Getty Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives around Bruce Brown #6 of the Detroit Pistons during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on December 07, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan.
The Philadelphia Sixers have ruled out Jimmy Butler for Tuesday’s home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team’s injury report also says that Boban Marjanovic will be available after missing the last six games due to a knee injury.
Jimmy Butler will be held out for what the Sixers are calling “a planned day of rest,” reported Serena Winters of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Sixers say Jimmy Butler will get a planned day of rest tomorrow.
Butler appeared to tweak his ankle in Sunday’s 106-89 home win against the Pacers, so the team prefers to be cautious with their approach. The star forward played 31 minutes but he scored just 12 points with four rebounds and four assists.
With Butler ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers, James Ennis will possibly replace him in the starting lineup and T.J. McConnell’s playing time will also increase. Ennis is averaging just 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.2 minutes over nine games with the Sixers and he’ll be eager to prove he deserves a bigger role.
Brett Brown on what he sees from James Ennis, who Brown expects will start for Jimmy Butler tomorrow (rest) #Sixers
Boban Marjanovic is averaging 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 17.0 minutes over seven games (two starts) with the Sixers, backing up Joel Embiid and his presence adds significant depth, allowing Embiid to get more extra rest. The Sixers host the Cavaliers tonight at 7:00 PM ET.
Sixers Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Cavaliers
*Notates expected starter
C: Joel Embiid*, Boban Marjanovic, Justin Patton
PF: Tobias Harris*, Jonah Bolden, Amir Johnson
SF: James Ennis*, Mike Scott
SG: JJ Redick*, Jonathon Simmons
PG: Ben Simmons*, T.J. McConnell
While the Sixers will miss Butler, the Cavaliers won’t likely present much of a challenge, even though they’re coming off a surprising 126-101 home win against the Raptors last night. They did beat the Sixers 121-112 in Philadelphia on November 23, so taking them lightly would be a mistake. Philadelphia is tied with Indiana for third place in the East, just 1.5 games over Boston, so every contest counts.
Joel Embiid scored 33 points on 11 of 21 shooting in 28 minutes against the Pacers and he also grabbed 12 rebounds. The Sixers went 4-4 without Embiid and his return will be a big lift for them, especially with Butler resting.
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