If the Sixers are going to win their 10th straight game, they'll have to do it without one of their key pieces.
Dario Saric is out for Sunday afternoon's contest (1 p.m./NBCSP) against the Hornets with a swollen right elbow, Brett Brown said pregame.
Brown noted that Saric's elbow was bothering him in the Sixers' 101-91 win over the Hawks on Friday, when Saric scored just 6 points on 2-of-10 shooting.
"Rarely are players supportive of sitting. Today I could tell he felt like it would be best for the team and him if he were to give it a rest knowing that we have a back-to-back around the corner," Brown said.
With seven games remaining, the Sixers sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Cavaliers and a half-game ahead of the Pacers. After taking on the Hornets, they'll be back in Philadelphia to play the Nets on Tuesday, then travel to Detroit to play the Pistons Wednesday.
Saric has been an iron man for the Sixers, playing in 74 of the team's 75 games. He'll be replaced in the starting lineup by Ersan Ilyasova, who scored 21 points in Friday's win.
