Furkan Korkmaz Could Miss More Time With Knee Injury

Injuries are beginning to affect the Philadelphia 76ers on two different scales. Their most notable injury comes from the star guard James Harden, who suffered a tendon strain nearly two weeks ago. According to a report, Harden is expected to miss a month’s worth of games.

On a smaller scale, the Sixers have multiple minor injuries taking players off the court as they prepare for their next set of games, which begins on Friday night at home.

While the four-day game-free stretch is a good opportunity for the Sixers to recognize what needs to be improved before facing their next opponent, all isn’t positive, considering the Sixers are currently shorthanded in practice.

“We have a lot of injuries, unfortunately,” said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers following Wednesday’s practice. “So, it’s not been exactly the way you’d want it.”

During the Sixers’ Saturday night matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, Rivers went deep with his bench as De’Anthony Melton got the night off due to back tightness. Furkan Korkmaz had an opportunity to play, but four minutes into his shift, the Turkish sharpshooter suffered a knee injury.

Korkmaz was diagnosed with a knee effusion. As a result, he missed Philadelphia’s Sunday night matchup against the Utah Jazz. The team hoped that a four-day break from games could help Korkmaz recover and return to the floor, but it seems like he might miss some more time.

“Not long, but I don’t know how long,” said Rivers regarding Korkmaz’s timeline for return. “I don’t think he’ll be out that long. He may miss a game or two, but I don’t think more than that.”

The Sixers will face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. After that matchup, they are back on the floor the following night to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s too early for the Sixers to make a call on Korkmaz’s availability for either of those games, but it seems he’s trending toward having a questionable status when the schedule resumes.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.