76ers Downgrade Veteran Center Ahead of Jazz Matchup

The Sixers may be without Andre Drummond on Sunday night.

Declan Harris | Mar 9, 2025

Jan 15, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond practices before a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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On Sunday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are set to take on the Utah Jazz as they look to bounce back off of a loss against the Boston Celtics earlier on in the week.

Against the Celtics, the Sixers were more than shorthanded, having to head into the match without the likes of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, all sitting out for their respective reasons.

Kelly Oubre Jr would do his best to make up for the absence of Philadelphia's big three, putting up 27 points and six assists, which wasn't enough to suppress the efforts of Jayson Tatum, who would ignite for a team-high 35 points.

As Embiid's absence has been something that has become common over the course of the season, Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse has come up with solutions to fill the shoes left by the former MVP, mainly relying on Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond to fill the front court.

However, it appears that Nurse may be down one of his options on Saturday night, as Drummond has been downgraded on the Sixers' injury report to questionable due to an illness.

As reported by PhillyVoices' Adam Aaronson, Drummond did not participate in Philadelphia's practice session on Saturday ahead of their match against the Jazz due to his ailment.

The Sixers have made an addition to their injury report for tonight’s game vs. Utah:

Andre Drummond — illness — QUESTIONABLE

Drummond didn’t practice yesterday because he was sick, but wasn’t listed on the initial injury report. If he doesn’t play, Lonnie Walker IV could start.
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) March 9, 2025

While Drummond wasn't a part of practice on Saturday, he was there for the Sixers' loss against the Celtics, taking to the court for 25 minutes in which he'd record nine points and ten rebounds.

If Philadelphia is to be without their veteran center, Nurse could opt to use the aforementioned Yabusele, Adem Bona, or Alex Reese, who was absent from the Delaware Blue Coats squad against the Indiana Mad Ants on Sunday afternoon.

The Sixers will take on the Jazz at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday night, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m. EST.