Joel Embiid was listed as out for Game 3, dealing with an orbital fracture but according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the All-Star center returned to the starting lineup Friday night against the Miami Heat.
Embiid was able to clear concussion protocol minutes before tipoff following a blow to the face he took late in last week's first-round series-clinching blowout victory against the Toronto Raptors.
Embiid is donning the all-black protective face mask and according to Doc Rivers will be playing limited minutes in Game 3.
Although wearing a face mask would be a hindrance to certain players, Embiid has experience playing with the mask, suffering from a fractured orbital bone during the 2018 playoffs when the Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round.
It's no question that Embiid's presence on the court will help Philly out tremendously since Miami easily won the first two games by double digits without him. Bam Adebayo was able to get whatever he wanted to in those two games, averaging 23.5 points on 71.4% shooting and 10.5 rebounds.
The Sixers have been relying on a past his prime DeAndre Jordan and a young Paul Reed in Embiid's absence with Jordan facing a lot of criticism for his lackluster performance.
This is not the first injury the seven-footer has suffered in this year's playoffs. Embiid tore a ligament in his shooting thumb in Game 3 against the Raptors and played until he took an elbow to the face from Pascal Siakam with four minutes left in Game 6.
Let's see if Embiid can give the Sixers the spark they need to keep this series alive in a pivotal Game 3.
Follow Jasper Jones on Twitter: @jonesj2342
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