UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have ruled out Joel Embiid for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Friday versus the visiting Miami Heat.
Embiid hasn’t played since suffering an orbital fracture in the Sixers’ first-round clincher against Toronto.
Philly has dropped its first two games against the Heat and need someone in the front court to provide offensive support to guards James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
In other NBA news:
— Celtics guard Marcus Smart says there’s a “strong likelihood” he’ll play Saturday at Milwaukee after missing Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal with a bruised right thigh. Smart says the injury is similar to an issue he faced in the regular season. The NBA defensive player of the year missed six games in January due to a quadriceps problem.
— Bucks forward Khris Middleton will miss at least two more games of the Boston series as he recovers from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Middleton hasn’t played since injuring his knee in Game 2 of the Bucks’ five-game, first-round victory win over the Chicago Bulls.
— Memphis center Steven Adams has cleared the health and safety protocols and should be available for Game 3 of the Grizzlies’ Western Conference semifinal with the Warriors on Saturday. Coach Taylor Jenkins says they will make a decision after seeing how Adams handles Friday.
— Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game without pay by the league for making “unnecessary and excessive contact” that resulted in a fractured elbow for Golden State’s Gary Payton II in Game 2. Brooks must sit out Saturday’s Game 3 with the series shifting to Chase Center in San Francisco tied at one game apiece.
— The Nets say Ben Simmons has undergone successful back surgery in Los Angeles. The team says Simmons will need about three weeks for an “initial recovery period” before he can start his rehabilitation program. The Nets are hoping he’ll be fully recovered before the start of training camp this fall.
