Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
76ers will keep Embiid out again.
76ers’ Brown says decision to keep Embiid out based on health alone
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will not make his NBA playoff debut until at least Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The 76ers, while announcing Sunday that Embiid has cleared the league concussion protocol, said Embiid has not been cleared to return from fractured orbital bone near his left eye sustained in a March 28 game against the New York Knicks.
The 76ers lead the best-of-seven first-round series against the Miami Heat 1-0 after Saturday’s 130-103 victory at Wells Fargo Center, with Game 2 scheduled there for 8 p.m. today before a two-day break until Game 3 on the Heat’s home court.
The 76ers have formally listed Embiid as “out” on their injury report.
Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters at the 76ers practice facility Sunday that the Game 2 decision was not based on the Game 1 result.
“It’s just what is best for Joel’s health,” he said. “And it’s been determined that he should not play game two for that reason.”
Journeyman big man Amir Johnson has been starting in place of Embiid, with the 76ers undefeated in the interim, with Philadelphia ending the regular season on a 16-game winning streak that now stands at 17.
Johnson, however, did not start the second half of Saturday’s playoff opener, with Brown opting for the outside shooting of power forward Ersan Ilyasova, a move that turned a close game into the rout.
Brown did not commit to his starting lineup Sunday.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Sunday’s practice at Temple University that he expects the 76ers to stay with the smaller front line, with Ilyasova in that group in place of Johnson.
“I would imagine that’s who he’s starting,” he said.
Spoelstra said he would remain with center Hassan Whiteside in his starting unit, forced to then contend with an outside-shooting big man.
“He would have to,” Spoelstra said, “and that’s not the first time that we’ve gone through this. I mean that’s the way the league is headed and that’s what he’s been working on all season, is to play shooting greats and still find ways to impact our team positively at the rim.
“Without Embiid, they go to those lineups and actions probably more than they normally do. We just have to find a way.”
The 76ers are 9-0 his absence.
Getting Goran
Spoelstra said among his priorities is easing the game for point guard
Goran Dragic, who shot 4 of 14 in the series opener, with five assists, four turnovers and five fouls.
“We’re going to try to get him a little more space and get him some opportunities to attack,” Spoelstra said. “But they’re pretty committed to containing the paint, so we’ll have to make some plays to open guys up and keep their defense honest. We certainly want Goran being aggressive and in spots where he’s comfortable.”
The 76ers throughout the season have utilized the size and length of small forward Robert Covington defensively against Dragic.
“We watched the video,” Dragic said. “When we didn’t get a trigger, we were in trouble, we didn’t move the ball well. With their size, they kind of forced us to take bad shots.”
J-Rich, too
Spoelstra said he also wants to ease the game for small forward Josh
Richardson, who was 1 of 7 from the field, with the Heat outscored by 30 points when he was on the court for his 27:21 in Game 1.
“I do need to figure that out,” Spoelstra said. “He’s been a very important player for us. And it’s not necessarily the play calls or box-score stats, but when you feel J-Rich’s presence in a game, those are the games we’re very difficult to beat.
“We’re going to try to get him a little bit more involved, but get him more active defensively where you feel his presence and feel his purpose and athleticism and his versatility, all those things. We’ve got to do a better job. I have to find a way to get him in spots to where he can feel aggressive.”
Richardson said he is not overly concerned.
“I’m not really one to get super hung up on things like that after the game’s over,” he said. “I looked at the film and I saw spots I could have attacked. I’ll change it.”