Sixers demote Al Horford, Furkan Korkmaz starts vs. Clippers
Sharpshooting Furkan Korkmaz started at small forward while struggling power forward Horford was moved to the bench.
The 76ers made a drastic change to their starting lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. And it had nothing to do with Josh Richardson returning to the lineup in his third game back from injury.
Sharpshooting Furkan Korkmaz started at small forward while struggling power forward Al Horford was moved to the bench.
This marked the first time Horford didn’t start in a game since his rookie season for the Atlanta Hawks in an 82-79 victory over the Miami Heat on Nov. 21, 2007.
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The Sixers signed the 13th-year veteran to a four-year, $97 million deal this summer. However, he has struggled to find a rhythm while playing alongside center Joel Embiid.
The 33-year-old Horford is averaging 12.1 points, the fewest since averaging 11.5 in his second season. Horford is also shooting a career-low 43.8 percent from the field.
Korkmaz, however, is coming off consecutive 30-plus-point performances.
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The third-year veteran had 31 points in Sunday’s victory over the Chicago Bulls. Two days before that, Korkmaz had a career high of 34 points and seven made three-pointers.
Korkmaz is averaging a career-best 9.7 points this season. He and Richardson joined Tobias Harris, Embiid, and Ben Simmons in the starting lineup against the Clippers.