James Ennis Ruled Out vs. Rockets on Friday

Philadelphia 76ers reserve James Ennis did not travel with his team on Friday to face the Houston Rockets.
James Ennis Ruled Out vs. Rockets on Friday
James Ennis Ruled Out vs. Rockets on Friday /

Philadelphia 76ers reserve James Ennis won't be getting any revenge action against his former team on Friday night. As the Sixers hit the road once more to conclude their tough stretch of away games, Ennis was not a part of the traveling list.

On Thursday, the veteran forward was one of a few players absent from practice. Although Ennis isn't dealing with any injury-related setback, he is currently fighting a stomach illness, which put his Friday night status in jeopardy.

As it turns out, Ennis is still dealing with his sickness. So the Sixers kept the veteran reserve back in Philly, while the team traveled to Houston to face the Rockets for a Friday night primetime matchup on ESPN.

Without Ennis, the Sixers are surely missing a critical piece coming off of their bench. Although their reserves haven't exactly been playing top-notch ball while the rotations switch, the Sixers are currently in the phase of trying to find their identity as a team.

As of late, the 76ers have struggled to come together. Despite snagging an impressive victory over the Bucks two weeks ago, the team hasn't been able to capitalize on their big win. Instead, they dropped three-straight games on a four-game road streak.

There's a chance for the Sixers to bounce back and make it home to Philly with a road record of 1-4 by beating the Rockets -- but the absence of one of their key reserves makes it a lot tougher to do so. Right now, Ennis' status beyond Friday is still up in the air. Considering his absence is related to an illness, chances are he should be back sooner than later.


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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