Sixers at San Antonio Spurs at a glance

76ers vs. San Antonio Spurs at a glance

TEAMS: Sixers (18-30) vs. Spurs (37-11)

WHEN:  8:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE:  AT&T Center

BROADCASTS: TV – CSN RADIO – 97.5 FM

SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE:  TWITTER – @PompeyOnSixers, INSTAGRAM – PompeyOnSixers

411 ON SPURS:  The Sixers will have their hands full with Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs small forward is coming off a 38-point, 8-rebound performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.  It was the 14th time that he scored 30 or more points. He had a career-high 41 against the Cavs on Jan. 21.  The two-time defensive player of the year is averaging a career-best 25.6 points.

It might be impossible for the Sixers to contain him with Robert Covington hampered because of a bruised right hand. Leonard, a two-time all-star, is arguably the league's most complete player.

PROBABLE STARTERS

SIXERS (18-30)

20 Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot G/F 6-6  3.4 ppg. 1.4 rpg.

7 Ersan Ilyasova PF 6-10 15.3 ppg. 6.1 rpg.

8 Jahlil Okafor C 6-11 11.5 ppg. 4.7 rpg.

11 Nik Stauskas SG 6-6  8.8 ppg. 2.0 apg.

1 T.J. McConnell PG 6-2 5.7 ppg. 6.1 apg.

Coach: Brett Brown (Fourth season, 65-229)

Injury report: Ben Simmons (right foot fracture, out), Jerryd Bayless, (left wrist ligament tear, out), Joel Embiid (left knee bone bruise, out), Robert Covington (right hand bruise, doubtful).

Spurs (37-11)

2 Kawhi Leonard SF 6-7 25.6 ppg. 1.75 spg.

12 LaMarcus Aldridge PF 6-11 17.7 ppg. 7.2 rpg.

3 Dewayne Dedmon C 7-0 4.8 ppg. 5.8 rpg.

14 Danny Green SG 6-6 7.5 ppg. 3.0 apg.

9  Tony Parker PG 6-2  11.2 ppg. 4.7 apg.

Coach: Gregg Popovich (21st season, 1126-496)

Injury report:  Pau Gasol (left fourth metacarpal fracture, out)

THE SERIES

The Spurs own a 55-34 series advantage and won last 10 meetings.

LAS VEGAS LINE

San Antonio is a 13 ½-point favorite.

LAST SERIES MEETING

The Spurs humiliated the Sixers,119-68, on Dec. 7, 2015 at the Wells Fargo Center. The 51-point margin of defeat was their worst since losing, 123-70, at Dallas on Nov. 14, 2014. The Sixers didn't have a consistent second scorer to go with Okafor.

The outcome could have been worse, as the Spurs rested three key players. Leonard missed the game with a stomach flu. Tim Duncan was sidelined to rest. Manu Ginobili dressed but didn't play.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, Aldridge played.

The Spurs power forward finished with a game-high 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting. He also had a game-high nine rebounds. Seldom-used reserve Boban Marjanovic added 18 points, 12 more than his previous career high.

Covington, Nerlens Noel, and Stauskas led the Sixers with 13 points apiece. Okafor scored 10 points on 3-for-14 shooting in a reserve role during his first game back after serving a two-game suspension after a second video surfaced of him fighting with a heckler on a Boston street in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2015.

COMING GAMES

Saturday: 7:30 p.m., at American Airlines Arena, Sixers vs. Miami Heat

Monday: 7:30 p.m., at Palace at Auburn Hills, Sixers vs. Detroit Pistons

Wednesday: 7 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center, Spurs vs. Sixers

Feb. 9: 7 p.m., at Amway Center, Sixers vs. Orlando Magic

Feb. 11: 7 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center, Heat vs. Sixer

Follow and contact 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey on Twitter and on Instagram at PompeyOnSixers.