76ers vs. Pacers: Nic Batum’s Playing Status Changed
Following another victory for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night, the Sixers are set to return to their home court to host the Indiana Pacers once more.
This time around, the Sixers will be without their veteran forward, Nic Batum. Once again, Batum has been ruled out due to personal reasons. Tuesday’s matchup marks the third game Batum will miss since he officially became a member of the 76ers.
Following an early November trade, Batum was one of four players to make his way to Philadelphia from the Los Angeles Clippers, who traded for the veteran guard James Harden. Although Batum traveled to Philadelphia for his physical and introductory press conference, he was away from the team for a handful of days due to personal reasons.
At the time, there was speculation about Batum’s long-term status with the team. His absence after the trade left some speculation that he might consider retirement since there was already talk about Batum potentially hanging it up after the final season of his current contract.
Last week, Batum tossed that theory out.
“I don’t consider retirement. I don’t know where that comes from,” he explained. “…I’m here. I’m happy to be here. I’m not retiring or anything. I just had to take care of something. Sometimes stuff is bigger than basketball, so I have to take care of it first.”
Once again, Batum will have to tend to a personal matter on Tuesday when the Sixers face the Pacers. They’ll miss the veteran forward, who has been a positive addition since his arrival.
In his first three matchups with the Sixers, Batum averaged 23 minutes off the bench. He hit 70 percent of his shots from the field, putting up six points per game. In the absence of the veteran forward Kelly Oubre, Batum picked up the start on Sunday night against the Pacers.
During his first outing as a starter on the Sixers, Batum scored nine points in 33 minutes. He attempted five shots, all from beyond the arc, to drop 60 percent of his shots successfully. In addition to scoring, Batum also came down with seven rebounds while snatching a steal and blocking three shots on the defensive end.
When Batum returns to the Sixers, he’ll likely get a chance to move back into the starting lineup. On Tuesday, the Sixers will have to shake it up once again, as Oubre won’t be returning anytime soon.
