Draymond Green Acknowledges 'Power' of Joel Embiid on Twitter
Now that the second round of the playoffs is here, the Philadelphia 76ers have all eyes on them when they are taking on their Eastern Conference semifinals opponent, the Miami Heat, every other night.
The Sixers and the Heat met for their Game 3 matchup on Friday. In the first two outings down in South Beach, the Sixers played without their superstar big man, Joel Embiid.
After suffering an orbital fracture and a concussion during Game 6 in the first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, Embiid was in the NBA's concussion protocol. As a result, he wasn't cleared to play in Games 1 and 2.
The Sixers fell short, taking on double-digit losses in both outings without Embiid. While numerous factors played into Philadelphia's struggles, it was evident that the lack of Embiid in the first two games played a significant part in Philly's lack of success.
Fortunately for the Sixers, Embiid was back in action on Friday night. As the big man went from out to doubtful after clearing the NBA's concussion protocol, he warmed up with the intention of playing in Game 3 on Friday.
After Embiid checked into the Game 3 matchup for a total of 36 minutes, his impact on the game was crystal clear -- especially to Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, who was tuned into the matchup on Friday.
It couldn't be understated just how much Embiid opens up the game for his teammates. While the big man struggled in the scoring department a bit, he still demanded tons of attention from the Heat's defense, creating space and opportunities for the shooters surrounding him.
Then on the defensive end, Embiid was a force and shut Bam Adebayo down, preventing him from going off for a third-straight game.
After falling short twice without Embiid, the Sixers picked up their first win of the series on Friday night. Embiid totaled for 18 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and a block in the 20-point victory.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
