The Philadelphia 76ers are in desperate need to pick up a win after dropping four straight games and having two disheartening losses to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. As they return home on Monday to host the Oklahoma City Thunder, they will be welcoming the return of one of their best players.
All-Star guard Ben Simmons will return to the lineup on Monday after missing four games in a row to what coach Doc Rivers called the flu. With his return to the lineup, the Sixers will be getting their leader back and a guy who makes the offense flow a bit better when he is running things.
“We miss him a ton,” said Rivers. “I was joking with another coach, he called me and said, ‘If anyone ever asks you about how important Ben is on offense, just show them the last four games’.”
As far as the other Sixers, Danny Green and Mike Scott will miss the game and Furkan Korkmaz and Paul Reed will return to the lineup. Joel Embiid remains questionable.
Ben Simmons, Furkan Korkmaz, Paul Reed, and Tobias Harris are all available to play tonight
Joel Embiid remains questionable
Danny Green and Mike Scott are out #Sixers— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) April 26, 2021
Simmons is one of the elite defenders in the league, but Philadelphia definitely missed him on the offensive end due to his playmaking ability. The shots he creates for others is a huge reason for this team’s success. They need him out there.
“We talk about his defense, but where we missed him the most was offensively,” Rivers added. “The 3-pointers that we make and get a lot of them are due to Ben and we didn’t get it. Our pace was gone as well. When you miss a guy like Joel or Ben or Tobias, they show they’re important when they’re not there for sure.”
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT from the Wells Fargo Center.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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