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76ers’ Jalen McDaniels On Pace to Play Game 3 vs. Nets

Jalen McDaniels is questionable for the 76ers' Game 3 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

Justin Grasso

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The Philadelphia 76ers’ streak of having an empty injury report in the first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets ended after Game 2. 

As the team prepared for their Game 3 matchup against the Nets on Wednesday afternoon, the Sixers were unsure whether or not they would have their veteran wing Jalen McDaniels on the floor.

According to the Sixers’ injury report, McDaniels was dealing with a non-COVID illness. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick, McDaniels revealed that he was dealing with a “stomach issue” on Wednesday.

As a result of his illness, McDaniels was listed as questionable for Thursday’s Game 3 matchup. Fortunately, it seems the Sixers could keep their fully healthy streak alive in the series.

On Thursday morning, the Sixers participated in a routine shootaround session in New York City. McDaniels was spotted on the court getting up shots after the session. 

When he engaged in conversation with the media, McDaniels revealed that he was feeling fine heading into the matchup. Therefore, McDaniels should be healthy enough to play, barring any setbacks before tip-off.

McDaniels made his playoff debut last Saturday in Philadelphia’s Game 1 matchup against the Nets. He checked in for nearly 17 minutes and managed to get up two shots on the offensive end. McDaniels finished the game with five points, four rebounds, and two assists. He was a plus-11 in the 20-point victory for Philadelphia.

While McDaniels played for more minutes in Game 2, he didn’t see similar production. Missing all three of his shots from the field, McDaniels wrapped up the night with zero points. He collected two rebounds and a steal while producing two assists on the offensive end in the Game 2 win.

The Sixers feel encouraged by McDaniels’ playoff contributions so far. While they worried they might not have him at their disposal for Thursday’s game, it seems McDaniels is on pace to play. 

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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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