Sixers' Trade Acquisition Avoids Injury Report vs. Clippers

Buddy Hield avoids an injury heading into the rematch against the Clippers.

Mar 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers are headed for a rematch against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Although the Sixers remain shorthanded, they are fortunate to avoid dealing with a notable setback to one of their in-season trade acquisitions.

During Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings, the veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield suffered an ankle injury.

Amidst the Sixers’ 12-point loss in Sacramento, Hield came off the bench for 32 minutes. During that time, he attempted nine shots, finding success on just 33 percent of his field goals. Although he’s typically consistent from beyond the arc, Hield went scoreless from deep on six attempts.

He wrapped up Monday’s game with seven points, five rebounds, and three assists. After the action, Hield underwent an X-ray after he experienced soreness in his ankle.

Initial reports revealed that Hield’s X-rays were negative. His lack of presence on the team’s injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers proves that Hield is injury-free moving forward.

So far, the Sixers’ trade acquisition has yet to miss a game since the transition from the Indiana Pacers. After debuting with Philadelphia on February 9, Hield appeared in 22-straight games for Philadelphia. Through his first 13-game stretch, he was a starter.

As Sixers head coach Nick Nurse continues to search for the ideal rotation in the absence of Joel Embiid, he made a critical switch, and decided to move Hield into a bench role as of late. In eight of the previous nine games, Hield has served as a reserve, while averaging 22 minutes on the court.

Lately, Hield has struggled to maintain a rhythm from beyond the arc. As he’s averaging nearly six threes per game, he’s found success on 34 percent of his shots. In 74 games this year, Hield averaged 38 percent from deep.

Wednesday will serve as another opportunity for Hield to continue finding his fit within Nurse’s system. The Sixers are searching for their second win over the LA Clippers within a week.