Tag: De’Anthony Melton

Sixers’ De’Anthony Melton reacts to making return in win over Pistons

Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton reacted to his return after a win over the Detroit Pistons at home.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers handled the Detroit Pistons rather easily on Tuesday night at home, 120-102. Philadelphia received a big performance from Joel Embiid, but the Sixers grew a bit healthier as well.

De’Anthony Melton, who hadn’t played since Feb. 27 due to a back issue, returned and had five points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes off the bench.

“Honestly, it felt great,” Melton said of being back. “It felt great to just be out there with my teammates. Being in coverages, moving around. I feel like that’s the stuff I needed just to see where I’m at.”

Melton shot 2-for-9 overall and 1-for-5 from deep on Tuesday, but the fact he was able to be out there is a big help.

“He was great,” Embiid said. “He sucked today (he was joking), but it was great to have him, but he’s gonna be a big piece. As we’re getting healthy. Just what he adds. Shot-making ability, defense, a little bit of playmaking, too. Another guard. I think he’s gonna help us a lot.”

The veteran out of USC has been dealing with a back issue since New Year’s. He missed time with the lumbar spine issue and returned, only to have the issue worsen until it sidelined him starting Feb. 27.

Now, he’s looking to return and help the Sixers down the stretch and in the playoffs.

“Just taking it a little slower,” Melton said of his recent treatment. “Changing up my treatment and what I had to do and when I had to do it. All that type stuff just played a factor into it. Taking some medication that definitely helped my back. All that stuff just accumulated for me to play today.”

For coach Nick Nurse and the Sixers, the key is to continue to get Melton these minutes and build him up for the playoffs. With two games left, that is the focus for the 3-and-D guard.

“I think the main thing I thought he looked very good movement-wise,” said Nurse. “I think he was springy and quick and stuff like that. Obviously, he didn’t shoot the ball well, but he took all really good shots. You would expect- he hasn’t played in a long time. He came back for a couple of games and if you take those two out it’s been a really long time. So, I think just movement-wise. he looked good and that’s a main thing.”

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Sixers vs. Pistons: De’Anthony Melton, others to play, Tyrese Maxey out

De’Anthony Melton and others are officially available for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Detroit Pistons while Tyrese Maxey is out.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers will play host to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night with work to do. With three games left in the regular season, the Sixers are looking to move up the standings in the Eastern Conference and climb out of the play-in tournament.

The Sixers will be short-handed against the Pistons. Robert Covington remains out, but Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry are joining him on the sidelines. Maxey is dealing with left hip tightness, and Lowry is dealing with a left knee effusion.

As for De’Anthony Melton, he is set to return and play in his first game since Feb. 27 due to lumbar spine bone stress. Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris are also available against the Pistons.

“I think it would be very limited, but right now, I just wanna see him get out there and play,” coach Nick Nurse said of Melton pregame. “We know what he brings to the team. He’s been around here for a little bit, but just to get him out there and see what he’s doing from an initial starting point is the main thing right now.”

Tipoff from the Wells Fargo Center is set for 7 p.m. EDT.

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Complete injury report for De’Anthony Melton, Sixers vs. Pistons

Here is the complete injury report for De’Anthony Melton and the Philadelphia 76ers against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia 76ers return home for the final three games of the 2023-24 season looking to climb out of the play-in tournament. The Sixers have won five in a row and are a game behind the sixth-place Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers will host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and look to take advantage of a struggling basketball team.

On the injury report, Robert Covington remains out due to a left knee bone bruise.

De’Anthony Melton (lumbar spine bone stress) had not played since Feb. 27, but he has been upgraded to questionable against the Pistons. His return would be a big help to Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid (left knee injury recovery), Tyrese Maxey (left hip tightness), Tobias Harris (left knee contusion) and Kyle Lowry (left knee effusion) also join Melton under the questionable tag against the Pistons.

Tipoff with the Pistons is 7 p.m. EDT on Tuesday from the Wells Fargo Center.

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Nick Nurse gives latest updates on De’Anthony Melton, Robert Covington

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse gives the latest updates on the injured De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington.

MIAMI — The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed back Joel Embiid from his long injury recovery and that was a big help to the franchise, but there are two other key pieces still missing from the lineup: De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington.

Melton, a starter for this group, has not played since Feb. 27 due to lumbar spine bone stress. He has played only five games since Dec. 30. It was initially lumbar spine soreness and then he returned on Feb. 23 and played three games before leaving on Feb. 27 in a loss to the Boston Celtics.

Covington has not played since Dec. 30 due to a left knee bone bruise.

The Sixers haven’t ruled them out for the season just yet, but when considering how little time is left, it may come to that.

“I think we’re still trying with both of them, right?” coach Nick Nurse. “I think we’re still trying. I think they’re getting on the court. That’s always a good sign so I think they’re still a little ways away. I think there’s some—once you get on the court and go through some stuff—there’s always some time that needs to pass and they gotta play against live competition, all that kind of stuff, so we’re trying. I don’t think we’ll rule them out unless we absolutely have to for good, but we’ll see.”

