The Charlotte Hornets entered Wednesday night's game against the Sacramento Kings looking for their second win in as many days, after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers Monday.
That said, the Hornets received bad news just before tip-off.
Backup center Ryan Kalkbrenner had been added to the injury report just before the game with an illness, but was still listed as probable.
However, it wasn't revealed until the game nearly began that Kalkbrenner wouldn't be able to play.
Considering Grant Williams was sidelined due to a knee injury, Charlotte didn't have many other options in the frontcourt.
With Williams and Kalkbrenner sidelined, head coach Charles Lee turned to six-year veteran Xavier Tillman Sr. to backup Moussa Diabate.
Since being acquired from the Boston Celtics at the trade deadline (Feb. 5), Tillman Sr. had played just 18 minutes for the Hornets.
That changed Wednesday against the Kings, with Tillman Sr. playing 14 minutes, proving himself as a serviceable rotation piece.
In those minutes he scored two points to go along with six rebounds and three assists without turning the ball over.
Although these certainly aren't All-Star numbers, Tillman Sr. filled the role as a backup well and could see more minutes in the future as a result.
Struggling to find playing time on a loaded Celtics roster, Tillman Sr. has largely been forgotten.
However, he isn't far from his days as an everyday contributor. In the 2022-23 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Tillman Sr. posted his best season, showcasing his strengths on both ends of the floor. That year, he averaged seven points per game, five rebounds, 1.6 assists, one steal and 0.5 blocks.
Charlotte's next matchup will come Saturday against the Spurs. If Kalkbrenner returns to the rotation, Tillman Sr. will likely be demoted back to garbage time minutes.
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