Jimmy Butler says sprained ankle feels ‘OK’

PHILADELPHIA >> As the Cleveland Cavaliers were finishing their shocking 121-112 victory Friday at the Wells Fargo Center, 76ers guard Jimmy Butler was in the locker room with a sprained left ankle.

According to the Sixers, X-rays proved negative and Butler will be reevaluated Saturday. The Sixers will visit the Brooklyn Nets Sunday night.

Asked if he were expecting to take “a few days off” to rest, Butler was not quite that pessimistic.

“I don’t know about a ‘few’ days,” he said. “We have a game on Sunday. So obviously I want to hoop. I want to play.”

Butler hooped for 33:42 Friday, providing 22 points, shooting 3-for-4 from distance. He did not exhibit any pronounced limp after the game.

“It’s feeling OK,” he said. “I just took a step and tweaked it a little bit. It’s part of the game. I will take some treatment and see where we’re at.”

••• Before the Sixers acquired Butler, as they were acquiring Butler, and as soon as they had Butler, Brett Brown was consumed by one coaching responsibility. As soon as possible, he was going to have to sit down with Ben Simmons.

His plea: Make everything come together, even if that would mean sacrificing some of his own scoring.

“I’ve challenged him to lead this team, to be a point guard,” Brown said. “A point guard is the most difficult position, in my opinion, to play in the NBA. It’s reading Joel, where he needs the ball. Time and score. Situations. In the bonus. It’s a point guard. You feel that. And connecting the dots now that Jimmy has come into the mix, it’s about you really embracing that role.

“I think he’s been excellent. I see the greatest area of improvement in that mentality, in that leadership, in the acceptance of that role. That’s where I see it. That’s where I feel it. That’s where we need it the most.”

If that added responsibility to distribute the ball might negatively affect his scoring, Simmons said he was comfortable with the challenge.

“We always talk,” he said. “It’s a team sport.”

Simmons played 36:51 Friday and made 10 of 12 shots for 22 points. He added 10 rebounds. But he seconded Brown’s complaint that the Sixers displayed a lack of energy against what had been the 2-14 Cavs.

“It was probably all that turkey from Thanksgiving,” he said. •••

Of course, Brown read the reports that Markelle Fultz wanted to be traded … or at least that his camp reportedly was floating the idea.

“I did,” Brown said. “What I also saw was his agent coming out and saying that is not true. And I saw bits and pieces of the article that had the title, and the content, to me, really didn’t support the title. And speaking with people, I don’t put any stock into that.”

Fultz has missed the last two games, including Friday, and won’t practice or play until he sees a shoulder specialist Monday in New York. There is also a muffled report that he could have a wrist issue.

“I’m going to say this one more time,” Brown said. “I feel I have said everything. And after he gets his treatment, his final assessment, I’ll give you everything I’ve got. I’ve got nothing more to give. And I really don’t want to talk much more about that.”

•••

NOTES >> The Sixers had their regular-season home winning streak snapped at 20. Brown: “We had no spirit. We didn’t play defense in front of our home fans.” … Mike Muscala, still playing with a mask while recovering from a broken nose, shot 1-for-7 from three-point range … The Sixers had just four offensive rebounds.