The Philadelphia 76ers face Golden State Warriors in the NBA regular season, as both franchises continue fighting to climb the standings. For now, they remain Play-In teams, and to keep pushing upward, they need their biggest stars healthy. That leads to the major question heading into Thursdayâs matchup: Will Joel Embiid, Paul George and Jimmy Butler be available?
Embiid has been upgraded to questionable, but with injuries to both knees, he might still miss his second straight game. Meanwhile, Paul George has joined him on the injury report and is officially ruled out with a left knee issue, according to Underdog NBA. The veteran forward played in the 76ersâ win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, logging 18 minutes with 11 points, five rebounds, one steal and shooting 4-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.
On the other side, Golden State has a sizable injury report going into its visit to Philadelphia on Thursday, Dec. 4. One of them, Jimmy Butler, is officially out for todayâs match, according to Anthony Slater.
It will be a tough matchup for both franchises if multiple stars sit out. The 76ers still have Tyrese Maxey, who continues carrying the team and can take over games, but to beat the Warriors, he will need help. Golden State also has injury concerns, but the Warriors still delivered a strong performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder even without their top talent.
Jimmy Butler III #10 and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors high-five.
Butlerâs numbers and his importance
Butler has appeared in 20 games for the Warriors this season. He is averaging 19.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 51.9% from the field and 43.9% from three. With Stephen Curry currently out, Golden State will rely heavily on Butler if they want to knock off the 76ers and bounce back. Steve Kerrâs squad enters the night with an 11-11 record.
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The Warriorsâ surprising rotation choices
Even without Butler in the second half, the Warriors did not use Jonathan Kuminga in the fourth quarter against the Thunder. Moses Moody played only one minute in the final frame. Pat Spencer, Seth Curry, Gary Payton II, and Buddy Hield earned extra minutes thanks to a dominant 44-point third quarter. Brandin Podziemski also played a key role, as Kerr leaned on a guard-heavy lineup that nearly snapped OKCâs win streak.
How the 76ers arrive
The 76ers enter this matchup coming off a blowout 121-102 victory over the Washington Wizards. Maxey exploded for 35 points, while Dominick Barlow and Andre Drummond each added 12 to help secure Philadelphiaâs 11th win of the NBA season.
