Sixers’ Nick Nurse Speaks on Former First-Rounder’s Recent Run

Nick Nurse discusses the return of Lonnie Walker.

Mar 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse looks on during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Next month, the Philadelphia 76ers’ season will end without a ticket to the playoffs. The season is nearly over for the team, but for most of their active guys, the next couple of weeks serve as an opportunity to showcase their value, as they don’t have guarantees beyond this season.

Lonnie Walker joined the Sixers back in February. Coming from an overseas squad, Walker’s stint with the Sixers is a comeback attempt. Unfortunately, his stint was derailed in mid-March. After suffering a concussion on March 12, Walker went on to miss four games in a row.

Although Walker returned to the court to take on the San Antonio Spurs on March 21, he went on another three-game absence after seeing the court for 11 minutes in his first game back.

Sunday’s action against the Toronto Raptors was his first two-game stretch since he went out with the setback.

“Kind of the way we went through the protocol and getting him back, he just wasn’t quite feeling right, so he kind of had to go back through it again, but obviously, he’s feeling a lot better,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of Lonnie Walker on Sunday.

While the Sixers didn’t come away with the victory, Nurse was pleased to see what Walker could bring to the table as he works his way fully back.

“I thought he was making good decisions tonight,” Nurse explained. “The leading scorer, but also the leading assists guy, so he was finding the right plays out of the two. I just thought he did a good job of attacking and reading what was in front of him all night long– [he] played really solid, I thought.”

Picking up his second start with the team, Walker made 10-18 shots from the field, hitting on three of his seven threes. In 36 minutes, the veteran produced 23 points. Beyond scoring, Walker produced seven assists and came down with three rebounds.

The Sixers came up way short against the Raptors with a 127-109 loss.

Considering Walker spent most of the 2024-2025 NBA season playing outside of the league, every game matters down the stretch. He’s made an intriguing case for himself while showcasing his talent to the Sixers and other teams paying attention.

Leading up to Sunday’s action, Walker was averaging eight points on 33 percent shooting from three. He also posted averages of three rebounds and two assists.