Sixers Rule Ben Simmons Out vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Sixers starting guard Ben Simmons will miss Thursday's matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ben Simmons will miss his third-straight game on Thursday night. 

On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers added Ben Simmons to the injury report hours before their matchup against the Golden State Warriors. According to team officials, Simmons was dealing with a non-COVID illness.

Following Monday night's loss to the Warriors, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers couldn't confirm exactly what Simmons was dealing with, although he did speculate it could be some sort of stomach virus.

Heading into Wednesday's game, Simmons was once again questionable with the same concerns. As Simmons didn't make it out onto the court for warmups before the matchup against the Phoenix Suns, it became clear he was unlikely to play. Then, a half an hour before tip-off, the Sixers ruled Simmons out officially.

"I think [Ben will make the trip to Milwaukee]," Rivers said on Wednesday night following the loss to the Suns. "But I don't know. If he's not feeling great with fluid and all that, I don't know if I want him to play. We'll wait and see. If he's feeling as bad as I think, then rest is more important."

During his pregame press conference ahead of the matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, Doc Rivers officially ruled Simmons out himself. Although he wouldn't confirm whether Simmons made the trip to Milwaukee with the team or not, the Sixers guard is guaranteed to miss Thursday's rematch with the Bucks, leaving Saturday as his next potential return date.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.