I'm sitting at work and I am getting antsy, because I hate 7pm tip-offs on Friday nights.  I work until 7:30 and I get home around 7:45, so I usually miss a bit of the games.  I like to be able to watch the whole game, that is just the fan in me I guess.  Anyway, let's take a closer look at tonight's opponent, the Philadelphia 76ers.

I'll start with their newest acquisition, Elton Brand.  If given the opportunity, he can make this a really long night for the Pacers in the paint.  Jeff Foster, Rasho Nesterovic, Roy Hibbert, Troy Murphy, and maybe even Josh McRoberts will have their hands full of EB.  I'm not sure who is going to guard Brand, but whoever it is, has to make sure to block this man out.  The Pacers can not afford easy offensive rebounds tonight.  But, it won't just be Brand doing the dirty work on the boards, it will be Sam Dalembert and Thad Young too.  Both players are aggressive and scrappy, two things the Pacers don't always deal with very well.

With all of that said about Brand, I think the key to this game is going to be how Danny Granger and Thad match up.  If Granger can keep the youngster from making the hustle plays (loose balls, tips, offensive boards), then he can take out a big part of his game.  Danny is one of the better defenders in the league, but will need to make Young strictly a jump shooter.  Again, if Granger can do that, then Young's effectiveness is minimized.

I wouldn't be surprised if Philly tries to play some zone against the Pacers' offense.  New Jersey tried it the other night when man match ups were not in their favor and the zone helped them get back into the game.  I'm not really sure how much the 76ers run the zone, if at all, but just a thought I was throwing out there.

Well, that is all I have, but Brian has more on the game over at Depressed Fan, so take a look at his thoughts on the game too.