Georges Niang's Playing Status vs. Pacers on Saturday

The Philadelphia 76ers have been fortunate to have their entire team healthy and available lately. As the 2021-2022 regular season winds down, though, some players are beginning to miss time.

On Thursday night, the Sixers paid a visit to the Toronto Raptors. Considering Toronto still has strict restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unvaccinated players cannot enter Scotiabank Arena to play. 

Therefore, the Sixers missed their veteran wing Matisse Thybulle, who was ruled out as he was considered ineligible to play going into the matchup. When the Sixers return home on Saturday to host the Indiana Pacers, Thybulle will return to the lineup.

However, the Sixers will miss another key member of their rotation against the Pacers. 

Per Philadelphia's injury report, the veteran power forward Georges Niang is listed out as out. Niang is currently dealing with Patella Tendinopathy in his left knee.

Prior to Friday, Niang wasn't battling through any injuries. Niang's been one of the healthiest players on the Sixers throughout the year, as the last matchup he missed dates back to late December.

In Philadelphia's last matchup against the Toronto Raptors, Niang checked in for nearly 19 minutes off the bench. On Thursday, Niang didn't leave the game with a setback, but it seems his knee has been bothering him enough to warrant a game off as the playoffs approach.

It's unclear how much time Niang might miss. With just one game left in the regular season, the Sixers can afford to rest some of their key players that might need it. While that's the case, it seems the Sixers will only miss Niang from their primary rotation on Saturday afternoon.

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