76ers’ Joel Embiid Listed as Out for Game 3 vs. Heat with Concussion, Facial Injury

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

It appears likely that Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss Friday night’s Game 3 against the Miami Heat, per multiple reports. 

So, it was a major blow when the 76ers
announced the five-time All-Star would be out indefinitely after
suffering an orbital fracture and mild concussion late in the Toronto series, catching a Pascal Siakam late in Game 6. It forced him to miss the first two games of the
second-round matchup with the Heat.

The ill-timed injury came after the
28-year-old NBA scoring champion showed improved durability to make a
career-high 68 appearances during the regular season.

DeAndre Jordan stepped into the
starting lineup to open the Heat series and will continue to play in
traditional lineups until Embiid is cleared to return. Philadelphia
has also used more small-ball looks, with Georges Niang and Paul Reed
garnering more minutes.

The Sixers have managed to play well at
times when Embiid has been sidelined because of their
depth, but trying to survive without him in the postseason is a
different task, as evidenced by their 2-0 deficit against Miami. Their title chances are directly tied to him being
on the floor, and a Game 3 loss would all but extinguish them entirely.