Heading into another NBA Cup group game, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to be down quite a few players against the Orlando Magic. While they were hopeful to have Paul George on the court once again, that won't be the case.
On Monday night, the Sixers listed Paul George as probable for the matchup. When the team updated its injury report on Tuesday afternoon, George was officially downgraded to out for the evening. George will not play in his third-straight game after all.
Considering George's first absence since making his debut was on night one of a back-to-back set, nobody expected him to be out of the lineup so early. The good news is that it's not a knee-related concern, which is what kept him off the court for the entire preseason and the first 12 games of the regular season.
The bad news is that George is dealing with an ankle sprain that he suffered in Sunday's loss against the Miami Heat. With the surprising development, Sixers fans are airing out their frustrations.
76ers Fans React to Paul George's Upcoming Absence
via @cityballer28: You spent like 3-4 weeks to avoid injuries like this, you're taller than most players, stop trying to break them down from the logo like Maxey and work inside post. Turnarounds and two foot plant jumpers. I don't understand why you playing like you're 23 yrs old.
@rahulm3: Always out
@moneymo2525: Listed as probable… out?!
@CadeMckernan: Either the lord above entire life mission is to scorn Philly fans or there is a real problem within the building. We're in November and the sixers already are running process lineups. How is everyone always injured.
@mvpcastro: We can’t have nice things
@TVMoviefan30: How does someone go from probable to out? Makes no sense.
@Harrison_Grimm: At this point I'm used to the weirdness regarding Embiid and the injury report, but I wouldn't be shocked if the NBA says something about Paul George going from probable to out in the span of hours. Especially for a nationally broadcasted cup game.
@EKlambara: Maybe we will see Embiid and George together by April when they're in 11th place because this team can't establish a rhythm with everyone out
@ccfc21: Maxey is left on his own again while 130 million sits. Hilarious team
Joel Embiid Will Miss Another Game
As for Joel Embiid, he saw his status upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday's game. Lately, the star center has been dealing with knee soreness, which has kept him off the court for the past seven games.
When the Sixers held a practice session over the weekend, Nick Nurse made it clear that Embiid is close to returning, the but the team couldn't put an actual return date in place. They want to keep him listed as day-to-day, seeing how his knee progresses over time.
Embiid won't be making his way back out on the court just yet. The 31-year-old big man still has just six games to show for this year. He posted averages of 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc.
The Sixers are set for an 8 PM ET matchup against the Magic on Tuesday. Their next game is scheduled for Friday night, when they close out their NBA Cup group stage against the Brooklyn Nets.
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