The Philadelphia 76ers got a couple of star players back when Joel Embiid and Paul George returned to the active lineup on Wednesday night, and another pair of key contributors could be right behind them.
Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre are both listed as “questionable” on the official injury report for Philadelphia’s matchup with the Hornets in Charlotte on Saturday night.
Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre on the verge of return for 76ers
Maxey has missed 10 straight games for the Sixers due to a tendon injury in his right pinky, while Oubre has missed eight in a row due to a left elbow sprain.
The final status of both players will be updated prior to tipoff in Charlotte, though Oubre already made it clear that he plans to play.
“So, I don’t know if I’m breaking news or not, but I don’t care,” Oubre said on Friday. “Yeah, I’m playing basketball tomorrow, so I’m excited. We got a good thing going here, and I’m just trying to help push this momentum forward into the postseason.”
While Maxey was less firm regarding his return, he’s certainly moving in the right direction.
“I feel pretty good,” Maxey said. “Yeah. I just got a new splint. I don’t know if it was yesterday or a couple days ago. I’ve been working conditioning-wise, doing all the things that they need me to do. So, we’ll see.”
Even if Maxey doesn’t play against Charlotte, it’s clear that his return is on the horizon.
The game between Philadelphia and Charlotte will be important when it comes to the playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers, who are seventh in the East, are just one game ahead of the Hornets, who are ninth in the conference.
The Sixers and Hornets split the first two meetings of the season, so whoever wins on Saturday night will claim the season series between the teams.
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