Getty Justin Holiday #8 of the Atlanta Hawks battles Furkan Korkmaz #30 of the Philadelphia 76ers for a rebound during the second half at State Farm Arena on November 10, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Philadelphia 76ers managed to get back in the win column in their second matchup against the Hawks. It was a necessary victory for the franchise as the Sixers have gotten off to a slow start, but it did not come without some repercussions. Joel Embiid played 40:02 of game minutes in the matchup including the final 15:08 without taking a seat on the bench. The superstar put forth an MVP-like effort and was a driving force in the Sixers’ victory. He also admitted following the game that he is battling a notable shoulder injury in addition to the recovery from illness and plantar fasciitis.
James Harden also continues to be held out with his foot injury. De’Anthony Melton and Paul Reed were also questionable leading up to the matchup. Melton ultimately missed the game due to back soreness while Reed played through the knee injury that landed him on the injury report. The Sixers also had another player added to the growing list as Furkan Korkmaz left the victory with a knee injury.
Korkmaz’s Injury
This has to be especially frustrating for Korkmaz considering his strong play before the injury. In his 3:57 of game minutes, the Turkish standout produced seven points and a rebound. He shot 3-4 from the field and did an excellent job using his length and pace of play to maneuver his way to the basket. The injury occurred when attempting to rise up for a shot attempt and coming up lame. He was subbed out of the game and immediately went to the locker room where he was ruled out for its duration shortly following.
Furk in reverse. ⏪
This stretch of play prior to the injury has been the bright part of Korkmaz’s season thus far. He has played just 28 total minutes on the season and has attempted just eight total shots thus far. The 6’7″ sniper has not seen the court in eight of the Sixers opening 13 games.
The Sixers have been starved of bench production to start the season. Especially considering the lack of ball handlers currently available to suit up, if Korkmaz can return to form it would be incredibly beneficial to the organization. The 25-year-old had a career-worst season last year which he attributed to some nerve damage he battled during the season. He is officially listed as out of the upcoming matchup with the Jazz with a “knee effusion” and hopefully there will be more information on the timeline and severity soon.
Other Sixers Injuries
While you never fully know with Embiid, he appears on track to be suiting up on the second night of the back-to-back. When asked by reporters following last night’s game he replied, “I plan on playing, unless, we’ll see,” per Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. As has been the case with Embiid throughout his career, he is battling a variety of bothersome knocks.
Joel Embiid tweaked his ankle: “I plan on playing but I’m going to see how it reacts tomorrow. It’s pretty sore.”
He also kept grabbing his shoulder: “I don’t know what happened but some days I can’t lift my arm up. When I block shots, I really feel it. I don’t what’s going on.”
Neither Reed nor Melton has their names listed on the depth chart which is a positive sign for the Sixers. Philadelphia was missing the defensive impact and athletic burst that Melton provides on the roster. The Sixers have a more difficult task than was expected when first looking at the schedule as the Utah Jazz have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams to start the season. Despite the perception they would be tanking to start the season, Utah leads the Western Conference with a record of 10-4. Hopefully, Korkmaz returns to health soon and the rest of the Sixers roster is ready to take care of business tonight.
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