It sounds like Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is inching closer and closer to returning to the game.
But will he return fast enough?
Embiid has been out for all of the second round because of a head injury and concussion protocols.
Without him, his 76ers have experienced some very tough times and are now down 2-0 against the Miami Heat.
The 76ers say Joel Embiid has cleared concussion protocol, and participated in shootaround. He remains out for the game, but his status could change between now and tonight’s game.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 6, 2022
But there is good news to celebrate: the 76ers now say that Embiid has cleared concussion protocol and even participated in shootaround.
While he still remains out for Friday’s Game 3, his status could change by tip-off.
Fans of the 76ers are definitely holding their breath right now in hopes of Embiid suiting up on Friday night.
Needing Embiid
Saying that Embiid is a major part of the 76ers’ success is a huge understatement.
Throughout the season, he averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
And during this postseason, Embiid has generated 26.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
As you can see, that’s a huge portion of Philadelphia’s output.
To be clear, the 76ers were having issues before they lost Embiid and their series against the Toronto Raptors had many bumps in the road that were concerning for 76ers fans.
However, things have gotten far, far worse now that Embiid is gone.
The team has lost both of the opening games in the series and has done so with double-digit margins.
Statistically, it’s nearly impossible to come back from a 2-0 deficit.
Looking at the 76ers without Embiid, it seems even more impossible.
If Embiid is able to come back, it would still be very hard to claw back into the competition but it would at least give the team more of a chance.
NEXT: 76ers Insider Discusses Joel Embiid's Game 3 Status
