Tobias Harris Returns to Sixers Practice After Missing Hawks Matchup

Just as the Philadelphia 76ers started to get fully healthy, another key member of the team was forced to miss a matchup. On Friday night, the Sixers paid a visit to the Atlanta Hawks for the second matchup of their four-game road trip.

Although Philly's injury report was clear outside of players who were out on assignment and Ben Simmons, who has missed every game so far this season due to personal reasons, the Sixers anticipated potentially playing without their starting power forward, Tobias Harris, as he came down with a non-COVID illness.

Harris missed the Sixers' morning shootaround on Friday. A couple of hours before tip-off, the team ruled him out of the matchup against the Atlanta Hawks as expected. Even though Harris is a key member of the Sixers' starting lineup, the team managed to do well enough to win without him.

While it wasn't an easy matchup for the Sixers, they came out on top and secured a 98-96 victory over Atlanta to pick up their 12th win of the year. After downing the Hawks, the Sixers got Saturday off and practiced in Charlotte on Sunday ahead of their Monday night matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

Fortunately, Harris returned to the floor for Philly's Sunday afternoon practice, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. While Harris' presence at practice on Sunday doesn't guarantee he'll play on Monday night, it is a step in the right direction. 

For the time being, Harris is questionable for Monday's game. Based on how the Sixers handled things in the past, Harris will likely be viewed by Doc Rivers as a game-time decision. Therefore, the Sixers will probably make a final call on his playing status after Harris goes through pregame warmups on Monday. 

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