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De’Anthony Melton’s Playing Status for Sixers vs. Magic Revealed

Will De'Anthony Melton play in his second-straight game for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Magic on Friday?
Justin Grasso|
Dec 27, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers small guard De'Anthony Melton (8) and
Dec 27, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers small guard De'Anthony Melton (8) and | Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

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Philadelphia 76ersOrlando Magic

All is going well for De’Anthony Melton, who returned to action this week after a long absence .

On Tuesday, Melton entered the Philadelphia 76ers’ matchup against the Detroit Pistons listed as questionable. After going through his pregame workout routine, the Sixers deemed him available, allowing him to play for the first time in over a month.

Will the trend of playing continue for Melton, who went through a long recovery for his back? It appears that will be the case, as Melton was left off of the Sixers’ injury report for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

When Melton returned on Tuesday night, he picked up 16 minutes of playing time off the bench. With the Sixers looking to ease Melton back in the mix, the veteran guard was shaking off rust, as he shot 22 percent from the field to score five points. He also registered three rebounds and two assists.

The Sixers returned to practice on Thursday morning after getting Wednesday off. Since Melton felt great following his 16-minute shift in the win over Detroit, he managed to practice with the team on Thursday. He’s now on pace to play in the key game against Orlando.

Melton’s back issues started on January 2. The veteran guard missed three games in a row. He returned to action for two matchups, and then went inactive for several weeks. After an 18-game absence, Melton was back on the floor. His return lasted just three games,

An offloading period spanned 21 games for Melton. While his long string of absences certainly wasn’t ideal for the 76ers, Melton hopes to resume with a critical role as the Sixers enter a potential playoff situation once again.

The Sixers will need all hands on deck Friday night, as they look to improve their chances of making the playoffs when they tip-off at 7 PM ET.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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