‘There’s hope’: 76ers waiting to see if Embiid can come back

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — The best that Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers could offer Saturday about Joel Embiid’s possible availability for the Eastern Conference semifinal series against Miami was a two-word answer. “There’s hope,” Rivers said. For now, Philadelphia will cling to that. The 76ers and Heat both hit the practice floor Saturday to begin the process of adjusting for a playoff series that won’t have Embiid at the start — at minimum. Embiid, the NBA’s scoring champion and an MVP finalist this season, has a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion, injuries that were suffered Thursday in a first-round series-clincher at Toronto and were announced Friday night.