76ers Rumors: 'Optimism' Joel Embiid Will Play Game 1 of Round 2 amid Knee Injury

As the Philadelphia 76ers are awaiting their opponent for the second round of the playoffs, they reportedly believe star center Joel Embiid will be back in the lineup after he missed the close-out game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

"There is optimism that he'll be able to play in Game 1 of their next series. … He had a sprained knee and I think they believed this is about a one-week injury," Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on FanDuel TV Monday.

The Boston Celtics have the opportunity to put an end to their series against the Atlanta Hawks soon, as they enter Tuesday's Game 5 with a commanding 3-1 lead. While the Hawks are still alive, the suspension of Dejounte Murray for Tuesday's matchup hurts their chances of extending the series. If the Celtics manage to close it out, their second-round series against the Sixers would likely begin sometime this coming weekend.

Embiid suffered the injury in Philadelphia's Game 3 win against Brooklyn last Thursday. He played 38 minutes in the game, finishing with just 14 points and 10 rebounds. The team gave him the night off on Saturday but still completed the sweep of the Nets, with five players scoring in double figures in the victory.

If the Sixers are matched up with the Celtics in the second round, they will need Embiid to be at his absolute best. Boston won the regular-season series against Philadelphia 3-1, with the Sixers' lone win coming in the final meeting between them earlier this month thanks to a 52-point outburst by Embiid.

The NBA MVP finalist is facing the pressure of finally achieving postseason success that has eluded him throughout his career, but he has to go through a Boston team looking to make its second straight trip to the NBA Finals. The Sixers surely hope to have Embiid at full strength so he can carry them through the playoffs.