LeBron James will sit out Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors due to low back and sciatica management, NBA.com reported.
James turns 42 next month and now receives four to five days off before his next appearance. The Philadelphia 76ers are off Friday and Saturday before playing back-to-back games Sunday and Monday, giving James a chance to return against the Indiana Pacers or the Brooklyn Nets.
The sciatica issue follows a pattern for James, who previously sat out against the Milwaukee Bucks for the same reason and missed the second game of a back-to-back against the Charlotte Hornets in late October, BasketballNews.com reported. James has averaged 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 10 games for the 76ers this season.
“LeBron James is OUT tonight per Sixers,” Kyle Neubeck wrote on X, according to BasketballNews.
Former players debate James's physical decline
The roster decision arrives during a week when former players have argued that James is nearing the end of his career. Speaking on “To The Baha,” Theo Pinson reviewed a recent Celtics win and said that James appeared slower on the court, BasketballNews.com reported.
“He definitely don’t have the same lift,” Pinson said, pointing to Jayson Tatum getting past James at the rim.
Deron Williams reminded the panel of James approaching age 42, while Raymond Felton said that “this might be his last year, bro,” and Charlie Villanueva agreed immediately, BasketballNews.com reported.
James himself addressed his physical limits after a play on Oct. 28 when Pacers forward Jalen Slawson blocked his breakaway layup, explaining on his podcast with Steve Nash that he chose a layup to avoid a bad landing that could cost him two to four weeks.
The latest Sixers injury and availability news on LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow – plus important updates on the other side ahead of tonight's game vs. the Raptors:https://t.co/xMgnCW01cZ
Raptors roster absences
Toronto enters the matchup with several injuries. Scottie Barnes remains sidelined with a left groin strain, and Kawhi Leonard is ruled out for at least another week with ongoing knee trouble, BasketballNews.com reported.
The 76ers listed Joel Embiid as questionable with a right foot plantar fascia injury management issue. Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow were ruled out earlier, leaving both teams short-handed for the Thursday night contest.
AccuScore projects Philadelphia win over Toronto
AccuScore projects a final score of 109.1 to 116.1 in Philadelphia’s favor, giving the 76ers a 69.7% win probability against Toronto’s 30.3%, according to AccuScore. The simulation engine places the margin at seven points, making the Raptors +10.5 spread a model-backed cover probability of 60.2%.
Public betting trends show 94% of bets and 62% of the handle backing Philadelphia on the moneyline, while Toronto draws 38% of the handle on just 6% of bets, indicating sharp money on the underdog, AccuScore reported. The total sits at 225 points with the model split near even at 48.2% on the over.
Sixers Raptors injury updates Barlow listed Out – Injury/Illness – Low Back Stress Reaction Bona listed Out – Injury/Illness – Cervical Spine Sprain Embiid listed as Questionable – Injury/Illness – Right Foot Plantar Fascia Injury Management LeBron listed as Questionable -…
Philadelphia plays back-to-back games while James evaluates his back
Philadelphia plays back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday, with James expected to evaluate his back before returning to the lineup.
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