Already down a starter in Joel Embiid (“load management”), the Sixers will be without another key player in tonight’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Jimmy Butler has been declared out with back tightness for this evening’s game:
#Sixers SF @JimmyButler is out tonight vs. #Mavs with back tightness. He’s day to day moving forward. -@PompeyOnSixers
With the playoffs just around the corner and a sense that the Sixers haven’t completely optimized their rotation due to growing pains and roster turnover, it’s disappointing to see not one but two starters needing rest down the stretch.