The Sixers will need to navigate their Game 2 matchup against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night without their superstar big man Joel Embiid, who himself is still dealing with a pair of lingering injuries. The five-time All-Star is progressing well on his road to recovery, however, and it looks like he's going to suit up for Game 3 on Friday.
According to John Clark of NBCS Philly, the Sixers star is on track to suit up for Friday's pivotal matchup in Philadelphia:
Sources tell me Joel Embiid is progressing well and there is real hope for Friday night. Joel would be playing through pain with orbital fracture and torn ligament in his thumb.
This is great news for the Sixers who were clearly outplayed by the Heat in Game 1. They will want to even out the series in Game 2 on Wednesday but with Embiid out of the picture, the odds are stacked against them.
The worst-case scenario for the Sixers is that they enter Game 3 down 0-2 in the series. The good news for them is that Games 3 and 4 will be played on their home floor and if Embiid is able to return, they should still have a fair shot at tying the series up.