76ers vs. Bulls Injury Report: PJ Tucker’s Playing Status

PJ Tucker is on the 76ers' injury report ahead of Monday's game.
76ers vs. Bulls Injury Report: PJ Tucker’s Playing Status
76ers vs. Bulls Injury Report: PJ Tucker’s Playing Status /

The Philadelphia 76ers will be down a key player on Monday night when they host the Chicago Bulls for the second time this season. Per the team’s injury report, Sixers forward PJ Tucker was questionable with ankle soreness.

Tucker’s ankle soreness started over the weekend. Following a dominant Philadelphia win over the Charlotte Hornets last Friday night, Tucker was added to the Sixers’ injury report ahead of their matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

Considering it was the second night of a back-to-back set of games, there was a good chance Tucker could get the night off. That turned out to be the case, as Tucker was ruled out against the Pacers.

While it seemed Tucker was just getting a rest night, perhaps his recent setback is a little more concerning than initially thought. Going into Monday’s game, Tucker has a 50/50 chance to play.

However, the veteran didn’t participate in the team’s morning shootaround on Monday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. As a result there was reportedly a chance Tucker would miss the game on Monday night.

Despite entering the 2022-2023 season coming off of knee surgery, Tucker has been one of the healthiest Sixers this season. Not only has he played in all but four of the team’s 70 games this year, but Tucker hasn’t missed consecutive matchups. A Monday night in late March could be the first time it happens this year.

When Tucker missed Saturday’s game in Indiana, the veteran Danuel House Jr. filled in. Since James Harden is expected to make his return to the Sixers’ lineup on Monday, there is a good chance Philadelphia will shift Tobias Harris to the four to replace Tucker while inserting De’Anthony Melton into the starting five once again. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.


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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