Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat Wish They Could Face Joel Embiid

The Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers will meet for a possible seven-game stretch to partake in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last week, the Heat put
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat Wish They Could Face Joel Embiid
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat Wish They Could Face Joel Embiid /

The Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers will meet for a possible seven-game stretch to partake in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Last week, the Heat put away their first-round opponent, the Atlanta Hawks, by defeating them four out of five times.

Once they advanced to the next round, the Heat kept a close eye on the Sixers versus Toronto Raptors series as the winner would move on to take on the top-seeded Heat.

Although the 76ers had an opportunity to sweep the Raptors, back-to-back losses forced six games. During Game 6, the 76ers managed to put the Raptors away for good, but it came with a steep price to pay.

Amid a 20-plus point blowout, Sixers big man Joel Embiid took an elbow to the face, which resulted in an orbital fracture on his right side and a mild concussion.

When Embiid received his diagnosis this past Friday night, the Sixers ruled the big man out indefinitely and couldn't put a timeline on his return.

Game 1 between the Heat and the Sixers is scheduled for Monday night. Considering Embiid didn't make the trip to Miami with the team on Sunday, he's guaranteed to miss the first outing. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there are no plans to have Embiid join the Sixers on the trip at this time. Therefore, he's most likely out for Game 2 as well. 

To Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, Embiid's upcoming absence is disappointing. As fellow players, the Heat obviously feel for the big man who's currently battling through three notable setbacks at the time time. And as competitors, there is disappointment that they don't get to face the Sixers at their best.

According to Nick Friedell of ESPN, Butler mentioned he felt bad for Embiid late last week as the Heat prepared for the second-round series against Philadelphia.

That shouldn't come as a surprise considering Butler and Embiid are former teammates who have built up a strong bond over the years, even as opponents.

The Sixers won't rule Embiid out for the entire series just yet, so there is a chance he could return and face Miami later on down the line. For the time being, though, Embiid will watch from home as the Sixers attempt to take home-court advantage on the road down in South Beach this week.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_. 


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA