The staggering Philadelphia 76ers face the unenviable task of dealing with the second half of a back-to-back when they meet the Toronto Raptors in the NBA bubble on Wednesday night.
The 76ers prioritized long-term health over potential short-term gain when they sat regulars Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Al Horford and Josh Richardson in a 130-117 loss to Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon.
It's possible all four -- along with Ben Simmons, already deemed out for the season following knee surgery -- will sit again Wednesday, and perhaps even in Friday's regular-season finale against Houston, virtually assuring the 76ers (42-29) will land in the sixth position in the final Eastern Conference standings.