Sixers' Danny Green, Tobias Harris on Track to Return vs. Mavericks
Despite taking on a big win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, the Philadelphia 76ers did it without two starters in the mix. Fortunately for the Sixers, they felt comfortable enough to play their big man Joel Embiid for the second night of a back-to-back.
But the two veteran forwards, Danny Green and Tobias Harris, got the night off for separate injury setbacks. Harris, who has only missed a handful of games this season for several reasons, dealt with knee soreness.
During Friday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Harris was spotted limping at a point during the game. Although the veteran forward remained on the court and even led the Sixers in scoring against the Pelicans, the team decided to give him the night off on Saturday to rest up for Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.
As for Danny Green, he's been dealing with a hip issue all season long, according to his head coach Doc Rivers. Although Green did pop up on the Sixers' injury report for the first time last month due to hip soreness, the veteran forward got cleared to play against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Heading into Saturday night's matchup against the OKC Thunder, Green participated in shootaround and tested his hip before the game, but the Sixers decided it would be best if he took the night off. It was a well-deserved break for the 33-year-old veteran, who hasn't missed a single game for the Sixers this season leading up to Saturday.
Following the dominant win over the Thunder, Doc Rivers made it clear that Harris and Green's setbacks weren't too serious. Considering who they were playing, the Sixers figured they still had a good chance of winning while allowing their veterans to get a "maintenance" night off. Fortunately for the Sixers, everything will work out in their favor. Not only did they pick up the victory, but Harris and Green are also left off of the injury report heading into Monday's matchup with the Mavericks.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
