Tyrese Maxey (back/finger) is listed as out for the Sixers' road contest against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, according to the team's initial injury report issued on Tuesday. So is Paul George (groin), after the Sixers said Monday that he would miss the game in Toronto as he continues to consult with physicians.
The extent of the team's injury report:
Maxey, who was already playing through a finger sprain which has damaged his accuracy on long-range shots, suffered a lower back sprain on March 3 when he took a hard fall. Maxey left that game early and has not played since, with no reason to rush him back in what has become a lost season.
For George, it will now be four consecutive absences -- and five in a six-game span -- due to groin soreness. The nine-time All-Star has been plagued with injuries for much of his first season with the Sixers, with the groin issue being the latest. In the only game George has played in over the team's last six contests, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game during the fourth quarter when it flared up again.
Wednesday's game between the Sixers and Raptors is legitimately crucial, just not for the reasons a game would usually be important. With everyone locked in on the Sixers' top-six protected first-round pick, the team finds itself tied for the No. 6 spot in the lottery and just 0.5 games behind the No. 5 Raptors, who have won a handful of games recently due to an incredibly light end-of-season schedule:
No two game results will be more meaningful for the Sixers in the remainder of the season than their pair of games against the Raptors, the first in Toronto on Wednesday and the second in Philadelphia on March 30.
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