Sixers' Josh Richardson Ruled Out for Tuesday's Game vs. Lakers

The tough West Coast road trip hasn't gotten any easier for a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team. This past Saturday, the Sixers made it clear they were going to travel out West without two of their All-Star's, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

While they wouldn't officially rule Embiid out for the entire four-game stint, it seems more likely the team waits until they return back to Philly rather than flying the center out last-minute for one or two games.

Regardless of what the team chooses to do with Embiid, the Sixers still had to set their focus on trying to come away with a few wins on this difficult stretch. The West Coast series tipped off on Sunday afternoon as the Sixers visited the Los Angeles Clippers for a rematch. Despite being shorthanded, the Sixers put on a decent showing.

Unfortunately, Philly came away with two losses. One, they lost to the Clippers, extending their losing streak away from home to seven games now. Also, the team lost its starting shooting guard, Josh Richardson, early on in the matchup as he accidentally collided with his teammate, Alec Burks.

After going to the locker room to get his face checked out, the Sixers ruled Richardson out for the remainder of the afternoon on Sunday. His initial diagnosis was a nose contusion. Following the game, there was actually more to his injury. In addition to the contusion, Richardson was also entered into the NBA's concussion protocol, making him questionable for Tuesday's game against the Lakers.

As of Monday night, Richardson has officially been ruled out for Tuesday. As the Sixers' guard continues to progress through the protocol, he will not be cleared in time for a return. That leaves the Sixers down three starters now for the Lakers matchup. Richardson's next chance to potentially return will be on Thursday against the Kings.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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