Melton and Covington have to be able to overcome some obstacles before they can make their return to the floor. Obstacles such as getting over the swelling and getting over some pain in order to return, but with time running out on the season, one has to wonder if they will be able to make that return.

“For sure,” Nurse added. “I think they’re just trying to get better and see if they are better, if they can tolerate things, if the injury reoccurs, get some swelling, or whatever the case may be. It’s two different things kind of. So yeah, that’d be the case.”

Melton will be a free agent in the offseason and he was having a terrific season before the injury. He was averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists along with 1.6 steals per game. He is a guy who can contribute on both ends of the floor and it’s tough to see that his season could end with him sidelined due to a back injury.

“He was a starter for us, right?” Nurse said of Melton. “You know? He was a starter for us. He started a lot of games a year ago. He was a very good defensive player. He can make the open shot, like you said, he makes good plays and makes good reads on the defensive end, and he’s an experienced guy.”

It remains to be seen whether Melton and Covington will be able to return for Philadelphia.

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Nick Nurse gives updates on Joel Embiid, other progressing Sixers

Coach Nick Nurse gives updates on Joel Embiid and the other progressing injured Philadelphia 76ers players.

PHILADELPHIA — At this stage of the 2023-24 season for the Philadelphia 76ers, all eyes are on Joel Embiid. The big fella has not played since Jan. 30 when he injured his left knee and underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear on Feb. 6.

With only nine games left in the regular season after the Sixers face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, one has to wonder about the status of the big fella.

“I haven’t met with him,” coach Nick Nurse said before the contest with the Clippers. “I have talked with him. FaceTimed with him a couple times, but I haven’t met with him yet. No. He’s on the court as you guys know, and we still don’t have a timeline for his return.”

Nurse and the Sixers have continued to say he is on the court as he continues his rehab.

“I would imagine he’s getting better each day,” Nurse continued. “So he’s just trying to get him strong and confident and in shape and ramped up and all those wonderful words.”

When asked specifically of what kind of work Embiid is doing, Nurse didn’t specify. He kept it to the fact that he was out there working.

“He’s out there working?” he said succinctly. “He’s out there working. He’s doing lots of skill work and things like that and just trying to continue to advance all that stuff.

He’s on the court so we’ll let you know when we get to those stages.”

Again, the question becomes whether Embiid will return before the season ends. The Sixers are eighth in the Eastern Conference which would require them to play at least one play-in game. If Embiid can return before the season ends, there is a hope that he could lift them out of the play-in zone, sixth place.

“I think there’s a very good likelihood that he will return before the play-in, playoff,” stated Nurse. “Yeah.”

Then, there’s the status of Robert Covington and De’Anthony Melton. Covington has not played since Dec. 30 due to a left knee bone bruise and Melton hasn’t played since Feb. 27 due to lumbar spine bone stress.

“Cov is progressing a little bit,” said Nurse. “It looks like he could make a return here at some point. Again, we’re not sure. It’s, again, all these things are very similar. They put in a lot of work one day and you gotta wait to see how it responds and see when they get to go again, but he’s making some progress.”

As for Melton, it is not as clear.

“Melt is probably not as close yet,” he finished. “He’s still kind of on a pain tolerance thing, but again, we’re kind of hopeful that both of them will be back before this regular season ends. Yeah.”

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Full injury report for De’Anthony Melton, Sixers vs. Nets on the road

Here is the full injury report for De’Anthony Melton and the Philadelphia 76ers as they take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday to wrap up a two-game road trip, and they will once again rely on others to step up and produce to pick up a win.

The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus), Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) and De’Anthony Melton (lumbar spine bone stress).

The Sixers announced before the trip that Melton would miss both road games. When Philadelphia returns home on Wednesday to host the Memphis Grizzlies, one has to wonder about his status for that contest.

Cam Payne, who missed Sunday’s win over the Dallas Mavericks with an illness, is listed as questionable against the Nets due to the illness.

The Sixers have split their first two games with the Nets this season. Philadelphia looks for the upper hand on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST from Barclays Center.

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Sixers’ Nick Nurse discusses unfortunate injury for De’Anthony Melton

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse gives his thoughts on the unfortunate injury timing for De’Anthony Melton.

PHILADELPHIA — De’Anthony Melton has been having a terrific season on the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers. In the 36 games he has played, Melton is averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists along with 1.6 steals and shooting 36.2% from deep.

Unfortunately for Melton, he has also been dealing with a back injury all season long. He missed games in early January with the issue, returned for two games, but then missed 18 games from Jan. 12 to Feb. 23 due to the injury.

He then played three games before another back injury in Tuesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. The Sixers announced that Melton was out for Friday’s contest with the Charlotte Hornets as well as the team’s upcoming quick 2-game road trip.

When considering how little games are left in the 2023-24 season, one has to wonder if this is it for Melton for the season. However, coach Nick Nurse doesn’t believe this will keep him out.

“I don’t think so,” said Nurse. “I don’t think so. No. I think that he had a good stretch of practices and felt fine and then didn’t feel fine again coming out of Boston so they’re back at it. He’s got a couple of days here to work on it and look at it and starting next week, we’ll have a better idea.”

