The Philadelphia 76ers could have their best player back in the NBA Playoffs as soon as Tuesday (AEDT).
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Joel Embiid told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that "there's a pretty good chance" he could play in Game 2 or Game 3 of the Sixers' first-round series against Miami. Game 2 is on Tuesday, while Game 3 would not be until Friday.
"If it was my decision, I would play, but I can't get back out on the court if I don't have the OK from them," Embiid said. "But everything has been going well. I've been able to do everything. And I feel great. So we got a pretty good chance for Game 2 or Game 3. We gonna see how it feels in the next couple of days.
"I got to do some contact stuff and see how it feels, and then they are going to allow me to be back. I did a little bit today, kind of like dummy defense - not really contact but, like, a body on me."
The big fella @JoelEmbiid ringing us in! 🛎🔨 pic.twitter.com/gVgmebqDF4
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 15, 2018
The All-Star big man warmed up before Game 1 on Sunday, but had already been ruled out for that night's contest. The former No. 1 overall pick underwent surgery for a fractured orbital bone suffered in late March and has not played since.The 76ers finished the regular season on a 16-game winning streak despite his absence. He must pass concussion protocol and contact drills before being cleared to play.
In just his second season, Embiid averaged 22.9 points, 11.0 reboundsd and 1.8 blocks per game while leading Philadelphia to its first playoff berth since 2012.
