Sixers starters Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Al Horford and Josh Richardson return vs. Raptors; Alec Burks out
Alec Burks will be sidelined with left foot soreness. There is no long-term concern with Burks’ foot. The Sixers are just resting him in the second night of a back-to-back.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The 76ers will have several of their core players back Wednesday night.
Joel Embiid, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris and Al Horford are all available for the 76ers’ game against the Toronto Raptors at Walt Disney’s HP Field House. However, Alec Burks will be sidelined with left foot soreness.
There is no long-term concern with Burks’ foot. The Sixers are just resting him in the second night of a back-to-back. It’s kind of like what they did to Embiid, Richardon, Harris and Horford in Tuesday night’s 130-117 loss to the Phoenix Suns at the VISA Athletic Center.
Joel Embiid was sidelined with a twisted left ankle. Richardson was held out for rest. Tobias Harris didn’t play due to sore right ankle, while Horford is out with a sore left knee. Ben Simmons, who was already sidelined, had left knee surgery in Philadelphia on Monday.
As a result, all five of the Sixers’ season-opener starters missed the game against the Suns.
Embiid hurt his ankle while landing awkwardly on the basket stanchion after trying to block in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He later grabbed the ankle during a timeout with 6:18 left in the quarter. Embiid did not return to the game.
A loss Wednesday would lock the Sixers (42-29) into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standing. They would have to face the third-seeded Boston Celtics in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.
The Sixers hold a 3-1 season-series advantage over their Atlantic Division rivals. However, the Celtics (48-23) have improved. They’re also riding a four-game winning streak and are 5-2 in seeding games.
The first round of the playoffs is set to begin on Monday.