A Friday night matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves might not normally get all that much attention on a night with several other national TV games. But there is plenty of reason for the basketball world to pay attention to this contest on Friday night, as the 76ers get set to debut James Harden in this inter-conference matchup. In our NBA picks for Friday night, we look at 76ers vs Timberwolves and determine if the Sixers cover the spread in James Harden’s first action in a Sixers uniform.
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76ers vs Timberwolves Betting Pick
This game will be played at Target Center at 8:00 PM ET on Friday, February 25, 2022.
Why Bet The Timberwolves:
✅ While James Harden will be a good player for the 76ers in the long run, it takes time for teams to develop the chemistry needed to have success. Harden and Joel Embiid have never played with one another, and will likely need more than one game to get on the same page. Rome was not built in a day, and this 76ers team will need more than a day to play winning basketball.
✅ On the other side, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been playing winning basketball, as they are a night removed from beating the Memphis Grizzlies at home. Minnesota can get a big night from several players on the floor, with D’Angelo Russell being the one to deliver in the fourth quarter against Memphis last night. This will be a tough matchup for Karl-Anthony Towns, but Anthony Edwards and Russell will be able to pull the Wolves through.
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✅ This is another game where Patrick Beverley will make a tangible impact for his team. He will be tasked with simply irritating James Harden, and will likely do a good job of doing exactly that. If he can make Harden work the way he made Morant work for much of Thursday night’s game, the Timberwolves should be in fine shape for another home win here.
Philadelphia 76ers
For the Philadelphia 76ers, this game is less about winning and more about beginning the process of getting James Harden transitioned into their starting lineup. Harden is poised to make his Sixers debut in this game, joining Joel Embiid in a lineup that the team hopes will bring them to the NBA Finals this season. Before the Sixers can think about the Finals, though, they will need to develop chemistry between Harden and Embiid first.
In this game, both Harden and Embiid could have tough matchups to score against, as Harden will likely see a lot of Patrick Beverley and Embiid will see plenty of Karl-Anthony Towns. If the two Sixers stars are slowed down by their respective defenders, it could be a long first night for Harden on the floor as a member of his new team.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves battled back from a 15-point first half deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. They did so thanks to a monster fourth quarter from D’Angelo Russell, who put the Wolves on his back down the stretch by getting to the basket on a regular basis. Against the 76ers, Russell will need to step up for a second straight night if the Wolves want a second straight marquee victory.
In this contest, look out for the Timberwolves’ ability to force turnovers and get out on the break. Philadelphia will likely not have their rhythm down with James Harden in the lineup just yet. If the Wolves can take advantage of that and force some turnovers, they could get enough easy buckets to pick up an important win in this contest.