In the second game of a home and away back-to-back, the Sixers are southbound as they head to Atlanta to face the Hawks. Ahead of the matchup, the Sixers released an updated injury report, which included the latest on Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre, who will both miss tonight’s matchup.
This game marks the fourth straight for Maxey, who continues to deal with sprains to both a finger on his right hand and his back. Maxey initially gutted out game after game, during which it was clear how severely his sprained finger affected his performance. Against the Portland Trail Blazers, Maxey twisted and turned into the lane, which has become one of his signature plays, but ended up spraining his back and landing hard on the court in the process.
Maxey was described as day-to-day by Sixers’ head coach Nick Nurse, but it’s very quickly reached a week without Tyrese Maxey, and the Sixers are continuing to flounder further toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. While they are coming off of a win over the tanking Jazz, the Sixers are 2-12 in their last 14 games and remain 3.5 games back of the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls, who have found a spark, winning two straight games.
At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Maxey’s absence is a necessity or a precaution. Either way, it’s the right way to approach this injury and this season.
As for Kelly Oubre, he will miss tonight’s game with a sprained right ankle. Oubre had been in the midst of a hot streak, scoring 20+ points in four of his last five games. Against Utah, Oubre had just six points in just under 20 minutes. As for when he sprained his ankle and the severity of the injury, that much is not yet known, but Nurse will likely provide an update ahead of tonight’s game.
Injuries have decimated the Sixers’ entire year, and that theme also continues in this matchup. In addition to Maxey, the Sixers will be without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Jared McCain, Eric Gordon, and Kyle Lowry.
Another player of note, Andre Drummond, is questionable due to illness. He was also ill during the Sixers’ game against the Jazz and gave it a go, but he only played for 10 minutes due to his condition. Like last night’s approach, his final status will likely be decided shortly before the game.
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