The hits just keep coming for the Philadelphia 76ers as Kelly Oubre Jr. suffered a sprain of the lateral collateral ligament in his left elbow, an MRI revealed Wednesday. He will miss the team’s upcoming stretch of games and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.
Oubre suffered the injury during his 30-point and 12-rebound performance Tuesday night in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. This season, Oubre has arguably enjoyed his best since signing with the Sixers shortly before the start of the 2023-24 season. Despite all of the uncertainty of the team’s nightly lineup and with his role ever changing, Oubre has been a primary contributor when available.
In 41 games, starting 36, Oubre has averaged 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from three-point range. Oubre had worked diligently to improve his three-point efficiency, and despite the challenges he and the team faced throughout the year, that particular endeavor was a success.
The two-week timeline now places Oubre on a similar trajectory to Paul George's return, who will be eligible to play his first game after a 25-game suspension on March 25 against the Chicago Bulls. That’s by no means a guarantee, though, as his reevaluation could lead to a longer absence, as seen with both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Both players had additional time added to their recovery after their recent reevaluations. Embiid is expected to once again be reevaluated after the Sixers’ upcoming road game in Detroit.
Oubre’s absence is yet another major hit to a Sixers team that is clinging precariously to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. While he is sidelined, there will be an opportunity for Justin Edwards and two-way players Dalen Terry and MarJon Beauchamp.
Unless otherwise stated, all stats included in this article are via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass, Basketball Reference or Team Rankings. All salary information via Spotrac.
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