Shorthanded Sixers start two-game tilt vs. Charlotte Hornets

Just when you thought the Sixers season was starting to turn around, they plunge back into darkness. The team is not only coming off another loss to the Indiana Pacers, but is also dealing with a number of injury developments over the past few days.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first, unfortunately starting with Jared McCain, who will be out for the foreseeable future with a meniscus tear. Not only is this a brutal development from a fan perspective, but it will have ramifications in their rotation going forward. Kyle Lowry, Reggie Jackson, Eric Gordon and even Jeff Dowtin Jr. will likely see a bump in usage and playtime. Prepare yourselves.

The Sixers have also ruled out Joel Embiid ahead of tonight’s game as they weigh options after he suffered a sinus fracture in the Pacers game. So far, it looks like this won’t be something that keeps him out long term, but you never know with this team.

In addition to two pretty big names, the Sixers have several players on their injury report. Both Caleb Martin and Adem Bona step up to return but will be unavailable for this game with their respective injuries.

For Charlotte, LaMelo Ball was upgraded to questionable as he deals with a calf strain. If he is unable to go, most, if not all, of their offense will run through standout sophomore Brandon Miller, who has been terrific this season. In the last matchup between these teams, he was the only player to keep them in the game with a hot fourth quarter. Both Kelly Oubre Jr. and Paul George will be the main men on him, and they will certainly have their hands full on the defensive end with said assignment.

The Sixers play the Hornets for back-to-back matchups starting tonight and again on Friday after a few days off. This ends a relatively soft stretch of their schedule, and stealing two wins here would put them on track in their quest to get back to the .500 mark. Their next few matchups feature Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns — all of whom have been conference front-runners.

Things can’t get much worse than they are right now, right? I guess we’ll find out with tonight’s game.

Game details

WHO: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Charlotte Hornets

When: 7 p.m. ET

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

Clock: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Follow: @LibertyBallers