Cleveland Cavaliers Rule Out Starter vs Philadelphia 76ers

On Friday night in South Philly, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers for their third matchup this season. The game will lack some key players.
The Cavaliers are going to roll without their starting big man, Evan Mobley.
According to the official NBA injury report, Mobley is dealing with a right calf strain. It’s a setback that’s been lingering for some time now.
Evan Mobley (calf) listed out for Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 23, 2025
Over the past three games, the Cavaliers have played without Mobley in the mix. When the Cavs took on the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 18, it was the first Mobley-less matchup since December 13.
The Cavaliers collected a seven-point win over Minnesota.
In the following game, the Cavs hosted the Phoenix Suns. Without Mobley, they dominated and collected a 26-point victory.
Cleveland’s latest matchup came against the Houston Rockets. The Cavs hit the road and ended up taking on a one-point loss, snapping a two-game win streak.
Friday’s absence will mark the fourth in a row for Mobley. Without him, the Cavaliers are 4-1 on the year.
On the other side, the Sixers are going to miss their starting big man as well. Joel Embiid has been ruled out for his 10th game in a row as he deals with knee swelling.
This season, the Sixers only had 13 chances to play with Embiid. When he was on the court, they won more than half of their games. Without him, the Sixers are just 8-21 this season.
In addition to Embiid, the Sixers will miss the veteran center Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, KJ Martin, and the rookie Jared McCain.
Both times the Sixers and the Cavs met this year, Philadelphia found itself taking on losses. At this point, the Cavs have built a three-game win streak over the 76ers.
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