76ers vs. Clippers: PJ Tucker's Injury Report Status on Wednesday
Will PJ Tucker suit up against the Sixers on Wednesday?
Just as PJ Tucker found scattered minutes in the Los Angeles Clippers’ rotation, the veteran forward saw himself downgraded on the injury report ahead of his first game against the Philadelphia 76ers since the trade that sent him packing out West in late October.
In a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers last Friday, Tucker left the game to get his calf evaluated. He was ruled out shortly after, with the Clippers citing soreness as a reason why.
When the Clippers hosted the Sixers for the first and only time on Sunday afternoon, Tucker was on the injury report. Ultimately, the veteran forward was ruled out and spent the matchup watching his former team face his current team in street clothes.
Fortunately for Tucker, he could potentially get a chance at a revenge game on Wednesday. With the Clippers paying a visit to the Sixers in South Philly, Tucker has been removed from the injury report entirely after he checked in for a 12-minute shift against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
This year, Tucker has gone on record to state that he intended to play out the 2023-2024 NBA season as a member of the Sixers. After signing a multi-year deal during the 2022 offseason, Tucker was committed to playing alongside Joel Embiid in Philadelphia’s frontcourt.
During his 75-game regular-season stretch last year, Tucker received a ton of criticism from outsiders due to his lack of scoring. Attempting just three shots per game, Tucker averaged fewer than four points per outing despite averaging nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc.
While Tucker made up for his lack of scoring during the postseason due to his defensive toughness and on-court leadership, it wasn’t enough to convince Philly’s front office that he was too valuable to keep the veteran out of the deal that was centered around the disgruntled James Harden.
After three games with the Sixers during the 2023-2024 season, Tucker was sent to the Clippers. Initially, he had a spot in the team’s rotation, as he appeared in his first 12 games with the team. From November 29 to February 22, Tucker picked up nonstop DNPs.
His first appearance since the early stages of the season came on February 23, when the Clippers battled it out with the Memphis Grizzlies. Tucker would play in three straight games before collecting five more DNPs in a row. Since he returned to the rotation on March 10, Tucker has found some more consistency with his playing time.
Wednesday night serves as an opportunity for Tucker to take on his most-recent former team. While he’s no stranger to facing the Sixers, being that he’s been in the league since 2006, Tucker is at a different stage of his career this time around. There’s no guarantee he’ll get the nod to play on Wednesday, but the fact he’s free from the injury report offers the opportunity for LA to give the veteran reserve a shot to show out in front of his former crowd.
