Sixers Starter Remains on Injury Report vs. Phoenix Suns
Will the Philadelphia 76ers get a starter back in the mix on Wednesday night when they take on the Phoenix Suns? The team couldn’t be so sure when they left Monday night’s victory over the Miami Heat.
Lately, Tobias Harris has been dealing with an ankle injury. In the Sixers’ March 14 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, Harris was seen in pain after he took a bad landing, appearing to have rolled his ankle.
Harris wouldn’t leave the matchup as a result. Instead, he finished out his 28-minute shift and wrapped up the game with 15 points on 45 percent shooting, four rebounds, and three assists.
Two nights later, the Sixers returned home from a three-day trip to host the Charlotte Hornets. Harris was labeled as questionable going into the matchup. Typically, Harris is known to fight through the pain, but his most recent setback seemed to be a little too much to handle. Therefore, he sat out against the Hornets.
When the Sixers hosted the Miami Heat on Monday, the trend continued. As for Wednesday’s game on the road in Phoenix, Harris remains questionable on the injury report.
According to reports, Harris intended to take the West Coast road trip with the Sixers. Being that his setback wasn’t too severe, Nick Nurse and the team anticipate a return from the veteran forward sooner rather than later.
If Harris can’t get the nod to go again on Wednesday night, this stretch of absences would mark the most consecutive missed games for Harris throughout the 2023-2024 NBA season.
Back in early February, Harris missed two games in a row for the second time this year. The first occasion occurred in late January. In total, Harris has missed eight games for the Sixers this season.
When healthy, Harris spends nearly 34 minutes on the court per outing. He’s taken 14 shots per game, hitting on 49 percent of his field goals. From deep, Harris has struggled more than usual, hitting on just 34 percent of his four attempts per game.
In 60 matchups, Harris has averaged 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists. As reliable as he’s been in the past, Harris’ performance since the All-Star break has led to a notable amount of criticism. The Sixers don’t plan to bench Harris anytime soon, but they’ll hope for a resurgence when he’s able to take the court again.
