76ers’ PJ Tucker Dodges Injury Report Again vs. Pelicans

When Philadelphia 76ers veteran forward PJ Tucker didn’t register a single minute during the fourth quarter of last Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers hinted that some sort of setback has been affecting Tucker.

Shortly after, Tucker addressed reporters in the locker room, revealing that he’s been battling a pinched nerve for a few weeks. As a result, he’s been playing with a “dead hand.”

After appearing on the court for 24 minutes against the New York Knicks on Christmas Day, Tucker accounted for fewer than 20 minutes on the court for the first time since November 27 in the Tuesday night matchup against the Washington Wizards.

Throughout the night, Tucker was spotted shaking and grabbing at his hand, signaling clear signs of still dealing with the effects of his setback.

Despite checking in for just 18 minutes on Tuesday, Tucker isn’t expected to miss any time moving forward. When the Sixers released their injury report on Thursday night, Tucker was not on it. He wasn’t added on Friday after the team participated in shootaround either.

Barring any setbacks, Tucker will be good to go on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s on pace to appear in his 34th game this year. While the Sixers have battled a ton of injuries throughout the season — and Tucker’s now in that camp as well — the veteran forward has yet to miss a matchup for Philadelphia.

Despite dealing with a pinched nerve, it seems Tucker doesn’t anticipate missing games anytime soon.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.