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By Justin Grasso
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Philadelphia 76ers are forced to play without their two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey for the time being.
During the Sixers’ Saturday night loss against the Atlanta Hawks on the road, Maxey went down with an injury scare. The star guard was seen grabbing at his hand in discomfort before rushing back to the locker room in the final moments of the game.
On Sunday, the 76ers revealed Maxey’s diagnosis. While it seems the veteran guard has avoided a long-term setback—he’s still facing at least a couple of absences—something the Sixers simply can’t afford right now.
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What’s Tyrese Maxey’s Official Diagnosis?
According to team officials, Maxey suffered a sprain of the right fifth finger. For now, he will miss two games.
While that’s the latest update, it won’t be the final. The Sixers say that Maxey will undergo further testing in the coming days. Another update will be provided following the team’s upcoming back-to-back set.
On Monday, the Sixers will tip off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road in Ohio. For Tuesday’s game, the Sixers will go head-to-head with the Memphis Grizzlies at home in South Philly.
If Maxey gets cleared after the back-to-back, he could be on the floor again by Thursday, March 12, for the matchup against the Detroit Pistons. It’s too early to make a call on those chances.
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Philadelphia 76ers’ Playoff Chances Take A Hit
Going 4-6 over their last 10 games, the Sixers are finding themselves in some trouble.
They could only keep possession of the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed for so long. After a loss in Atlanta, the Sixers have been jumped by both Florida-based teams. Now, they are eighth in the conference with a 34-29 record. The Hawks are just 1.5 games behind them, with the 10th-seeded Charlotte Hornets within the 2.5-game range.
The Sixers’ playoff chances haven’t plummeted. According to Basketball Reference’s playoff probabilities report, the Sixers have a 53% chance of making the playoffs. It’s still too early to count them in or out, but a long Maxey absence could drive those numbers down.
In 61 games this season, Maxey has shot 46% from the field to average 29.0 points per game. He is dishing out 6.7 assists per game, while coming down with 4.1 rebounds per game. He was the team’s only All-Star this year.
Availability-wise, the Sixers are in a difficult spot. VJ Edgecombe is dealing with an abdominal setback that has kept him off the court for the past couple of games. Joel Embiid has been out with an oblique injury, while Paul George is suspended.
The team seems to have early optimism about Maxey after he landed his initial diagnosis, but they are in dangerous territory.
The schedule continues on Monday night with a 7 PM ET tip.
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