Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton Available for 76ers vs. Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers will reportedly get some reinforcements for Thursday's game against the Miami Heat.

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, head coach Doc Rivers confirmed Tobias Harris, Shake Milton and Matisse Thybulle will all be available to play. They each missed the Sixers' past three games because of the health and safety protocols the NBA put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Player absences were the biggest storyline for Tuesday's game between the 76ers and Heat, which Philadelphia won in overtime.

Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic were among those who did not play on Miami's side, which left Tyler Herro to carry the offense. He finished with 34 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Duncan Robinson (26 points) and Gabe Vincent (24 points) provided additional scoring.

The 76ers still had stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, which ultimately made the difference.

While Simmons had an off night and fouled out in the fourth quarter, Miami had no answers for Embiid down low. The 76ers big man finished with 45 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and four assists while shooting 16-of-23 from the field.

Having Harris, Milton and Thybulle back for Thursday's game means Embiid won't be under as much pressure to carry the offense for extended stretches. It will likely mean less production from role players such as Danny Green (29 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals on Tuesday).

The NBA did not postpone Tuesday's matchup despite a number of absences, but ESPN noted it has postponed nine games since Sunday as it deals with positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing while attempting to play the season amid the pandemic.