Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers gamethread

It’s the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. But this game is not interesting for the reasons it should be.

Because Joel Embiid is hurt, there is not as much intrigue to this game as there should be. A healthy Embiid vs. the Cavs’ frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley would have been must-watch.

Now, the Cavs are sizeable favorites. (The line slightly widened since it first opened yesterday with Cleveland at -10.5.) Cleveland should have a massive advantage on the glass and on both ends of the floor. Tyrese Maxey is a threat to pop off and make the game competitive, but is he enough to win the game for Philadelphia? Probably not with how well the Cavs have played of late.

Why this game is interesting is what it means for the Cavs. A win would be a tenth straight. It would push Cleveland well above the fifth-seed 76ers. And pending results from the Milwaukee Bucks’ game against the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks’ game in Houston, the Cavs could gain a stronger hold on the East’s No. 2 seed. There is real value in that maintaining a high seed and being in a strong position to not be on the Boston Celtics’ side of the playoff bracket.

For the Cavs to maximize their season, opportunities like this matter.