Joel Embiid's Playing Status vs. Raptors for Game 5

The Philadelphia 76ers return to the floor on Monday night to face the Toronto Raptors for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

Although Joel Embiid and the Sixers had an opportunity to put the Raptors away for good this past Saturday afternoon, an eight-point Sixers loss kept Toronto's playoff run alive and forced a Game 5, which is set to take place in Philadelphia.

Toronto expects to be shorthanded when the Sixers and the Raptors tip off on Monday. As their All-Star guard Fred VanVleet suffered a hip injury during Game 4, his status was questionable on the injury report for Game 5.

On Monday morning, VanVleet told reporters he didn't intend to play on Monday. The Raptors aren't the only team dealing with a critical setback on Monday. On the Sixers' side, the five-time All-Star Joel Embiid is currently dealing with a thumb injury.

After receiving an MRI on Sunday, Embiid was diagnosed with a torn ligament. While Embiid will get surgery on his hand in the future, the big man intends to keep playing through the pain as long as Philly remains alive in the playoffs.

Therefore, when the Sixers released their injury report on Sunday for Game 5, Embiid was listed as available. Barring any unexpected setbacks in the near future, Embiid intends to remain on the court. 

With Embiid cleared, the Sixers will have all of their key players available on Monday night as they look to put the Raptors away for good.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.