Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Center Embiid back in starting lineup against Heat in Game 3
MIAMI — In a span of a few hours, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid went from “doubtful” to making his playoff debut.
Shortly before tip-off for Thursday’s Game 3 matchup against the Miami Heat, Embiid was upgraded to probable on the team’s injury report and in the starting lineup. Embiid has missed the first two games of the series and 10 in row since sustaining a broken orbital bone and concussion March 28.
“It’s trending in a positive way,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said earlier in the day. “We like what we’ve seen over the past few days. We liked what we saw at shootaround [Thursday].”
The Sixers had to await league approval for Embiid’s protective face mask. He has been seen wearing one in practice this week.
“The design of that and the sophisticated process that goes in with shaping that to his face,” Brown said. “That’s moving forward in a positive way as well.”
The move was a contrast to what Embiid’s status was before the morning shootaround. Brown listed him as doubtful and said there were no plans of rushing Embiid back onto the court.
He sustained the injury after colliding with teammate Markelle Fultz against the New York Knicks and has since underwent surgery to repair the damage.
“It’s a collaborative thing with Joel and doctors and me,” Brown said earlier. “It’s all this stuff. It revolves around comfort. I feel like we’re responsible with his health, those types of things.”
Embiid has participated in light workouts the past three days. Brown said he has shown progress but will have to get acclimated with a faster offensive pace the Sixers added in his absence. Behind guard Ben Simmons, they won nine of 10 games without Embiid before losing to the Heat in Game 2.
“We have been playing a style of basketball that has suited this team,” Brown said. “So absorbing [Embiid]) back in the group, us with him, him with us, that’s going to take a little bit of time. I don’t see that being a seamless transition. I do see his benefit immediately defensively but all of us would not be that wise to think that it’s going to keep chugging along.”
The Heat have prepared for Embiid throughout the series. His return at some point was inevitable.
“The logical conclusion would be after a couple days of days between games,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “If it wasn’t [Thursday], we knew it would be sometime soon. We’re not trying to duck competition at all. We expect them to have their guys. We have to prove that we can overcome them.”
Confidence in Fultz
Brown said he hasn’t given up Fultz despite playing him just five minutes in Game 2. Fultz will continue to receive minutes at backup point guard behind Simmons.
“I will go back to Markelle,” Brown said. “He deserves the opportunity to play basketball in that roll again. Like everybody, you judge it after the event. My belief is he will learn from the last situation, the physicality of the game. We’re going to go back to him again.” The notion means guard
T.J. McConnell may have dropped out of the rotation. Fultz, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, played in just 14 games this season after being sidelined most of the year with a shoulder injury.
“I’m doing whatever the team needs me to do,” Fultz said. “Whenever I’m out on the court, I’m just going to play as hard as I can. I’m a basketball player. I’m always just looking forward to going out there and hoop.”
Mourning Pop’s wife
Brown offered his condolences to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich, whose wife, Erin, died Wednesday evening. She was 67 and had been battling an illness for an extended period.
Brown was an assistant under Popovich in San Antonio from 2002-13.
“I’ve been with Pop a long time,” Brown said. “I’ve known Erin Popovich a long time. Their family is wonderful. Their family has been incredibly kind to my family. She was a star, like a real star, just a very strong woman. Somebody who will be missed.”