Dominick Barlow was helped off the field with a back injury after an ugly fall
The Philadelphia 76ers lost a key member of the rotation after forward Dominick Barlow suffered a back injury in the early moments of the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday.
Barlow writhed in pain as he clutched his lower back after falling to the floor after a blocked attempt.
It had to be 22-year-old Barlow helped him off the floor after a nasty fall.
“He was able to walk to the locker room very slowly, wrapping his arms around (Andre) Drummond and another teammate that I couldn’t see,” reported Kyle Nubeck of PHLI Sports.
The 76ers later announced that Barlow would be sidelined for the rest of the game. He finished with two points and two rebounds in eight minutes.
Barlow signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia in the offseason. After being stuck on the bench for the first few weeks, he has now carved out a role for himself, even getting a start when Kelly Oubre Jr. was sidelined for an extended period.
Even though Oubre returned, Barlow kept his starting spot. The severity of his back contusion remains unclear, but it would be a heavy blow for Barlow if he misses more time just when he has been playing well.
He is averaging a career-high 25.0 minutes, 8.5 points, 55.6% field goal percentage, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He is the perfect complement Joel Embiid, who made a big breakthrough against the Cavaliersand Paul George in the frontcourt, since he doesn’t need the ball to make a shot.
2026-01-15 02:12:00
