There appears to be some hope that the Philadelphia 76ers could get Joel Embiid back sooner than later.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday that while Embiid will not travel with the team to Miami for Games 1 or 2, he could return for either Game 3 or 4 in Philadelphia should he clear concussion protocols.
Woj added that Embiid will see a doctor mid-week to evaluate his orbital fracture.
This is welcome news for the Sixers after it was reported Embiid would be out indefinitely with a broken orbital bone and concussion he sustained in Game 6 against the Raptors.
The Sixers have a tall task in facing the top-seeded Miami Heat, but if James Harden can help them steal one of the first two games and Embiid returns, then Philadelphia ought to at least stand a chance at pulling off the upset.
Embiid has had an unfortunate run of bad luck with injuries in the playoffs but has played at an MVP-caliber level when healthy.
In the opening round series vs. Toronto, Embiid averaged 26.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, including three games in which he had at least 30 and 10.
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