Grizzlies Will Miss Two Key Players vs. Sixers Thursday

The Memphis Grizzlies are dealing with several key injury concerns on Thursday night. As the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Grizzlies for the first and only time this season, Memphis enters the matchup without a starter and a notable reserve.

Grizzlies center Steven Adams is the first name that stands out ahead of Thursday’s tip. As Adams suffered a knee injury a few weeks back, it became clear the big man could be in danger of missing the late February matchup in Philadelphia.

As it turns out, that will be the case. Dealing with a right knee PCL sprain that he suffered on January 22 in a matchup against the Phoenix Suns, Adams has missed the Grizzlies’ last 11 games. He’ll miss his 12th straight on Thursday night.

Beyond Adams, the Grizzlies will all miss their newly-acquired veteran reserve, Luke Kennard. According to the Grizzlies’ injury report, Kennard is out with a non-COVID illness.

Ahead of the NBA trade deadline, Kennard was included in a three-team trade. The Los Angeles Clippers dealt the sharpshooter to the Grizzlies, ending a three-year run in Los Angeles for the former first-round pick out of Duke.

Kennard debuted for the Grizzlies on January 12 when they faced the Boston Celtics. He checked in for 21 minutes, scoring four points. He played in Memphis’ final matchup before the All-Star break, taking on the Utah Jazz. Kennard scored nine points in 21 minutes while draining 50 percent of his shots.

The Sixers and the Grizzlies are set to tip off at 7:30 PM ET.

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