Danuel House Jr. Remains Away From 76ers as Suns Game Approaches

After getting off to a healthy start to the year, the Philadelphia 76ers have run into some health complications lately. While physical injuries have played a factor in the Sixers being shorthanded at times, multiple players have been ill with the flu going around.

Last week, Sixers big man Joel Embiid started battling the flu ahead of the Monday night matchup against the Washington Wizards. As a result, Embiid missed both games against the Wizards and the Friday night battle against the New York Knicks.

When Embiid was going through his pregame warmup routine on Friday night, the Sixers added the veteran reserve Danuel House Jr. to the injury report, as he was battling the same illness as Embiid.

House was initially questionable for Friday’s matchup but eventually downgraded to out roughly 30 minutes before the Sixers, and the Knicks tipped off. On Saturday, the Sixers took the day off before returning to practice on Sunday morning.

Embiid was back at it ramping up the action with hopes of making his return to the court on Monday night to face the Phoenix Suns. Unfortunately, House was not a part of the Sixers’ Sunday morning practice session.

Philly’s head coach Doc Rivers revealed that House remained away from the team on Sunday as he recovers from the flu. While his absence is unfortunate, it doesn’t guarantee he’ll miss a second-straight game on Monday night.

According to the Sixers’ Monday morning injury report, House is questionable with a non-COVID illness. Therefore, the Sixers are leaving the door open for his return on Monday, depending on how he feels before game time.

Prior to missing Friday’s game, House appeared in nine matchups for the 76ers. He came off the bench, averaging 16 minutes per outing. So far this season, House has been off to a bit of a slow start, as he’s put up just 3.7 points per game while shooting 31 percent from deep on just 1.8 attempts per game.

The Sixers hope to have close to a full roster on Monday night, with Embiid and House potentially returning to the floor. As of right now, both players are questionable and will likely enter the Suns matchup as game-time decisions.

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