Trail Blazers' Simons to Miss Match vs. Sixers

On Sunday night, the Philadelphia 76ers return to the Wells Fargo Center for their home opener, as they take on the Portland Trail Blazers.

In their last time out, the Sixers took down the Toronto Raptors, 114-107, with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid both scoring 34 points, with it being the guard's second-straight 30+ point night.

Kelly Oubre Jr provided support off the bench, scoring 18 points and grabbing five boards for Philadelphia.

The Trail Blazers will come into the match without Anfernee Simons, who is set to miss some significant time due to a tear in his right thumb, as reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Trail Blazers say Anfernee Simons will undergo surgery for a UCL tear in right thumb and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 27, 2023

The injury comes after Simons left Portland's match against the Los Angeles Clippers game early, ending his night with 18 points and four assists.

With Simons out, the Trail Blazers have lost a pivotal part of their offensive engine, as he was their second-highest scorer last season only trailing Damian Lillard.

In their first game without the 24-year-old, Chauncy Billups opted to use Shaedon Sharpe as a replacement, who recorded 24 points and two steals against the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

In using Sharpe as a cover for Simon's injury, Portland is injecting nearly the same brand of basketball into their lineup, with the second-year guard bolstering a similar playstyle.

The 24-year-old won't be the only player scratched from Portland's lineup as Ish Wainwright is set to be out with a right calf strain.

During his time with the Phoenix Suns last season, Wainwright averaged four points and two rebounds.

The Sixers will face off against the Trail Blazers at 7:30 p.m. EST from the Wells Fargo Center.