Sixers Aren’t Taking Rebuilding Spurs Lightly on Saturday

Facing a rebuilding team won't cause the Sixers to cruise through their Saturday night matchup.

The Philadelphia 76ers are heavy favorites going into Saturday night’s matchup. Despite losing their last two games to the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, the Sixers are expected to take care of business when they host the San Antonio Spurs.

Expectations and reality have been two different stories lately. Although the Sixers were viewed as underdogs on the road against the defending Eastern Conference Champions earlier this week, they were expected to bounce back on Thursday at home while facing the shorthanded Bucks.

For the most part, Milwaukee controlled the game. While James Harden uplifted the Sixers and helped construct a possible comeback, the Sixers ultimately came up short. Now, they are 0-2 going into a matchup with a rebuilding Spurs team.

Throughout last season, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers emphasized respecting opponents no matter what when the Sixers faced non-playoff contenders. De’Anthony Melton, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies last year, makes it known the Sixers are going in with that similar mindset on Saturday.

“[The message is] work on us,” said Melton. “That’s an NBA team with... I think they are 2-0? Something like that. We know they are going to come out there and play hard as they should. So, we should do the same thing and match their energy and have a dogfight out there no matter what.” 

Saturday will serve as San Antonio’s third game. In their season opener against the Charlotte Hornets, the Spurs fell way short, losing 129-102. They bounced back Friday night by defeating the Indiana Pacers 137-134.

On paper, the Sixers offer the Spurs their toughest challenge yet, but they go into the matchup with a better record. While the 76ers are expected to handle business on their home court, despite being the winless squad on Saturday, they know they can’t take a young and rebuilding team lightly. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.