76ers Starter Remains Sidelined vs. Raptors on Friday Night

The injury concerns surrounding Nic Batum will persist for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. As the Sixers welcome the Toronto Raptors to South Philly once again, Batum has already been ruled out of the matchup.

Lately, the veteran forward has dealt with a hamstring strain. His recent setback came about during the Sixers’ Monday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls.

For the seventh-straight game, Batum was healthy and given the nod to start for the Sixers. Although he cranked out a near-27-minute shift on Monday, he was noticeably absent in the fourth quarter of the matchup.

After quietly leaving the game to get checked out by the medical staff, the Sixers declared Batum out for the rest of the game. They went on to come up short against the Bulls, snapping the Eastern Conference’s longest active win streak.

Two nights later, the Sixers made their return to the floor to face the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was hopeful Batum could potentially return, he was ruled out rather early. As a result, Batum missed his seventh game with the Sixers since coming over through the trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Friday’s game against Toronto will make it his eighth and will be the second time this season Batum will sit out consecutive games. The void of the veteran forward is notable, considering he’s been a highly efficient shooter and an underrated passer. Since making his Sixers debut, Batum has been regarded as one of the best frontcourt partners Joel Embiid has had the opportunity to play with.

Getting Batum healthy down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs is key. Therefore, there’s no need to rush him out on the court, risking a long-term soft-tissue injury in late December. As the Sixers plan to take it day-by-day with Batum, his status for Christmas Day in Miami is currently unclear. For the time being, he’ll soak in the game from the sidelines.