ChompTalk.com

The Philadelphia 76ers are fourth in the East and fighting for early position with a 15-6 record.

Winners of four straight and eight of their last nine, they’re steadied by a dependable two-way starter in Al Horford (center/power forward, Philadelphia 76ers).

The five-time All Star has scored in double digits in his last six outings.

His consistency behind the arc (shooting 37.3 percent) has been a welcome addition to the 76ers. In a 103-94 win over Utah on Monday, Horford dropped 17 points, going 3 for 3 from three.

He also had two blocks and a steal in that game, playing 35 minutes and committing only two fouls.

The 13-year veteran will display his commitent on both ends when his team takes on the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. tonight.

You can’t speak of the Wizards without mentioning Bradley Beal (guard, Washington Wizards).

He dropped 40-plus points on Tuesday for the fourth time this season, putting up 42 in a 127-120 loss to the Orlando Magic.

The Wizards are 1-3 when Beal scores 40-plus.

Beal’s main struggle this season is accuracy from three. He’s a career 38 percent shooter, but he’s only hitting 34.7 percent this year.

However, he had no problem shooting against the Magic, going 3 of 6 from deep. He took a season-high 30 shots in that contest, converting 16 (53.3 percent).

Beal’s offensive prowess puts him eighth in the NBA in offensive win shares (1.9). That’s pretty impressive considering his team only has six wins.

Dorian Finney-Smith (forward, Dallas Mavericks) has been an important part of his squad’s 14-6 start.

While his numbers aren’t outstanding (8.7 points and 5.0 rebounds), he plays a lot of meaningful defensive minutes.

Against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, Finney-Smith played a season-high 37 minutes, providing significant length at 6-foot-7 next to fellow starters Kristaps Porzongis (7-foot-3), Luka Doncic (6-foot-7) and Dwight Powell (6-foot-10).

Finney-Smith averages 26.8 minutes per game, good for third on the Mavs.

Chris Chiozza (guard, Washington Wizards) and Chandler Parsons (forward, Atlanta Hawks) also made recent apperances for their clubs.

Chiozza played in three of the past five games for Washington with his best outing coming on Sunday. He had two assists and two steals in just over six minutes in a 25-point loss at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Parsons scored three points (1 of 5 from three) in a 47-point demolition at the hands of the Houston Rockets on Saturday. He also had eight points (2 of 5 from three) in a 25-point loss at Detroit on Nov. 22.

Parsons is currently day-to-day, as he is nursing an illness.