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76ers Add Another Player to Injury Report vs Cavaliers

The Philadelphia 76ers could miss Andre Drummond on Wednesday.

Justin Grasso

Oct 18, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) goes to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (5) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) goes to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (5) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images
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*UPDATE: Andre Drummond has been ruled OUT for Wednesday's game vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Philadelphia 76ers knew they would be shorthanded against the Cleveland Cavaliers before they fired up the back-to-back set, beginning with a matchup against the New York Knicks.

For the time being, the Sixers’ one-time All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey is recovering from a hamstring injury. He’ll be re-evaluated later this week to determine his full recovery timeline.

While Maxey was the only player out for the Sixers on Tuesday, the injury report is more crowded for Wednesday’s game against the Cavs. Just a few hours before tip-off, the Sixers added the veteran center Andre Drummond to the report.

Dealing with an illness, the Sixers have deemed Drummond questionable to play on Wednesday against the Cavs. If Drummond gets the nod to play, the chances of him collecting another start would be high. If not, then Nick Nurse will really have to shake up the team’s starting five.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Sixers made the expected move to rule out Joel Embiid for the second night of the back-to-back set. Earlier this year, Embiid claimed that back-to-backs are likely out of the question for him moving forward.

The star center walked back that statement after the game.

“I want to [play]—that’s up to those guys. I know I said I will never play back-to-backs, but I’m a troll. I’m sure at some point I’ll play [back-to-backs]. I feel good right now. We’ll see, but it’s up to them,” Embiid said regarding the chances of playing against the Cavs.

The door might be open for Embiid to play two nights in a row in the future, but it won’t happen after his 26-minute showing against New York on Tuesday.

As for Drummond, he’s been available for the first ten games. He started in all but one of those matchups. Without Embiid, the Sixers have rolled out Drummond for an average of 26 minutes per game. With Embiid in the lineup, Drummond checked off the bench for 18 minutes.

Drummond is likely viewed as a game-time decision for the Sixers against the Cavs on Wednesday. If he joins Maxey, Embiid, and Paul George on the out list, the Sixers would likely look to Guerschon Yabusele to start at the five, with the rookie Adem Bona potentially getting some valuable minutes.

The Sixers and the Cavs tip-off at 7:30 PM ET.

More 76ers on SI

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Nick Nurse Unveils Joel Embiid’s Minutes Plan

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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