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The Philadelphia 76ers are cutting it close with their roster depth against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. The Sixers will have just enough players to avoid postponing the game this afternoon.
The team's safety in regards to COVID-19 was prioritized, as many players were forced to quarantine as a result of the health and safety protocols established by the NBA, per Shams Charania of The Athletic:
76ers’ Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Vincent Poirier are each out today vs. Denver due to health and safety protocols and will receive quarantine period, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2021
After Seth Curry tested positive for the virus before their contest against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, Joel Embiid decided to self-quarantine as he sat next to Curry on the bench, according to Brad Botkin of CBS Sports. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN had an update on Embiid's situation:
Clearance from the Health and Safety protocol doesn't guarantee that Embiid is playing today, just that he counts as an eligible player toward the eight necessary for the Sixers to avoid postponement.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 9, 2021
However, Woj later confirmed that Embiid will be cleared from the protocol, along with two other players, allowing for the 76ers to have a solid 9 man team.
The Sixers are expected to have nine eligible players today, including three cleared from protocol: Joel Embiid, Danny Green and Paul Reed, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/4TBl3xJXaq
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 9, 2021
Though head coach Doc Rivers may not be able to use substitutions to his liking and rotate players to maximize the depth of his bench, the Sixers should be grateful that the game against the Nuggets is even being played. Otherwise, they may have had a similar fate to the Houston Rockets, as they did not have enough players earlier in the season due to COVID-19 protocols.
With Ben Simmons and Embiid on the court, the Sixers head into Saturday's meeting with a 7-2 record against a struggling Nuggets team, who are just 3-5.
