Joel Embiid Questionable for Game 5 vs. Miami Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat are set to meet for Game 5 on Tuesday night. For the third time this series, the Sixers will pay a visit to South
Joel Embiid Questionable for Game 5 vs. Miami Heat
Joel Embiid Questionable for Game 5 vs. Miami Heat /

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat are set to meet for Game 5 on Tuesday night. For the third time this series, the Sixers will pay a visit to South Beach as they attempt to steal a win on the road.

At the start of the series, the Sixers struggled on the road in Miami. While they put up an honorable fight in the first two outings, it was clear the Sixers missed their top star, Joel Embiid, who was dealing with a concussion and an orbital fracture.

After taking on two-straight losses, Embiid was cleared out of the NBA's concussion protocol and was ready to push through the pain and return to the floor.

Despite being ruled out for Game 3 initially, Embiid eventually found himself upgraded to available as he was ready to make his second-round series debut.

Embiid checked into the game for 36 minutes on Friday. During that time, he put up 18 points off of 12 shots as the 76ers put the Heat away with a 20-point victory.

When the Sixers and the Heat met up for Game 4 on Sunday, Embiid was once again present on the court as he scored 24 points in 38 minutes in the 116-108 win.

For the first time this postseason, Embiid will make the trip to Miami. However, his playing status down in South Beach remains questionable at this time, according to Philadelphia's Tuesday morning injury report.

Judging based on the last two games, Embiid will likely approach the matchup as a game-time decision, with intentions to play. And as long as there aren't any setbacks leading up to tip-off on Tuesday night, Embiid has a good chance to play in Game 5.

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


More Sixers News:

Joel Embiid Comes Up Short: According to a report, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award for the second season in a row. Once again, Sixers center Joel Embiid is expected to be considered the runner-up for the award. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

James Harden Lifts Sixers Past Heat: The Sixers took on the Miami Heat for the Game 4 matchup of their second-round series on Sunday night. With a big scoring night from James Harden, the Sixers managed to even the series score at two before going back to Miami. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.


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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