76ers Downgrade Starter vs. Cavaliers on Monday

UPDATE: Tobias Harris has been ruled OUT on Monday.

As the Philadelphia 76ers approach their Monday night matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they remain shorthanded.

Unfortunately, the injury report could go from bad to worse as the team downgraded its starting forward, Tobias Harris.

According to the injury report, Harris is dealing with a left hip impingement. As a result, he’s questionable to play on Monday night.

Lately, Harris has been in and out of the Sixers’ lineup. On January 25 against the Indiana Pacers, he missed his first game in weeks as he dealt with an illness. The absence ended up extending another game before he returned to the court on January 29 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Although Harris played for three straight games, he missed the team’s February 3 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets as an illness took him off the court once again.

Two nights later, Harris was back on the floor for the Sixers, checking in for 34 minutes in the blowout loss against the Dallas Mavericks. Since returning, Harris has been back to his usual playing time, spending an average of 34 minutes on the court over the last four games.

During that time, Harris knocked down 46 percent of his shots, draining 38 percent of his threes on two attempts per game. Producing 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game, Harris has attempted to step into more of a prominent role in the absence of Joel Embiid.

A recent skid has affected the Sixers’ standings in the Eastern Conference. As they adjust to life without the star center while battling illnesses and injuries, the Sixers have lost all but two of their first six games in February. The road won’t get any easier on Monday night as they face the red-hot Cavs, who have won their last nine games.

Harris will likely be a game-time decision for Philadelphia. The Sixers and the Cavs will go to battle at 7 PM ET.