The "next man up" mantra for the Sixers has been replaced with "next man down."
When guard Tyrese Maxey collided with center Adem Bona with just seconds remaining in Saturday's loss in Atlanta, he writhed in pain on the floor while cradling his right hand.
A collective "you've got to be kidding me" groan could be heard throughout the Delaware Valley and probably among Sixers players themselves. Further testing on the hand/fingers will be done on Sunday. The Sixers play in Cleveland on Monday the return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
Sunday, ESPN Shams Charania reported that the Sixers guard will miss the next two games with a sprained pinky and will undergo further testing and consultation on next steps. The Sixers play in Cleveland on Monday then return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
The Sixers have been without Joel Embiid since he suffered an oblique strain on February 26. He is scheduled to be reevaluated later this week. Paul George has nine more games remaining on his suspension and VJ Edgecombe missed his second straight game on Saturday due to a bruised back. The team did get back Kelly Oubre, Jr. from illness on Saturday, but the potential loss of Maxey could be devastating.
Tyrese Maxey collides with Adem Bona and immediately grabs his right hand and is in serious pain.
Sixers players surround him concerned. This team can not catch a break. pic.twitter.com/ygp76Tpoqx
With the loss Saturday, Philadelphia plummeted to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings, a half a game behind the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. If Maxey has to miss any time, a chance of a spot in the NBA's play-in tournament becomes a definite reality.
"Obviously it's huge, especially with what we've got going on right now with so many guys out," said an obviously dejected Nick Nurse to reporters in Atlanta on Saturday. "We'll see."
An All-Star starter, Maxey has had to carry such a big load this season with myriad players missing games. He has responded, averaging career-highs in points (28.9), assists (6.7), rebounds (4.2) and steals (2). He's done all of that while battling constant double-teams and extra attention as he is the team's biggest offensive threat on most nights.
Any night without Maxey will surely be a struggle, and the remaining schedule for the Sixers doesn't help them much.
Highlights (lowlights?) of the 19 games they have left, the Sixers will travel to play the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Thursday, still have a three-game West Coast trip, and will host the NBA's best team, the Oklahoma City Thunder before the month is over. Three of their final four games of the season will be played on the road.
Following Saturday's 125-116 setback to the Hawks, Nurse talked again of this team's strong fight and effort and how they searched, and found, open shots but that they just couldn't hit them at needy times. He also spoke of a poor start to the second half and of his team's tendency to not play the smartest basketball at times. And of course, he acknowledged yet another injury.
The scary thing for the Sixers is this, right now. They can play as hard as they possibly can for 48 minutes every game. They can search -- and find -- shots as much as their coach wants. They can even improve on their season-long deficiency in the defensive rebounding department. But none of that will really matter with the amount of talent that has to keep being sidelined. That's just the reality.
