Sixers to face a Clippers team that is hitting its stride

When the 76ers visit the Los Angeles Clippers in Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. game at the Staples Center, they will be facing a much different team than they defeated, 110-103 on Feb. 11 at the Wells Fargo Center.

For one, the Clippers are healthy. They had one of the best performances of the season with Friday’s 132-103 rout of the visiting Denver Nuggets.

That was only the seventh time the Clippers (40-19) had their full roster available. The Clippers are 7-0 in such games. They have won three in a row, all at full strength.

This will be the first of a four-game west coast streak for the Sixers (37-23). The Sixers are 9-21 on the road and have lost seven in a row away from the Wells Fargo Center. They are 28-2 at home, following Thursday’s 115-106 win over the New York Knicks.

One person to watch is former Sixers guard Lou Williams. In 16 career games against the Sixers, he is averaging 17.9 points. The only teams he has averaged more points against have been the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State. He has averaged 18 points against both teams, according to basketball-reference.com.

A three-time NBA sixth-man of the year, Williams has had to start eight of 56 games and he is averaging 19.1 points. One of those starts came in the earlier game against the Sixers and he struggles, scoring 13 points and shooting 5 of 10 from the field.

He is coming off a more typical performance, scoring 17 points in Friday’s win over Denver, while hitting 5 of 7 three’s.

In the earlier loss to the Sixer, the Clippers played without injured point guard Patrick Beverley. The Clippers are 33-10 when Beverley has played this year.

A player the Clippers have to watch is Sixers point guard Shake Milton, who has done well replacing injured Ben Simmons. Milton only played 42 seconds in the earlier win over the Clippers.

During his last four games Milton is averaging 15.8 points and shooting 15 for 21 (71.4%) from three-point range.

PROBABLE STARTERS

SIXERS (37-23)

12 Tobias Harris PF 6-9 19.2 ppg. 6.7 rpg.

40 Glenn Robinson III SF 6-6 12.0 ppg. 4.4 rpg.

42 Al Horford C 6-9 11.7 ppg., 6.6 rpg.

0 Josh Richardson SG 6-5 14.0 ppg. 3.2 apg.

18 Shake Milton PG 6-5 7.6 ppg. 1.9 apg.

Coach: Brett Brown (seventh season, 215-337)

Injuries: Ben Simmons (lower back nerve impingement) is out. Joel Embiid (left shoulder sprain) out.

CLIPPERS (40-19)

2 Kawhi Leonard SF 6-7 27.0 ppg. 6.7 rpg.

31 Marcus Morris Sr. PF 6-8 18.3 ppg 5.2 rpg.

40 Ivica ubac C 7-0 8.0 ppg. 7.2 rpg.

13 Paul George SG 6-8 21.1 ppg. 5.8 rpg.

21 Patrick Beverley PG 6-1 8.3 ppg. 3.9 apg.

Coach: Doc Rivers (seventh season, 347-204; overall, 934-677)

Injuries: TBA

The Sixers lead the series, 73-58.

The Sixers won the aforementioned game, 110-103 on Feb. 11 at the Wells Fargo Center. Ben Simmons had a triple double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Joel Embiid added 26 points. Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points for he Clippers, while former Sixers guard Landry Shamet added 19 off the bench.

Tuesday: Sixers at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. TNT

Thursday: Sixers at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m. NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus

March 7: Sixers at Golden State Warriors, 8:30 p.m. ABC

March 11: Detroit Pistons at Sixers, 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN

March 14: Indiana Pacers at Sixers, 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Philadelphia