Getty Mike Scott #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers walks to the bench against the Brooklyn Nets in Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Sixers forward Mike Scott, essentially their sixth man, is questionable for tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors because of a heel injury while backup center Greg Monroe is probable after injuring his ankle last Monday.
Mike Scott is questionable for tomorrow’s game.
Greg Monroe is probable.
Mike Scott left Game 5 against the Nets on April 30 late in the second quarter and did not return. He was listed as day-to-day with a heel contusion and plantar fasciitis but the injury ended up being more serious.
Scott returning for Game 3 would be huge for the Sixers because he provides energy, toughness, 3-point shooting and ability to play the 5. He would round out the roster and play valuable minutes.
With Scott sidelined indefinitely, the Sixers entered this series knowing they would need other bench players to step up in his absence and Greg Monroe answered the call, scoring 10 points in just 12 minutes last Monday before leaving with an ankle injury. Following the game, head coach Brett Brown praised Monroe’s contribution:
“Greg coming in… was a gut feel that I had, and I thought he was great. I thought our bench with Greg, and James Ennis… it really was a contribution from a bunch of different people, and I thought Greg was outstanding.”
When asked about his injury Monroe said it was “getting better.”
“I’ve just been doing treatment around the clock,” Monroe told reporters yesterday via KYW Newsradio. “It feels fine right now. I’m expecting to (play in Game 3). Like I said, we just take it day by day. It feels better than yesterday.”
Sixers Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Raptors
*Notates expected starter
C: Joel Embiid*, Greg Monroe, Boban Marjanovic
PF: Tobias Harris*, Amir Johnson, Jonah Bolden
SF: Jimmy Butler*, James Ennis III
SG: JJ Redick*, Zhaire Smith
PG: Ben Simmons*, T.J. McConnell
James Ennis III has provided an enormous lift off the bench too. After finishing with 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting in Game 1, he played 24 minutes in Game 2, scoring 12 of his 13 points in the first half. He also added six rebounds, two assists and a block and posted a +7 plus-minus to help the Sixers beat the Raptors 94-89.
James Ennis III buries the triple and he has 11 PTS off the bench!
#PhilaUnite 44
#WeTheNorth 26
📺: @NBAonTNT
In addition to his contributions on offense, Ennis was also a terrific presence on defense, using his size and versatility to help his team’s incredible showing at that end of the court.
The Sixers certainly hope that Monroe’s ankle can heal before Game 3; they will need him and Ennis to continue their stellar play from Monday, giving them nice minutes off the bench.
Surprising stat from #Sixers series: James Ennis (23) has more points than Raptors starter Danny Green (10) and sixth man Serge Ibaka (9) combined (19) through two games.
Joel Embiid was just 2-for-7 from the field in Game 2, scoring 12 points, Tobias Harris had just nine points on 3 of 11 shooting and Ben Simmons didn’t take over, adding just six points, which made the performances of Monroe and Ennis much more important.
With the series now moving to Philadelphia, the Sixers can take plenty of positives back home, like Jimmy Butler’s double-double with a team-high 30 points and 10 rebounds on 9 of 22 shooting in 43 minutes. Butler proved why he’s considered one of the best closers in the NBA, scoring 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter.
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