classic on tap.