Tag: De’Anthony Melton

Full injury report for Joel Embiid, Sixers vs. Rockets in home matchup

Here is the full injury report for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers as they take on the Houston Rockets at home on Monday.

The Philadelphia 76ers look to pick up another win when they play host to the Houston Rockets on Monday afternoon. The Sixers snapped a three-game losing skid on Friday and are looking for a second consecutive win.

Joel Embiid, who returned to practice for the Sixers on Sunday, is listed as questionable due to left knee inflammation. Coach Nick Nurse said the big fella was a full participant at practice, so one has to assume that he will return for this one.

Robert Covington, who missed practice on Sunday, is listed as out due to left knee inflammation. He has not played since Dec. 30. De’Anthony Melton is also listed as out due to lumbar spine stress response. Mo Bamba is doubtful due to right knee fat pad impingement.

If the Sixers get Embiid back, that will be a big help, of course. The Sixers are off to a terrific start in the 2023-24 season and look to continue to build with the big fella leading the way.

Tip off with the Rockets is set for 1 p.m. EST on Monday.

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Sixers discuss where they have missed De’Anthony Melton’s presence

The Philadelphia 76ers discuss where they have missed the presence of De’Anthony Melton the most out on the floor.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers are beginning to get healthier as the second week of 2024 unfolds. After two consecutive losses, the Sixers look to get back on track on Wednesday when they take on the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks feature two very talented guards, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, along with role players who fit well around them. It will help the Sixers to have De’Anthony Melton back on the floor to bother those two guards. While Melton is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup, he practiced on Monday and Tuesday, so there is a real chance he plays in the contest.

The Sixers hope Melton can bolster their perimeter defense, which is where they’ve missed his presence.

“Probably at the point of attack on defense, right?” said coach Nick Nurse. “I think that that was certainly an issue the other night (Utah) and that was one of the suggestions my coaches made this morning was that we missed Melt up there. He gets his hands on some balls, guards the ball pretty well, gets a lot of deflections and things for us as well. So, I’d say there mostly.”

Along with his defensive ability, Melton is an important piece of this team’s offense. He averages 12.1 points and shoots 36.5% from deep in 31 games to begin the season.

“He’s very underrated though,” added Nic Batum. “He can do anything. On defense, he’s a very great defender. On defense, he’s playing very great. On offense, he can score from everywhere. He can score. He can drive, shoot from 3, pull up, whatever. He is a very underrated player.”

While the focus in Philadelphia is the play of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers need others to produce. Melton plays an important role in what Philadelphia does on the floor.

“Everybody on this team plays a pivotal role in our success and so his shot making ability, his ability to defend and switch on different guards, different forwards as well,” Tobias Harris said. “His overall presence was missed for us in the time that’s been out. So hopefully we get him back tomorrow, too.”

The Sixers and the Hawks will match up at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday.

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De’Anthony Melton gives update on back injury in return to Sixers

De’Anthony Melton gives an update on his back injury in his return to the Philadelphia 76ers at practice.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed De’Anthony Melton back to practice on Monday as they look to get healthier amid all of the injuries they have sustained. Melton has missed three games with lumbar spine soreness.

On the season, Melton is averaging 12.1 points, 4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 36.5% from deep. Philadelphia has missed his defensive prowess on the perimeter in each of its previous two losses, and the Sixers will be happy to have him back on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Melton beamed on Monday. “I’m feeling better than I was before. First practice back is always a little bit extra, but I felt good today. I got up and down with my guys today and I’m better than I was before.”

He had started all 31 games and is averaging a career-high 29.4 minutes per game playing next to Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt. He attributed those factors to his back beginning to flare up.

“I just think high volume you know what I mean?” Melton explained. “Increased my minutes, increased practice, stuff like that, and just taking a couple of hits, and also, which didn’t help was me getting kneed in my quad today and it kind of shot up into my back a little bit.”

Melton had back issues in the 2022-23 season, but he said this is a different back injury. At this point, he needs to continue to strengthen his back and continue to take some pressure off of it.

“Continue to strengthen everything around it and offload it sometimes, too,” he finished. “I gotta use my glutes (he smiled) pretty much, you know, use my glutes, my hips. So, all that type stuff is gonna play a factor to help me in the long run.”

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Coach Nick Nurse gives updates on Joel Embiid, other injured Sixers

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

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers got back to work on Monday after losses to the New York Knicks and the Utah Jazz over the weekend. Philadelphia was undermanned in both games: Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, De’Anthony Melton, Robert Covington and Furkan Korkmaz missed one or both games.

The Sixers look to get back on track when they take on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, but will Embiid and the others be able to play?

“Joel did not go today (Monday),” said coach Nick Nurse after practice.

The big fella was shooting free throws after practice with his left knee heavily wrapped.

As for Harris, Melton and Korkmaz, Nurse said simply: “Tobias was in. Furk was in. Melt was in.”

The Sixers will likely practice one more day before traveling to Atlanta to take on the Hawks. Nurse hopes Embiid will be to participate and then play on Wednesday.

