The 76ers (41-27) are back in action Friday, facing the Orlando Magic (32-37) for their fourth game inside the bubble.
The Sixers will need to overcome the absence of Ben Simmons (left knee) in order to win their third straight game.
“We’re going to have a next man up mentality like we’ve had all year,” Josh Richardson said at Thursday’s practice. “Everybody has to step up by committee.”
Brett Brown hopes the Sixers will make the most of the situation.
Simmons suffered his injury in the third quarter of Wednesday’s win over Washington.
“You take the team that you have, and you try to make sure areas are as covered as they can be,” Brown said.
Shake Milton has been in this position before - filling in for Simmons (and Richardson, too) prior to the hiatus. His mindset remains the same.
“I’m going to continue to play the right way - be aggressive, shoot when I’m open, and look for my teammates whenever I’m not,” Milton said. “I’m going to continue to go out there and play the way I know I can play.”
Brown added that throughout the Sixers’ time in the NBA bubble, their collective identity and bond have grown considerably. He says the Sixers’ spirit will continue to be key to their success moving forward.
“Faith is driven, because I think the group has it in them to galvanize - to find some insulation, as it relates to team stuff - to navigate through this.”
Friday’s contest tips at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Opponent Outlook:
The Magic occupy the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, just half a game behind the No. 7 Brooklyn Nets (32-36).
Orlando won its first two games inside the bubble, before dropping a pair to the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors. In Wednesday’s meeting with the defending champions, Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross led the Magic with 15 points apiece.
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