PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers held forward LeBron James out of Saturday night’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks, marking the team’s first deployment of planned rest in the young season.
James, who turns 42 in December, was officially ruled out due to lower back and sciatica management, according to team injury designations. The decision came on the first leg of consecutive weekend games, with Philadelphia scheduled to play the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Precautionary Rest for the Veteran Star
The Sixers initially listed James as questionable on Friday before officially downgrading his status on Saturday afternoon, Yahoo Sports reported. Sciatica previously caused problems for James early last season, leading him to sit out the first 14 games of his final campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse emphasized that the current benching is not the result of a fresh physical setback.
Nurse told reporters that James had not reported discomfort and noted the franchise was “not worried” about his long-term availability, ESPN reported via ClutchPoints. Team officials have prioritized keeping the veteran healthy and rested for an anticipated playoff push later in the year.
Before the season opened, reports revealed that James was undergoing focused medical attention for his lower back and left foot to safeguard against chronic soreness, Bleacher Report reported.
Roster Management Across Consecutive Contests
Philadelphia started the year 2-0 following comeback wins over the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In those two contests, James logged an average of 33 minutes while posting 15.5 points, six assists and a team-high 9.5 rebounds per game.
With James resting, Philadelphia relied more heavily on guard Tyrese Maxey, who opened the season averaging 30 points per game, and forward Jaylen Brown, who entered Saturday averaging 20 points per game. Meanwhile, center Joel Embiid was cleared to dress Saturday after not appearing on the official afternoon injury report.
The Sixers appear poised to split their stars across the two-game weekend slate. Embiid indicated after Thursday’s 114-106 victory over Cleveland that medical personnel instructed him to sit for one of the two fixtures.
“I’m not playing both games,” Embiid said, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’m playing one of them. I don’t know. They’re going to tell me. But I feel good. Whatever they tell me, I’ll do it.”
Injury Report and What Comes Next
The Sixers entered Saturday dealing with several additional absences across the rotation:
- Forward Dean Wade was designated as questionable after missing the first two regular-season games with a sprained left ankle suffered during the preseason.
- Forward Dominick Barlow remained sidelined because of a lower back stress reaction.
- Center Tacko Fall was ruled out with a left quadriceps strain.
- Center Ariel Hukporti remained out following a ruptured right Achilles tendon.
The Bucks arrived in Philadelphia seeking their first victory after an 0-2 start following the offseason trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. Following Saturday’s clash, the 76ers immediately turn around to face the Pistons on Sunday, when Embiid’s status will be monitored and James could potentially return to the lineup.
