Sixers’ Jimmy Butler, Mike Muscala sidelined vs. Nets; Furkan Korkmaz making first career start
Ben Simmons will assume the backup power forward role due to Muscala being sidelined.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4OCYKEFJBRC43BWXU7SG5MUUKY.jpg)
The 76ers will be without Jimmy Butler and Mike Muscala for Wednesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center.
Butler is sidelined with a strained groin, while Muscala is out with an upper respiratory infection.
Second-year swingman Furkan Korkmaz will make his first career start in place of Butler. Meanwhile, point guard Ben Simmons will see some actions as a reserve power forward and center to make up for Muscala’s absence.
Butler suffered the injury in Monday’s 116-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons. The Sixers swingman left the game with 2 minutes, 20 seconds left in the first quarter and didn’t return. He had four rebounds and two assists in 9:40 of action. He failed to score while missing all three of his shots. Tuesday’s MRI revealed no structural damage.
Butler is averaging 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and a league third-best 2.09 steals per game.
Muscala, a reserve post player, is averaging 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He’s shooting 35.3 percent on three-pointers. The Sixers found out about his illness on Wednesday.
The last time the Sixers faced the Nets, Butler drained a 27-foot three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to lift his team to a 127-125 victory on Nov. 25.