Joel Embiid's Playing Status in Game 4 vs. Heat

After being listed as questionable for the Game 4 matchup against the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been cleared for action.

During the Sixers’ first round series against the Toronto Raptors, Joel Embiid suffered numerous setbacks. When the Sixers faced the Raptors on the road in Game 3, Embiid suffered a thumb injury, which turned out to be a torn ligament.

After receiving an MRI on his hand, Embiid was told he would need surgery to repair the injury. However, the big man put off the medical procedure to the offseason as he didn’t want to miss any time moving forward.

Unfortunately, two more injuries forced Embiid to miss the start of the Sixers’ second-round series against the Miami Heat. An orbital fracture and a mild concussion prevented Embiid from traveling to Miami for Games 1 and 2.

Following Philadelphia’s Game 2 loss over the Heat, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers wouldn’t rule out a possible return for Embiid in Game 3. After being initially listed as out, Embiid was upgraded to doubtful as he cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol.

On Friday, Embiid went through pregame warmups with the intentions of playing. Fortunately for Philadelphia, the big man was cleared for action. After appearing on the court for 36 minutes in the win over the Heat, Embiid mentioned that while he felt like he had low energy, he felt fine.

Going into Game 4 on Sunday, Embiid remained on the injury report and was listed as questionable for the matchup. Once again, he went through pregame warmups and felt fine enough to play. For the second-straight game, Embiid will start for the Sixers against the Heat as they look to tie the series up.

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