“We’re hoping so,” he finished.

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

Here is the complete injury report for De’Anthony Melton and the Philadelphia 76ers in a home matchup against the New York Knicks.

The Philadelphia 76ers will get back at it on Friday when they take on the New York Knicks. It will be a prime-time matchup between the two rivals.

Philadelphia will be short-handed once again.

De’Anthony Melton is listed as out due to lumbar spine soreness. He missed Tuesday’s win over the Chicago Bulls due to the injury. He’s averaging 12.1 points, 4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 39.7% from the floor and 36.5% from deep.

While Melton is out, Robert Covington and Furkan Korkmaz are listed as questionable. Covington has been dealing with a left knee effusion while Korkmaz has had an illness.

“All three of them were out today, but all three of them are pretty close,” coach Nick Nurse said at practice on Thursday. “Day-to-day, all of them. One’s sickness, one’s back that’s getting almost better, and one knee that the swelling has gone down so we’re just day-to-day on all of them.”

With Melton out, one has to assume Nurse will turn again to Kelly Oubre Jr. and Nic Batum as his starters on the wings. It will give the Sixers another opportunity to look at that lineup combination for possible future use.

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Joel Embiid to return, De’Anthony Melton out for Sixers vs. Bulls

Joel Embiid is set to return while De’Anthony Melton is out for the Philadelphia 76ers in the rematch against the Chicago Bulls.

As the Philadelphia 76ers return home from their four-game road trip to play host to the Chicago Bulls in a rematch on Tuesday, they will welcome their MVP big man back to the lineup.

After missing all four games of the road trip due to a right ankle sprain, Joel Embiid is set to return against the Bulls. The Sixers went 2-2 on the trip with wins over the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets and losses to the Miami Heat and the Bulls.

While Embiid is off the injury report, the Sixers will be without De’Anthony Melton, who is out due to lumbar spine soreness. Melton is averaging 12.1 points and shooting 36.5% from deep on the season.

Without Melton, it will be interesting to see who the Sixers start in his place. One has to assume Nic Batum will move into the starting lineup alongside Kelly Oubre Jr., Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and Embiid.

Tip off on Tuesday is set for 7 p.m. EST from the Wells Fargo Center.

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Nick Nurse, Sixers discuss the honor of playing on Christmas Day

Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers discuss the honor of playing on Christmas Day in the NBA.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing to begin a four-game road trip with a big Christmas Day matchup against the Miami Heat down in South Florida.

Playing on Christmas is an honor for NBA teams. The Sixers are playing on the holiday for the second consecutive year after facing the New York Knicks on Christmas Day 2022.

The best of the best play on the holiday, and for coach Nick Nurse this will be his second time coaching on Christmas. His Toronto Raptors fell to the Boston Celtics in 2019.

“It’s one of those things that you look at from a standpoint of yeah, you’re honored,” said Nurse. “You’re honored to be working on Christmas or part of the fabric of entertainment or whatever it is you want to look at. I look at it totally as an honor to be able to do it. I think that most teams, and our team especially, do a great job of still letting our families be included and all that kind of stuff. So yeah, I view it as a special thing.”

Christmas is a time of family and coming together to celebrate one another. Nurse and the Sixers will have their families with them when they head to Florida and that makes playing on the holiday that much more special for this group.

“Of course,” Melton said of the Christmas Day festivities of the NBA. “I mean, you got to. As a kid, waking up and seeing sports on TV is always a blessing. So now you one of those. Now you can see your friends, family, and a lot of people wake up and watch you.”

As the Sixers get set to take on the Heat, they know the challenges that will await them in Miami, but they also understand that playing on Christmas is a sign that you’re a pretty good team.

“It’s one of the best times,” added Robert Covington. “Only a select amount of teams get to. I think this might be my second time. In the 11 years I’ve been in the league, this is only my second time. It’s always a great experience. Of course, being with family and everything is important, but there’s nothing like seeing your family see you doing your job and what you love. On top of that, you get to have them there with you so it’s nothing like that.”

Tip off from the Kaseya Center is set for 8 p.m. EST on Christmas.

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Sixers preparing for challenge of facing scrappy Heat on Christmas

The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for a big challenge in front of them when they face the Miami Heat on Christmas.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing to head to South Florida to take on the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat on Christmas Day. The Heat will enter the contest 17-12, and they will offer a test for the Sixers here in the early portion of the season.

Led by Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, the Heat are a scrappy bunch who are always ready for any type of battle. As the Sixers prepare to invade the Kaseya Center on Christmas, they know the type of challenge that awaits.

It doesn’t matter to them that Miami reached the finals in 2023. They’re focused on right now and getting ready to fight.

“I would think more so just because they’re the Heat,” De’Anthony Melton said. “They play hard. They play scrappy and they’re real disciplined. So I think those type things is what we need, just in terms of our outcome of the game, but I mean, it’s a new year. Honestly, they made the finals but I think them being who they are as a team is what makes them so challenging.”

