Sixers Scratch Veteran Player With Injury Late vs. Pistons

The Philadelphia 76ers’ crowded injury report for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons gained another name shortly after the matchup tipped off.

According to team officials, the Sixers have ruled out KJ Martin on Tuesday night due to left great toe contusion. He’ll likely take his recovery day-to-day, as it doesn’t seem severe.

Lately, Martin has picked up more consistent minutes with the Sixers. Since he collected back to back DNPs in late March, Martin came off the bench for ten minutes against the Toronto Raptors for the final game of March.

Since then, Martin has averaged 18 minutes on the court over the last five games. Attempting 4.4 shots per game, Martin has drained 59 percent of his shots. He is averaging five points, three rebounds, and one assist lately.

Heading into Tuesday’s matchup, Martin was left off the injury report. The same couldn’t be said for several of his teammates.

Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, and Kyle Lowry were among the starters on the injury report on Tuesday. De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington were the reserves.

As expected, Covington was ruled out early. As he continues to recover from a knee injury, Covington has been out for several months. A timeline for Covington’s return remains unclear this late into the year.

Maxey and Lowry joined Covington and Martin as players who were ruled out on Tuesday. Maxey has been dealing with hip tightness lately. After picking up over 50 minutes of playing time on Sunday, a night off was much-needed for Maxey.

While Lowry was ruled out on Sunday due to rest, he’s been diagnosed with a knee effusion. His setback isn’t deemed serious, but the Sixers are remaining cautious down the stretch.

As for Embiid, Melton, and Harris, they returned to action.