Brett Brown: Nerlens Noel (knee, back) out Saturday vs. Nets

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Nerlens Noel could get a break from the whirlwind pace of the Sixers’ preseason this weekend after suffering contusions to his left knee and back in Thursday night’s victory over Cleveland at the Wells Fargo Center.

Noel was held out of Friday’s practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and will miss Saturday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets in Albany, New York.

“Nerlens is going to be out for [Saturday],” coach Brett Brown said after Friday’s practice.

“We have a lot of banged up players.”

Noel took a hard spill during the third quarter Thursday night when he was battling for a loose ball, which caused the back contusion. Though he took a few moments to pull himself off the floor, Noel remained in the game, notching 15 rebounds and 10 points in 26 minutes.

The knee contusion came during the first half when he banged knees with the Cavaliers’ Richard Jefferson.

“There’s a little bruising and it’s a little sore, but it’s nothing too serious,” Noel said. “I should be OK soon.”

Noel has been the Sixers’ most productive player in the first two preseason games. In Tuesday’s opener in Washington, Noel led the Sixers with 13 points to go with five rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes.

Playing power forward this season after starting as the team’s center in his rookie year, Noel has worked on adapting to playing a new position alongside new center Jahlil Okafor. 

Okafor played 20 minutes Thursday night under orders from the training staff not to exceed that amount of time because of general soreness. Point guard T.J. McConnell also played under a minutes restriction in his first game back after suffering a sprained left foot.

Additionally, guards Tony Wroten, Pierre Jackson, Kendall Marshall and Nik Stauskas remain out with injuries while power forward Carl Landry also will be out for the next few weeks.

“Part of it is part of our NBA training camp and sometimes you just have to get through stuff,” Brown said. “There’s nobody healthy in the NBA — you’ve heard me say that a lot.”

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