Nerlens Noel, JaKarr Sampson exit Sixers' win over Magic

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Updated: 11:45 p.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Sixers struggled earlier in the season when the team was hit by a string of injuries. On Wednesday, they overcame two to beat the Magic, 96-87, for their first win over an Eastern Conference team in 33 games dating back to last year (see Instant Replay).

Nerlens Noel first tweaked his ankle in the first half while stepping on Jason Smith’s foot but was able to return to the game. Two minutes before halftime, however, his vision began to blur and he became lightheaded. He has suffered migraines in the past and didn’t think he should return to the game.

“I started getting dizzy. I didn't want to catch the ball. I didn't know if I'd be able to,” he said, also noting, “I didn't want to go back out there and just hurt my team in any type of way, not being able to react.”

Noel took migraine medication and did not return to the game. (He scored four points with eight rebounds in 19 minutes). Noel doesn’t think anything specific thing triggered the headache. Sixers head coach Brett Brown pointed out how worked up Noel gets for game time given his competitive spirit.

“It’s an outlier, it’s not something that has happened before,” Brown said of the headache. “He has had some stomach problems at the start of games and halftimes. He gets wound up. With Nerlens, he’s got his own way of dealing, I think, with some anxiety to go play and compete. I look at it as, in a twisted way, a good thing he cares that much. Sometimes it gets the better of him. I think this is one of those examples. He’ll be fine though. He feels better now.”

Noel is a driving defensive force on the Sixers, and Brown wants him on the floor as much as possible. To prevent him from getting too worked up in game situations, Brown encourages him to focus on the facets in which he can have the biggest impact. He would like to see Noel develop into an elite offensive rebounder, one that should be highlighted on opponents' scouting tapes. Brown noted Kenneth Faried and former NBA player Ben Wallace as an example.

"Any of those energy-based guys, we point to to try to get him going," Brown said. "It doesn’t have to be through scoring, it’s energy-based things. We try to point to those things to better steer him."

Before Noel left the game, JaKarr Sampson was the first to be sidelined. Sampson sustained a left hip pointer and checked out with 4:19 to go in the first quarter. He sat on the sidelines waiting for the pain to go away to play again, but it didn’t subside enough to return.

“It gets stiff and it really stings,” he described. “It hurts.”

Sampson iced his hip after the game. He will receive treatment on Thursday when the team is back in Philadelphia. He does not know if he will have to miss Saturday’s game against the Celtics, but is determined to fight through it.

“I know I’m a tough guy,” he said. “I’m not going to let this hold me back. I’m going to be on the court as soon as I can.”

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