Joel Embiid Set to Miss First Two Games vs. Heat, Could Return Soon

On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers will be shorthanded when they open up their second-round series against the Miami Heat. As expected, Sixers center Joel Embiid

On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers will be shorthanded when they open up their second-round series against the Miami Heat.

As expected, Sixers center Joel Embiid won’t be available to face the Miami Heat for Game 1. During Philadelphia’s Game 6 matchup against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion, according to a Sixers official.

At the time of Embiid’s diagnosis, the Sixers ruled out the star center indefinitely. When the Sixers returned to the practice court on Saturday afternoon for their first session since closing out the Raptors series, Embiid wasn’t present as he remains in concussion protocol.

And when the Sixers had another practice session on Sunday morning, the situation was the same. 

At this point, it’s clear that Embiid won’t be available for Monday night’s series opener. While his status beyond Game 1 was initially unknown, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Embiid would also miss Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Per Wojnarowski’s report, Embiid doesn’t intend to travel to Miami this week. While he’s guaranteed to miss the first two matchups at this point, the Sixers seem to be leaving the door open for a possible Game 3 or 4 return. 

ESPN Sources: Joel Embiid won’t travel for Games 1 and 2 in Miami, but there’s optimism he could return as soon as either Game 3 or 4 in Philadelphia. He needs to clear concussion protocols and see doctor mid-week on his orbital fracture. More on NBA Countdown at 12:30 ET on ABC.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 1, 2022

When Embiid suffered an orbital fracture four seasons ago, the big man missed at least three weeks. However, Embiid underwent a surgical procedure at the time. This time around, it seems Embiid will dodge surgery and could return a lot sooner than initially expected. 

The Sixers and the Heat will tip off the second-round series on Monday night. If all goes right for Embiid and the Sixers in the upcoming week, Embiid could be back in action as early as Game 3, which is set to take place on Friday, May 6. 

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