James Harden Downgraded Against Bulls on Wednesday
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On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will play their second consecutive game against the Chicago Bulls.
Their first meeting on Monday was less than perfect as the Sixers' eight-game win streak came to an end after losing to the Bulls 105-109.
The loss came at the hands of Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, and former Philadelphia center Nikola Vucevic, with each member of the trio scoring more than 20 points.
Even an impressive 37-point, 16-rebound performance from MVP candidate Joel Embiid was enough to lift his team to their ninth straight win, with the All-Star fouling out in the early going of the second people of overtime.
Another reason for their loss was due to an off night from James Harden, who scored only five points across 46 minutes on the court, shooting at a season-low 14 percent from the field.
Yet, the Sixers may have to run it back without Harden, as he has been downgraded ahead of Wednesday night's match with soreness in his left Achilles.
Despite having a cold night on Monday, Harden's absence would be huge for the Sixers, as the 33-year-old has been on top of things as of late, averaging 20 points and 12 assists per game since the beginning of March.
In his place, De'Anthony Melton could return to the starting lineup, having occupied the spot for nearly a month earlier in the season, currently averaging 10 points per game on 43 percent shooting.
Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.
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