Soon, the Philadelphia 76ers will pay a visit to the Indiana Pacers.
After wrapping up a back-to-back set against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, the Sixers are going to get two days off before they take on the Pacers.
Both teams have had some key names on their injury reports as of late, and the Pacers’ recent issue in the front court could be notable for Philadelphia.
Pacers Get Concerning Injury News Before Facing 76ers
During a Sunday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, the Pacers lost their starting center Ivica Zubac to an ankle injury.
The setback required an X-ray. While the Pacers received good news initially, that didn’t mean Zubac would get cleared to play again right away.
“Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac got an X-ray on his left ankle, which came back negative, coach Rick Carlisle told me postgame,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported on Sunday. “Carlisle said Zubac’s ankle is swollen and it’s unlikely he’ll play tomorrow night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Zubac left the arena on crutches.”
Indeed, Zubac is out for the Pacers, who are taking on the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. The Pacers won’t have much time to rest in between their next set of action, which takes place against the 76ers on Wednesday.
Realistically, the Sixers could face the Pacers without their top center. This season, Zubac averaged 9.0 points and 9.0 rebounds through the first three games.
Philly’s Front Court Struggles
The center position has lacked depth this year.
Joel Embiid is healthy, but isn’t playing in back-to-back sets. Ariel Hukporti is out for the season. Adem Bona is playing catch-up after missing the preseason, and Tacko Fall has yet to make his debut as he deals with a quad injury.
The Sixers have been utilizing Jabari Walker as a center, but he hurt his knee over the weekend. LeBron James and Dean Wade are doing what they can to help, but the team knows that’s not a long-term solution. The current state of the five spot in Philly isn’t ideal, but they just might catch a break on Wednesday.
