Joel Embiid Doing 'A Lot Better' in Injury Recovery; Return to 76ers Remains TBD

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers says Joel Embiid is "doing a lot better," but the All-Star center remains without a timetable for his return.

"I know he did something yesterday, but not much, and I know he's feeling a lot better," Rivers told reporters Tuesday. "I don't want to give false hope either. So I'll just stop there."

Embiid did not travel to Miami for Games 1 and 2 of the Sixers' Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the Heat, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported he could be back in the lineup for Game 3 or 4 in Philadelphia.

The Sixers struggled in Game 1 without Embiid, with their offense sputtering in a 106-92 loss. Philadelphia shot an abysmal 6-of-34 from beyond the arc, with James Harden failing to step up in Embiid's place and Doc Rivers struggling to find a cogent rotation.

Embiid's potential return when the series moves to Philadelphia is promising, but it's fair to wonder how much he has left. Not only is the MVP candidate recovering from a concussion and fractured orbital bone in his left eye, but he's also dealing with a torn ligament in his right thumb suffered in the Sixers' first-round win over Toronto.

A 75 percent version of Embiid is better than the struggle-bus big man rotation the Sixers threw out there Monday night. That said, it's unclear if a diminished Embiid and a struggling Harden will be enough to take out the Heat.