Sixers' Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz on Pace to Return vs. Miami Heat

Sixers veterans Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz could return to the lineup on Thursday night as Philly takes on the Miami Heat.

Lately, the Philadelphia 76ers have been shorthanded. When they faced the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night, several key members of the rotation missed the matchup with setbacks. Joel Embiid was dealing with a non-COVID illness. 

Furkan Korkmaz continued nursing his sprained ankle. Matisse Thybulle was avoiding contact due to a swelling hand, and Shake Milton felt sudden soreness in his knee during pregame warmups.

With those four out of the mix, the Sixers had to rely on players that wouldn't typically garner playing time with a healthy roster. Although everything went Philly's way in the first half, the Pacers took control in the second half and defeated the Sixers 103-94.

Now, the Sixers return to the court on Thursday with a matchup against the always-tough Miami Heat. Fortunately, Philly might get some reinforcements. Embiid and Thybulle might need another game off before returning, but Korkmaz and Milton are on track to play Thursday night.

Korkmaz, who sprained his ankle during the May 3rd matchup in Chicago, has missed the last four games. Although he practiced with the Sixers during their Monday afternoon session before departing for Indiana, Korkmaz still didn't make his return to the court. However, he's now listed as probable for Thursday's game in Miami.

As for Milton, he wasn't dealing with any sort of setback leading up to Tuesday night's matchup. As he's been playing in games, practiced on Monday, and even participated in Tuesday's shootaround and pregame warmups, the veteran guard felt soreness in his knee before tip-off. Therefore, the 76ers played it safe and considered Milton a late-scratch before taking on the Pacers. 

Like Korkmaz, Milton is probable to return to the floor on Thursday. While they may not be fully healthy in a notable game against the Heat, at least the Sixers know they are starting to get healthy at the right time as playoffs quickly approach.

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