Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat Wish They Could Face Sixers’ Joel Embiid
The Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers will meet for a possible seven-game stretch to partake in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Last week, the Heat put away their first-round opponent, the Atlanta Hawks, by defeating them four out of five times.
Once they advanced to the next round, the Heat kept a close eye on the Sixers versus Toronto Raptors series as the winner would move on to take on the top-seeded Heat.
Although the 76ers had an opportunity to sweep the Raptors, back-to-back losses forced six games. During Game 6, the 76ers managed to put the Raptors away for good, but it came with a steep price to pay.
Amid a 20-plus point blowout, Sixers big man Joel Embiid took an elbow to the face, which resulted in an orbital fracture on his right side and a mild concussion.
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When Embiid received his diagnosis this past Friday night, the Sixers ruled the big man out indefinitely and couldn’t put a timeline on his return.
Game 1 between the Heat and the Sixers is scheduled for Monday night. Considering Embiid didn’t make the trip to Miami with the team on Sunday, he’s guaranteed to miss the first outing. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there are no plans to have Embiid join the Sixers on the trip at this time. Therefore, he’s most likely out for Game 2 as well.
To Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, Embiid’s upcoming absence is disappointing. As fellow players, the Heat obviously feel for the big man who’s currently battling through three notable setbacks at the time time. And as competitors, there is disappointment that they don’t get to face the Sixers at their best.
According to Nick Friedell of ESPN, Butler mentioned he felt bad for Embiid late last week as the Heat prepared for the second-round series against Philadelphia.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Butler and Embiid are former teammates who have built up a strong bond over the years, even as opponents.
The Sixers won’t rule Embiid out for the entire series just yet, so there is a chance he could return and face Miami later on down the line. For the time being, though, Embiid will watch from home as the Sixers attempt to take home-court advantage on the road down in South Beach this week.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
