When Joel Embiid Will Be Back For NBA Playoffs: The Latest

PHILADELPHIA, PA — As the Sixers ready for Game 2 against the Miami Heat, superstar center and MVP finalist Joel Embiid continues to recover from a fracture in his face.

Embiid was out in Game 1, which saw the Heat control the game from the get go and run away with it in the later stages.

Game 2 is set for 7:30 p.m. in Miami on Wednesday night. Embiid has already been ruled out for tonight, but ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski says he could return as soon as Friday's Game 3 in Philadelphia.

A Game 3 return is far from guaranteed, however, with Sixers coach Doc Rivers saying Wednesday that Embiid is feeling "a lot better" but his exact return remains unclear.

Embiid was injured after the Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam hit him in the face with an elbow while driving to the hoop in the closing minutes of Round 1's Game 6.

Before the injury Embiid, whose regular season effort has him in a position to win his first ever MVP award, was one of the top performers in the playoffs. In the first round, he averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds per game.