Sixers Face Jazz with Key Players Unavailable

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Philadelphia 76ers are set to take on the Utah Jazz Sunday night at the Wells Fargo Center as they aim to recover from a recent loss to the Boston Celtics.

Earlier this week, the Sixers faced the Celtics without star players Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey due to various reasons, leading to a challenging game for the team. Despite a strong performance from Kelly Oubre Jr., who scored 27 points and recorded six assists, the Sixers fell short, losing 117-103 as Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 35 points.

Embiid’s absence has been frequent this season, prompting head coach Nick Nurse to adapt strategies to fill the void. He has predominantly relied on Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond to handle frontcourt responsibilities.

However, ahead of the match against the Jazz, Nurse may face an additional setback as Drummond is listed as questionable due to an illness, according to the Sixers’ injury report. Drummond did not participate in Saturday’s practice, as reported by PhillyVoices’ Adam Aaronson.

Despite being under the weather, Drummond played 25 minutes against the Celtics, contributing nine points and ten rebounds. If Drummond cannot play, Nurse may turn to Yabusele, Adem Bona, or Alex Reese — the latter of whom was not part of the Delaware Blue Coats in their game against the Indiana Mad Ants on Sunday.

The Sixers and Jazz are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EST, and the outcome will be crucial for Philadelphia as they seek to regain momentum in the season.