Sports Tonight: Flyers putting caution over need with Nolan Patrick

This is the last situation the Flyers want to be in with rookie Nolan Patrick.

As a 19-year-old who was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, Patrick likely has some sense of invincibility that all youngsters do. He's fidgety after not being able to play for the last three weeks because of a suspected concussion.

The Flyers are rightfully being cautious with a player around whom this franchise's future could be built. Superstar players and concussions are a sensitive subject with this franchise.

Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said Patrick is a game-time decision for their matchup with the host Winnipeg Jets at 8 (TV: NBCSP; radio: 97.5 The Fanatic).

"That decision is not really up to me, so I guess we'll see what happens," said Patrick, who is from Winnipeg.

A problem is that the Flyers' desperate need to get scoring from somewhere other than its first line is digging a deep hole in the standings. As long as this continues, the pressure on Patrick to provide some kind of spark on offense whenever he returns will continue to build.

That's not a fair burden to place on a player who has played in a total of nine NHL games, much less one coming back from a suspected concussion.

Typically, whatever NFL game that is on Mondays and Thursdays gets billing for national broadcast, and Tennessee at Pittsburgh at 8:25 on NBC is a good one.

However, even though the NBA season is less than 20 percent done, there is rarely as much intrigue in a game as there will be when the Golden State Warriors play in Boston at 8 on TNT.

I won't go down the cliché lane of touting this as a possible NBA Finals preview, but when the best team in the Eastern Conference puts a 13-game winning streak on the line against the best team in the Western Conference that is riding a seven-game winning streak, it's a highlight encounter.

The Sixers gave Boston its first victory of the season, but the Cs have kept rolling.

The Warriors lead the league in scoring (119.6 ppg) and point differential (plus-11.9).

Staff writer Jeff McLane breaks down film showing how Carson Wentz has learned to manipulate defenses with his gestures.

Staff writer Zach Berman says the emergence of second-year quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott has added a new dimension to Eagles against Cowboys.

Staff writer T.J. Furman meets the needs of those who had to go to sleep with a highlight package of Joel Embiid's spectacular performance against the Lakers.

The Sixers have left the West Coast, so 10:30 starts won't be an issue for a while, but staff writer Keith Pompey will still give his game observations.

Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal reports that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is getting pushback from other owners for his attempt to run a silent coup to seize control of the NFL.

There was no way Joel Embiid would let go of his social media feud with Lavar Ball after taking apart the Lakers.

If it's possible to pick our jaws up off the floor, let's discuss what Joel Embiid has done in the last two games.

Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was an NBA all-defensive first-team member in 2015 and 2016 and made his first All-Star Game last season. On Monday, Embiid scored 32 points, had a career-high 16 rebounds and was plus-23 in 36 minutes in the win over the Clippers. Jordan, who averages 9.5 points and 13.4 rebounds, fouled out with 2 points and 5 rebounds and was a minus-3 in 30 minutes.

Lakers center Brook Lopez is a solid center who has made an All-Star Game (2013) and averaged 18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in eight seasons. Andrew Bogut is a former No. 1 overall pick who was all-defensive second-teamer in 2015. On Wednesday, Embiid destroyed the Lakers with a career-high 46 points and 15 rebounds. He became the first player to have 40 points, seven assists and seven blocks in a game since Julius Erving in 1982.

Embiid was a plus-19.

Lopez and Bogut  were a combined minus-13 for the Lakers in the loss.

In two wins in Los Angeles, Embiid combined for 78 points and 31 rebounds against upper-tier, NBA-veteran centers.

"(Embiid) was dominant," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

Ya think?

NFL
Titans at Steelers, 8:25 p.m. (NBC10, NFL Network)

NHL
Flyers at Jets, 8 p.m. (NBCSP; WPEN-FM 97.5)

NBA
Warriors at Celtics, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Rockets at Suns, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)

College Football
Buffalo at Ball State, 7 p.m. (CBSSN)
Tulsa at South Florida, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Golf on Golf Channel
PGA: RSM Classic, 1:30 p.m.
LPGA: CME Championship, 4:30 p.m.
European PGA: DP Championship, 3 a.m. Friday

Tennis
ATP: World Tour Finals, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)

Boxing
Jose Martinez vs. Jesus Martinez, junior-bantamweights, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Men's College Basketball
Temple vs. Old Dominion, 2 p.m. (WPHT-AM 1210)
Boise State vs. UTEP, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)
Clemson vs. Ohio, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Iowa State vs. Appalachian State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Nebraska at St. John's, 6:30 p.m. (FS1)
Virginia Tech vs. St. Louis, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dayton vs. Hofstra, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Tulsa vs. Western Michigan, 8 p.m. (ESPNEWS)
Xavier at Wisconsin, 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
Providence vs. Washington, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

Women's College Basketball
American at Delaware, 7 p.m. (NBCSP+)

Winter Sports
U.S. Olympic Trials: Curling, 7 p.m., 10 p.m. (NBCSN)

Men's College Basketball
La Salle vs. South Alabama, 7 p.m., Tom Gola Arena

Women's College Basketball
Drexel vs. La Salle, 7 p.m., Daskalakis Center
Temple vs. Wagner, 7 p.m., McGonigle Hall

Harness Racing
Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, 12:40 p.m., Chester