Doc Rivers Defends Decision To Keep Joel Embiid In Blowout Game

The odds of the Miami Heat advancing to the Eastern Conference finals improved greatly when it was announced the Philadelphia 76ers would be without center Joel Embiid for at least part of their second-round series.

Embiid is out indefinitely because of an orbital bone injury he sustained late in a blowout victory against the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers were ahead 30.

Some have questioned why Embiid was in the game so late, but Sixers coach Doc Rivers gave his explanation following Saturday's practice. Rivers said he was going to call a timeout of the next possession but the injury occurred first.

"Everyone was in there, and the other team had all their guys in, too," Rivers said. "After Joel made the shot and did the airplane [the prior possession], if you watch the game, I turned and said, 'I'm calling a timeout on the next possession.' I'm not upset that he was in. You can make that a big deal if you want. But just go look at every team, and every game, and their guys are in until about the four-, three-minute mark. That's what it is."

The Sixers will now have to rely heavily on James Harden for at least one game and hope Embiid gets healthy.

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