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76ers Reveal Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid-Less Lineup vs Hornets

Who is starting in place of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey for the 76ers against the Hornets?

Justin Grasso

Jan 20, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor (21) draws the charge against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Jan 20, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor (21) draws the charge against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia 76ers have had it rough to start the 2024-2025 NBA season. For every game so far, they’ve competed without at least one of their All-Stars.

The hope is that the veteran center Joel Embiid returns to the court soon, but he’s not eligible to play on Sunday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Embiid will be away from the team as he serves the final game of his suspension after last week’s incident.

Fortunately, the Sixers have had their nine-time All-Star Paul George back in the mix. On Monday, George made his debut with the team on the road against the Phoenix Suns. While George helped give Tyrese Maxey and the team a nice boost, they still came up short in the end and collected a two-point loss.

During Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the George-Maxey duo struggled. To make matters worse, the Sixers lost Maxey in the second half to a hamstring injury. While Nick Nurse was under the impression that Maxey was held out to play it safe, it turned out to be more.

The following day, Maxey received an MRI on his hamstring. He was diagnosed with a strain. As a result, Maxey will be off the court for at least one week. The Sixers will re-evaluate Maxey next week to figure out the next steps.

Without Maxey and Embiid, the Sixers fell short against the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ll look to avoid falling into a six-game losing streak against Charlotte.

76ers’ Starting Lineup vs. Hornets

  • Kyle Lowry
  • Kelly Oubre
  • Paul George
  • Caleb Martin
  • Andre Drummond

The Sixers will continue utilizing Kyle Lowry in the starting lineup. Considering the veteran’s experience within the NBA and Nick Nurse’s system, the Sixers trust the seasoned guard to be the right facilitator to give them the best chance to win this weekend.

As for Paul George, he’ll look to uplift the Sixers while playing a restricted role. With George still working his way back from a preseason knee injury, the Sixers are easing George back into the mix despite the circumstances.

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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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