Sixers Won't Rule Out a Possible Tobias Harris Return vs. Jazz
The Philadelphia 76ers will wrap up the first half of their 2020-2021 NBA season on Wednesday night with a key matchup against the Western Conference's top team, the Utah Jazz. The last time the Sixers faced the Jazz in Utah, they were missing a key player as Joel Embiid was out with back tightness.
On Wednesday, the Sixers could be without another player once again as their starting forward Tobias Harris has been nursing a knee injury. Last Thursday in the matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, Harris tweaked his knee early on in the second half.
Although he was having a quiet night, his absence was noticeable. After going to the locker room to get his knee checked out, the Sixers played it safe and ruled him out for the rest of the game. Afterward, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers revealed that Harris was scheduled for an MRI the following morning.
Philly's medical staff was pleased to report that Harris did not suffer any structural damage to his knee. Therefore, he was diagnosed with a knee contusion. However, just because it's considered to be a bruise doesn't mean Harris was able to return to the floor for the next game.
Last Saturday, the Sixers ruled out the possibility of Harris playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers early. Without his contributions, the Sixers struggled in the half-court offense and suffered an upset loss against Cleveland.
Going into Monday's game against the Indiana Pacers, Harris was questionable. Although he believed he felt healthy enough to play, Rivers admitted the 76ers held Harris back from making an on-court appearance against the Pacers on Monday as they wanted to be cautious.
However, he wouldn't rule Harris out for Wednesday night's game. "I hope [we see him in the final game]," Rivers said in regards to Harris after Monday's win over the Pacers. "I mean, he really tried to play tonight. We more made the call than him tonight. We need him, and hopefully, we can get him back [for the] next game."
So far, Harris is on a positive path to return. On Tuesday night, the Sixers listed Harris as questionable on the daily injury report. While it's far from a guarantee Harris gets the nod to play, at least the Sixers are leaving it open as a possibility before they face the Jazz at 7 PM EST. on Wednesday night.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
