Gina Mizell

Adem Bona bringing Adem Bona energy, first with a nifty drive and finish and then a thunderous dunk.

(So far, Justin Edwards is the player squeezed out of the rotation)

A potential second night of a back-to-back sign: Sixers are struggling to guard the three-point line early. Bucks are 3-of-4 (Sixers are 1-of-5) to lead 11-9 about midway through the first.

Drummond will start at center tonight, with Embiid out.

Buddy Hield remembers a 13-year-old VJ Edgecombe as a kid who was lanky, but skilled and eager to be good.

Then…

“The next year, I see him on the rim dunking on people. I was like, 'Oh, shit. He's going to be REALLY good.'"

More on their Bahamian bond, and matching up for the first time as pros.

No surprises on the Sixers’ injury report for tonight at Milwaukee. Joel Embiid is out after playing last night, though the only distinction is left (not right) knee injury recovery.

Paul George is not listed on the report, which means he is available after sitting out last night.

VJ Edgecombe might not be a Sixer without Buddy Hield. And the first NBA matchup between Bahamian ‘brothers’ was a thriller Edgecombe attended Hield's camps in the Bahamas as a teenager, which helped him become the NBA draft's third overall pick and an impressive Sixers rookie.

VJ Edgecombe started attending Buddy Hield’s basketball camps in the Bahamas at age 13. Last night, they matched up as NBA peers for the first time — when Edgecombe made two game-saving plays.

“I love Buddy with all my heart…He always had faith in me.”

www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixer...

THIS SEQUENCE!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME. 🤯

Yes. Just already has such a knack on that end of the floor.

Wow!

Edgecombe's athleticism is so impressive on the defensive end.

Narrator: Day has not been saved. Spencer is strutting all over the court after burying a three-pointer to put the Sixers up 98-94 with 1:12 to play. Yeesh.

Maybe Adem Bona is here to save the day? Hadn't played all night, but that putback is the type of energy jolt the Sixers desperately needed.

Cliche goes that no 20-lead is safe in the modern NBA, but this has still been a rooooough fourth quarter for the Sixers. Lead down to 84-81 with about six minutes to play.

Maxey checks back in. He's at 31 minutes, with a back-to-back in Milwaukee on tap tomorrow (yes, again).

Annnnd perhaps not, as the Warriors have cut the Sixers' lead to 84-72 with 9:12 to play. Nurse calls a frustrated timeout.

Sixers 80, Warriors 66 at the end of the third. Sixers lost that quarter again, and we'll see if they can hold down the fort while Maxey (presumably) begins the quarter on the bench. He's got 31 points in 30 minutes. Embiid with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, six rebounds and three assists in 25 min

See you tomorrow, Jim!

Halftime: Sixers 56, Warriors 34. Maxey with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Embiid with six points on 3-of-9 shooting (0-of-4 from three-point range), three rebounds, and two assists in 17 minutes. Warriors shot 29.8 percent from the floor and 6-of-26 from beyond the arc.

How many dudes named Quentin/Quinten have played in the NBA? Two are sharing the floor right now!

Warriors made a bit of a push during Maxey's second-quarter rest. And then Maxey came back in.

Sixers up 47-27 with 3:22 to go before halftime.

OK, Dom Barlow.

Jabari Walker three-pointer, which Nick Nurse and teammates have been encouraging him to launch all season.

Sixers 30, Warriors 10 at the end of the first. Maxey with 12 points in 12 minutes. Embiid with 6-2-2 in eight minutes. Warriors were a putrid 4-of-25 from the floor and 2-of-16 from beyond the arc, and committed four turnovers that the Sixers parlayed into 10 points.

Warriors were stuck on five points for a looooong time before that Hield finish underneath. They're 3-of-22 from the floor and 1-of-13 from three-point range.

Jabari Walker getting first-quarter minutes after his big performance Tuesday night (and PG's absence). Drummond and McCain have also rotated in.

Tyrese Maxey, 10 points in eight minutes. Par for the course at this point.

Because now here's Buddy Hield checking in for the first time. He'll presumably eventually share the floor with Edgecombe (who just checked out). Edgecombe used to go to Hield's camps in the Bahamas as a kid, and then was Hield's teammate on the national team.

a group of people are dancing on a stage in a play . ALT: a group of people are dancing on a stage in a play .

Former Sixer De'Anthony Melton checks in for the first time after ACL surgery and immediately goes over to guard pal Tyrese Maxey.

(So nice of all these reunions to hapen on the day the Merrily We Roll Along pro shot is released in theaters. Shouts to the three people who get this reference!)

And he poetically buries a three-pointer on the Warriors' first possession.