Will Sixers Star Ben Simmons Play vs. Bulls?
Earlier this week, Philadelphia 76ers star guard Ben Simmons had the best game of his career on the offensive side of the ball. As he accounted for 42 points in the loss against the Utah Jazz, Sixers fans were excited to see how the two-time All-Star would follow up on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets.
Unfortunately, Simmons wasn't able to participate in the win over Houston. A couple of hours before game time, Simmons was added to the team's injury report as he was dealing with an undisclosed illness.
Not too long after his addition to the injury report, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers addressed the media for his routine pregame press conference. When asked about Simmons, Rivers made it clear that the star guard's sickness is non-COVID-related. While he wasn't one-hundred percent sure of what Simmons was dealing with exactly, Rivers was under the impression that the veteran had a case of stomach flu.
After being ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Rockets, Simmons remained on the Sixers' injury report on Thursday night as he's still dealing with his illness. However, his status has been updated to probable.
While the probable status doesn't necessarily guarantee Simmons will be on the floor for the Sixers on Friday night, it is a good sign. If Simmons does get the green light to play, the 76ers will have their full starting lineup intact once again as they take on the Chicago Bulls at home for the first time this season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
