The Philadelphia 76ers are down another body, with Kelly Oubre spraining a ligament in his left elbow.
The Sixers on Wednesday announced that an MRI revealed a sprain of the lateral collateral ligament in Oubre’s left elbow. He will be reevaluated in about two weeks.
Oubre was sensational in Tuesday’s 139-129 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, supplying 30 points on 10-for-24 shooting and 12 rebounds in 38 minutes. But he’s the latest 76er to hit a growing injury report.
Tyrese Maxey is out at least three weeks after being diagnosed on Tuesday with a tendon injury to the pinky on his right hand. Joel Embiid remains out with a right oblique strain, in addition to ongoing injury management in both of his knees. Paul George is ineligible to return from a 25-game suspension for his violation of the NBA drug policy until March 25.
That leaves the 76ers down a minimum of three opening-night starters for the foreseeable future, including Thursday’s trip to East-leading Detroit.
Oubre has been massive for the 76ers this year, averaging 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 41 games. He recently missed two games due to illness, but before that, he had rounded back into form from a 22-game absence due to a knee ligament sprain.
The 30-year-old had averaged 18 ppg and 5.5 rpg in his first 11 games before the knee injury in Detroit.
The Sixers are 6-9 in their last 15 games. At 35-30, they sit eighth in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games ahead of 10th-place Charlotte for the final place in the play-in and 1.5 behind sixth-place Miami for the final spot that avoids the play-in.