Cole Burston/Getty Images
Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid received a ton of praise Friday on social media after he cleared concussion protocol.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that Embiid had not only cleared concussion protocol, but was “doing everything possible” to play in Game 3 of the Sixers’ second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat on Friday despite also dealing with a fractured orbital bone and torn thumb ligament.
Charania added that there is “optimism” Embiid will try to play Friday after being fitted for a mask, although he will have to be “comfortable” before getting fully cleared to play.
Embiid missed the first two games of the Heat series after suffering a concussion and orbital fracture in Game 6 of Philly’s first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.
The Sixers have gone down 2-0 to Miami during Embiid’s absence, underscoring the importance of the MVP candidate’s presence on the court.
Despite Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reporting that Embiid is still listed as out for Game 3, the positive tweets poured in for Embiid on Friday:
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
That <a href=”https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JoelEmbiid</a> is even trying to play through a torn thumb ligament and a broken orbital bone — in addition to being just a week removed from a concussion — is pretty remarkable. These are the kind of injuries that keep players out weeks, if not longer.
Gossip And Sports @GossipAndSports
Not all heroes wear capes, they wear masks <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/JoelEmbiid?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#JoelEmbiid</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/MVP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#MVP</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/76ers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#76ers</a> <a href=”https://t.co/5H2YvwmYqS”>pic.twitter.com/5H2YvwmYqS</a>
Seth Glinski @Sethro3
There is no doubt that <a href=”https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JoelEmbiid</a> will do everything he can to convince everyone involved to let him play. Now we just need to see if the team and doctors will let him. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TTP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TTP</a>
Embiid has battled through myriad injuries during his six-year NBA career, and they even forced him to miss what would have been his first two NBA seasons in their entirety.
Despite that, he has developed into a dominant force in the NBA, earning All-Star nods in each of the past five seasons and putting himself in MVP contention this season.
The 7-footer enjoyed a career year during the 2021-22 regular season, leading the NBA in scoring with 30.6 points per game and adding 11,7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game as well.
Embiid also dominated during the first round of the playoffs and was the driving force behind the 76ers knocking the Raptors out of the playoffs.
Now, the Sixers are facing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and if they don’t get Embiid back soon, their season is in imminent danger of ending.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
