The Philadelphia 76ers enter Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards with one major piece of good news: Tyrese Maxey is available despite a right finger tendon strain and splint. Philadelphia, however, will remain without Joel Embiid and Johni Broome, leaving the team short-handed against a Washington roster dealing with even more absences.
Embiid is out because of illness, while Broome remains sidelined as he continues recovery from right knee surgery. That leaves Maxey as the centerpiece of a 76ers offense that is already built around his scoring and playmaking, especially with Embiid unavailable.
Maxey has averaged 28.8 points, 6.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds this season. Philadelphia has already beaten Washington three times this season, including a 131-110 win on Jan. 7 and a 139-134 overtime victory on Oct. 28.
Washington’s injury report is even longer. The Wizards list Leaky Black, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr as questionable, while Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, Julian Reese, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Whitmore are all out.
That leaves Washington with several lineup questions on both ends of the floor. Sarr’s availability is especially important because he has averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, while Coulibaly has provided 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
The Wizards are also without Russell, who is listed as not with the team, and George, who is out with a left elbow sprain.
The matchup also comes at a time when both teams are coming off uneven recent results. Philadelphia lost at Miami on Monday after beating Charlotte two nights earlier, while Washington dropped back-to-back games at the Lakers and Trail Blazers.
