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Sixers’ Mike Muscala cleared to play against Pistons

The Sixers acquired Muscala this summer from Atlanta in a three-team trade.

Mike Muscala (center) and Wilson Chandler won't necessarily fit seamlessly into the holes left by Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli, but they will be serviceable.
Mike Muscala (center) and Wilson Chandler won't necessarily fit seamlessly into the holes left by Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli, but they will be serviceable.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
    by Keith Pompey | Columnist
    Published 

DETROIT – Mike Muscala will make his 76ers debut Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons at the Little Caesar Arena. The reserve center was cleared Tuesday afternoon after missing the first three Sixers games because of a sprained left ankle.

"I sprained my ankle about a month ago before the training camp," Muscala said Oct. 16. "So I was kind of dealing with a lot of swelling from that. It wasn't bothering me at all, but I kind of nicked it in the last preseason game" against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 8 in Shenzhen, China.

Amir Johnson got Muscala's minutes as the backup center to Joel Embiid in the first three games.

The Sixers (2-1) acquired Muscala this summer from the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade that also included the Oklahoma City Thunder. He will make $5 million in this, the final year of his contract. Muscala averaged 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 20 minutes and shot 37.1 percent on three-pointers last season. He had seven starts in his 53 appearances.

The big man with shooting range averaged 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 22.6 minutes in the Sixers' four preseason games, starting one of them.

Sixers reserve forward Wilson Chandler (hamstring) and reserve guards Jerryd Bayless (knee) and Zhaire Smith (foot) will miss their fourth straight game. Point guard Ben Simmons (lower-back tightness) is listed as doubtful. Simmons injured his back in Saturday's victory over the Orlando Magic.