Sixers' Doc Rivers Reveals Joel Embiid Practiced on Friday

After wrapping up Game 5 of the first-round series against the Washington Wizards, the Philadelphia 76ers earned a day off on Thursday. Then on Friday, they were right back at it on the practice court preparing for Sunday's Game 1 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks in Philly, where they'll kickstart the next round.

With the series opener just days away, many are wondering whether Sixers center Joel Embiid will be cleared to play or not. Since suffering a small meniscus tear earlier in the week, Embiid's status has been in question.

As expected, Embiid missed Wednesday night's matchup against the Wizards. However, it was a positive sign to see the big man step on the court an hour before the game to get a workout in as he typically would before a game.

In addition to getting a pregame workout in, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers also revealed that Embiid could practice at a limited capacity as well. On Friday, Embiid didn't participate in any of Philly's live scrimmages, but he did most of the workouts, according to Rivers, who offered an update on Friday afternoon.

“Yeah, he went through a lot of the stuff today," Rivers revealed Friday. "I mean, he didn’t do a lot of live stuff obviously, we’re not gonna allow that yet, and so nothing’s changed. You know, he’s gotta go through his treatment. As far as when we’re doing shooting and stuff like that, he looked great.”

The fact that Embiid is still actively practicing and working out with the Sixers while receiving treatment on his knee is a promising sign, but what does this mean for his status for Sunday's Game 1 against the Hawks?

“It’s too early [to tell if he'll play or not]," said Rivers. "I don’t want to say one way or the other. It’s just too early. So, we’ll just find that out.” The Sixers won't rule Embiid out for Sunday, but they also won't clear him just yet. The fact that he's practicing and isn't guaranteed to miss Game 1 this early is surely a positive sign for the Sixers.

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