Melton is a very important part of this team. Not only do the Sixers need him on the floor, but he’s also entering free agency this offseason. One has to feel sorry for Melton going through this back injury at such a crucial time for him.

“For sure,” Nurse added. “I think that he’s certainly an important part of our team, right? Got kind of a good steady demeanor and calm guy out there and he’s got some instincts defensively that are super special, right? That’s one thing as far as that goes, but yeah, he’s in an important time of his career personally as well. So let’s just hope we can get back him out there. There’s a lot of games to go yet for him this year.”

With Melton set to miss the next three games, there will be 21 games left when Philadelphia returns home on March 6 to host the Memphis Grizzlies.

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Full injury report for De’Anthony Melton, Sixers vs. Hornets at home

Here is the full injury report for De’Anthony Melton and the Philadelphia 76ers as they take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

The Philadelphia 76ers will get back at it on Friday to play host to the Charlotte Hornets looking to snap a 2-game skid. The Hornets have been playing well since the All-Star break, but even with the injuries the Sixers are dealing with, Philadelphia should win this contest.

In terms of who’s in and who’s out for the Sixers, Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus procedure) and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) will remain sidelined. Embiid has hopes that he will return during the regular season while Covington is likely weeks away.

De’Anthony Melton is back on the injury report due to lumbar spine bone stress. He left Tuesday’s loss to the Celtics due to back spasms and one has to wonder how long Melton will be sidelined with the injury.

KJ Martin is listed as questionable due to a right ankle impingement.

The Sixers will be looking to pick up a much-needed win. They have fallen to the No. 6 seed in the East and need to find a way to stay afloat until Embiid returns.

Tip off with the Hornets is set for 7 p.m. EST on Friday.

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Nick Nurse provides grim injury update on Sixers’ De’Anthony Melton

Coach Nick Nurse gives a grim injury update on Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers have been dealing with a significant injury adversity over the past month or so. While Joel Embiid works his way back from an injury, the Sixers lost another key piece.

De’Anthony Melton, who made his return on Feb. 23 after he missed roughly five weeks with a back issue, left Tuesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics with back spasms.

As the Sixers returned to practice on Thursday, Melton was not there, and coach Nick Nurse gave a grim update on his return. He also discussed injured forward KJ Martin’s recovery.

“KJ went through about three-quarters of practice today (Thursday),” said Nurse. “Still not quite clear to like, go all out. That could change at any time though. He’s getting a little bit better every day. And Melt is out. We don’t know how long for.”

This is a tough blow for Melton. He has played 36 games this season, averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 36.2% from deep.

He enters free agency in the offseason, and these back injuries instead of his play have made a statement before his free agency. He is a valuable player due to his ability to contribute on both ends of the floor, and the Sixers will certainly miss him.

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Nick Nurse addresses De’Anthony Melton’s injury, Sixers’ loss to Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse addresses De’Anthony Melton’s injury and the loss to the Boston Celtics on the road.

BOSTON — The Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Boston Celtics, 117-99, on Tuesday night, and they dropped to 7-17 in games Joel Embiid has not played. The Sixers shot 39.4% compared to 52.7% from the floor for the Celtics.

Along with losing the game, the Sixers lost yet another key piece: De’Anthony Melton.

Melton did not return to the floor after halftime due to what the team called back spasms. That is not a good sign for a guy who just missed over a month due to lumbar spine stress response.

“Just didn’t come out after the half,” coach Nick Nurse said after the loss. “I think it’s the same. I think it’s a back issue.”

One has to wonder if Melton will miss more time for Philadelphia. Back issues are nothing to play with, and with only 24 games left before the playoffs, the Sixers will want to be cautious with Melton to get him ready for the postseason.

“I don’t know about that, I mean, but we’re certainly concerned that it’s the same thing because we’ve taken a lot of time off to try to get it to a position of in a better place, but I haven’t really got a report on that yet,” Nurse said of any concern on Melton. “So why don’t you hit me tomorrow or the next day on that? I’ll have a little more info for you.”

As far as the game is concerned, the Sixers gave themselves a chance. Despite a 20-point deficit, they rallied to within two, 91-89, in the fourth before the Celtics responded with a 16-0 run to put the game away.

“They really started putting their head down and getting to the basket or drawing fouls,” Nurse stated. “Just kind of consistently and we had a couple of empty offensive possessions. We had about three stretches in the game I thought — maybe four — but one in the first half where we had six or eight point lead, three or four empty possessions, a couple turnovers in there. That lead went away.”

Philadelphia led by as many as seven as Tyrese Maxey played well to give the Sixers a chance.

“To start the third, just again like couldn’t even play defense in transition every time because of not great shot selection or not generating a good enough shot now that down at that end,” Nurse added. “It kind of the same thing happened right at the 91-89 mark.”

The Sixers had their chances. They earned some wide-open looks in the fourth, but those opportunities did not drop. The execution also wasn’t there.

“I thought we had some chances,” Nurse finished. “We just didn’t — we dumped a couple off inside and didn’t finish them. We had a couple open 3s that didn’t go either and it was just, again, it was playing defense in transition and they were really physical going into the basket and scoring or going to the line.”

The Sixers return home to host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

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