The Playoffs begin Saturday. The Sixers enter the postseason on a 16-game winning streak. But the health status of Joel Embiid continues to be a confounding issue. Here’s the Palm Beach Post reporting:
The Sixers will start the playoffs Saturday night without starting center Joel Embiid.
“[Embiid] will not play in Game 1,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday morning. “He will not play in Game 1 and from that point going forward, we’ll figure some stuff out. Unless something remarkable happens, Dan, I don’t plan on him playing in Game 1.”
The Sixers officially ruled out Embiid for Game 1 on Friday afternoon.
And here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
Embiid has missed the past eight games after sustaining the injury and a concussion in a March 28 game against the New York Knicks.
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.
