Even without Simmons, Embiid, Sixers get victory
The Philadelphia 76ers are down two All-Stars.
Already missing Ben Simmons because of a back injury, the 76ers played without center Joel Embiid on Thursday night against New York with a sprained left shoulder.
“It’s a painfully obvious bind,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. “We’re missing two All-Stars. You yank that from the team and it’s painful.”
Embiid was injured Wednesday night in a loss at Cleveland when he collided with Ante Zizic.
X-rays following the game didn’t show a fracture. He was being reevaluated prior to the game Thursday, and the 76ers said they would have another update today.
Embiid sat for the 17th time due to injury or suspension.
Simmons missed his third game. Injured in a practice, he has a nerve impingement in his lower back and will miss at least two weeks.
Without their two top players, the 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 115-106 as Tobias Harris scored 34 points. Shake Milton scored 19 points and Al Horford added 15 for the 76ers, who improved their NBA-best home record to 28-2. TIMBERWOLVES FINED FOR VIOLATING PLAYER RESTING POLICY » The NBA fined the Minnesota Timberwolves $25,000 on Thursday for violating the player resting policy with point guard D’Angelo Russell. Russell was held out Sunday at Denver for a planned rest. Though Russell did not play for Minnesota on Feb. 8 because of a quadriceps injury, two days after he was acquired in a trade, the NBA deemed Russell a healthy player under the policy that was designed in part to minimize star player absences from nationally televised games. RANDLE, OTHER PLAYERS ON CHINA TEAMS IN LIMBO »
Former Stanford star Chasson Randle’s basketball career is in an uncomfortable spot. He’s unable to play for his Chinese Basketball Association team because of the coronavirus outbreak, but he’s also being denied a chance to return to return to the NBA.
Like every other player in the CBA, the Cardinal’s alltime leading scorer has been in limbo since China’s league suspended play on Feb. 1 over fears of the effects of the virus. He’s unlike all the others in that he’s twice signed 10day NBA contracts since returning to the United States. Both deals were voided when Randle couldn’t get clearance from his team in China.
ESPN reported nearly 40 Americans are on teams in the 20-team CBA, including Palo Alto’s Jeremy Lin as well as Lance Stephenson and Ty Lawson. Most were sent home and originally told to expect play to resume perhaps by late February. There’s now an expectation there won’t be basketball there again until at least early April, provided the season isn’t just canceled while the disease remains uncontained. PACERS 106, TRAIL BLAZERS 100 » Domantas Sabonis had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead Indiana past Portland. Malcolm Brogdon added 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Pacers, who have won four of their past five. CJ McCollum had 28 points and eight assists for the Trail Blazers, who have lost five of six. THUNDER 112, KINGS 108 »
Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points as Oklahoma City rallied from 19 points down in the third quarter to beat Sacramento. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points, and Chris Paul added 17 for the Thunder, who have won five straight and 14 of 17. Harrison Barnes scored 21 points, and Harry Giles added a season-high 19 for the Kings, who had won three in a row. De’Aaron Fox, the Kings’ No. 2 scorer, sat out with lower abdominal muscle tightness.