This could be a statement game for the Sixers considering who the Heat are and what they bring to the table every night. However, both Philadelphia and Miami are still working things out.

“It’s still early on in the season,” added Robert Covington. “Like we’re still finding ourselves, there’s still so many pieces. Of course, they have the experience and it definitely is a test, but I mean, like I said it’s still new components. It’s not the same team as last year. There’s different components on both sides.”

Considering the experience the Heat have and who they are, this will offer an idea of what’s to come when the playoffs come around in April and May. The Sixers have to be prepared for the challenges.

“So it’s just basically getting a feel for what’s gonna happen as the season goes on that line,” Covington added. “It’s gonna be a good test. We know what Miami Heat culture is like so it’s gonna be a great game.”

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De’Anthony Melton thankful for Nick Nurse, Sixers for pushing him

De’Anthony Melton is thankful for the support he has received from Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers to push him in the right direction.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers made a terrific move on draft night 2022 when they acquired De’Anthony Melton from the Memphis Grizzlies. Melton has been a perfect fit for the Sixers as a 3-and-D player.

In his second season with the Sixers, Melton is a full-time starter who averages 11.6 points, 4 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 36.9% from deep. He has consistently taken on the opposition’s best scorer and does a little bit of everything for the Sixers.

Coach Nick Nurse has allowed guys to be themselves. With the help of assistant Rico Hines, Melton has morphed into an important piece for the Sixers.

“It feels good,” Melton explained. “I mean, sometimes you need that support behind you. You got Nick pushing me. You got Rico pushing me and stuff like that. Just to be great out there. Just being aggressive and whatever comes with it comes with it and just from the start of this season and just working on my game and everything in the summer. Coach sees a lot of good things from me so I just kind of provide that for my team and continue to win.”

Melton’s nickname is “Mr. Do Something” due to the fact he does almost everything on the floor. He can shoot. He is a terrific defender. He can handle the ball. He can help on the glass, and he can make plays for others. He is a helpful player.

Melton missed Friday’s win over the Toronto Raptors due to a thigh contusion, but he looks like he can return for the Christmas Day matchup against the Miami Heat.

“I practiced fully today (Saturday),” said Melton. “I went through drills and stuff like that. So my thigh feels good and yeah, I’m ready.”

Still, the Sixers want to make sure Melton is going to be back permanently so they had him wearing thigh pads at practice on Saturday just to help prevent another injury.

“It’s something they want me to test out just in case,” he explained. “You don’t want nothing to happen right again right away. So just in case to prevent something.”

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Nick Nurse gives injury updates on Joel Embiid, other Sixers players

Nick Nurse has an injury update on Joel Embiid and the other injured Philadelphia 76ers players.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers convened for practice on Saturday afternoon before boarding a plane and heading to South Florida for an important Christmas Day matchup with the Miami Heat.

While most of the Sixers participated in practice, there was one noticeable absence: Joel Embiid.

The big fella fell awkwardly in the first quarter of Friday’s win over the Toronto Raptors and was lying on his back in pain. He ended up staying in the game and wound up scoring 31 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists.

“He didn’t go,” coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid. “We didn’t do a whole lot today. To be honest, this probably would have been a day off, but just considering the timing of the year and all that kind of stuff we decided to go in today and take tomorrow off as much as you can while you’re traveling, right? Late game, obviously. So we’ll get a good decent shootaround on Christmas morning, a good practice there. So we didn’t do much watch a little film. Got some shots up and went from there.”

Nurse admitted there are some concerns about Embiid, but he isn’t too worried. It remains to be seen if he will be ready to play on Christmas against the Heat. All Embiid can do is undergo treatment to try to be ready for the  four-game road trip.

“He’s kinda getting treatment as we speak,” Nurse added. “We’re looking at — yeah, there’s some swelling there and when you saw it wasn’t ‘Oh, we didn’t even see what happened’ well, you saw what happened, right? So there’s some swelling there. I think there’s some concern there, but I also think there’s not a ton of concern. You know what I mean? Like you’re always concerned when you see that. It did turn over pretty good.”

Luckily for Embiid and Vice President of Athlete Care Simon Rice, this isn’t anything new for them. “He’s been through this before quite a bit,” Nurse continued. “Him and Simon have been through it before and I just don’t think — they’re gonna need a bunch of treatments, multiple treatments today, you know, they just hammer the heck out of those things and they’ll meet him tomorrow (Sunday) and I think those things are always kind of wait and see as we go, how they respond to the treatments.”

As far as the other injured Sixers, Nurse stated De’Anthony Melton (thigh contusion) and Patrick Beverley (right heel soreness) were full participants in practice. Mo Bamba (illness) did not practice.

As for Nic Batum (right hamstring strain), there isn’t anything new in his recovery after the veteran missed the previous two games.

“I think that the earliest possible date for him would be Orlando,” Nurse said of Batum. “And I think that might be a touch early, too, but that would be the earliest possible date.”

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