Chandler ‘fine,’ but misses game with thigh bruise

PHILADELPHIA >> Just when it appeared Wilson Chandler was finally healthy, the power forward was scratched from Sunday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after taking a knee to the thigh, Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

“I’m fine,” Chandler said when asked how he was doing.

Brown said the move to sit Chandler was precautionary. He missed the first nine games of the season with a hamstring injury and then did not play on the back end of two backto-back situations when he did return.

“It’s just stiff and sore and we have a schedule coming up that we’re paying attention to,” Brown said. “Tomorrow’s a day off, a scheduled day off and we don’t think it’s to force feed this.”

Brown gave mixed signals on how long he expects Chandler to be out. At first Brown said he expects Chandler to be ready to go when the Sixers take on the Raptors Tuesday.

As for how long Chandler will be out? That’s up in the air, too.

“I’m not, and I could be wrong, I’m not expecting him to miss Toronto,” Brown said, referring to Tuesday’s road game against the Raptors.

Chandler has been solid since he returned to action from a hamstring injury. He’s averaging 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 13 games and has given the Sixers a solid veteran presence.

“He’s a Swiss Army knife,” Brown said of Chandler. “He can switch onto people. He’s got a toughness about him and a physicality that is more of a spirit thing and a personality thing, more than a skill thing, but he can make a three.

“There’s a calmness on the court because he doesn’t need to get shots.”

The absence of Chandler left the Sixers a little thin at the power forward spot and off the bench. Jonah Bolden would have taken a few of those minutes but he remains sidelined with a cortical crack in his right fibula. Mike Muscala started in Chandler’s place and Ben Simmons played some there, too.

“That four spot is a little bit naked when you lose Wilson,” Brown said.

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So what did guard T.J. McConnell do on his day off Saturday? He watched basketball, of course.

No, McConnell wasn’t glued to the TV. The Sixers’ backup point guard was at Drexel to see his kid brother Matty, a senior guard at Robert Morris, take on the Dragons.

The younger McConnell scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds, handed out four assists, blocked a shot and made a steal in 37 minutes, but it wasn’t enough as the Colonials dropped an

82-69 decision to the Dragons.

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NOTES >> Center Amir Johnson channeled his inner Steph Curry when he buried a shot from the entrance to the tunnel that leads to the 76ers locker room before the game. The fans roared their approval. … The game against the Raptors is the first of two road games in three days. The Sixers go from Toronto to Detroit to take on the Pistons Thursday. Then it’s back home for games against the Pistons (Dec.

10), the Nets (Dec. 12) and the Pacers (Dec. 14) in the span of five days.