76ers' Robert Covington: Available to play Thursday

Covington (knee) is available to play Thursday against the Pelicans, Jessica Camerato of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Analysis:

Covington, who suffered a sprained left knee in the Dec. 2 loss to the Magic and has also been suffering from an illness in recent days, has missed the 76ers' last three games. It was initially reported that his absence would extend through the final two games of the team's current road trip, but evidently, the forward has recovered from both issues sooner than anticipated. His return will provide a boon to a 76ers squad that's short on healthy players, though Covington could face some sort of minute restriction in his return. Nik Stauskas would head back to the bench if Covington ends up taking on his normal role as a starter.