LeBron James will sit out for the first time as a Sixer on Saturday night.
The 2-0 Sixers downgraded James’ status from questionable to out Saturday afternoon before their meeting with the 0-2 Bucks at Xfinity Mobile Arena. James’ official listing on the injury report was “low back/sciatica management.”
Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear) and Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) were also listed as out. Dean Wade remained questionable as of Saturday afternoon with a left ankle sprain.
The night off for the 41-year-old James does not come as a surprise. The Sixers will finish their first back-to-back of the season Sunday when they host the Pistons.
The team hasn’t detailed its exact plans with James and Joel Embiid’s availability, but the Sixers have made it clear that neither star will be every-game players this season. Embiid said he expects to play one leg of the back-to-back, so it appears he’ll be out Sunday.
“We have plenty of meetings and discussions about it. … It’s obviously an important topic,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Sept. 29. “Like our fans and like all of us, we want those two guys ready to go come April.”
James averaged 33.5 minutes over the Sixers’ first two games and posted 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.
