By Josh Liddick, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Those hoping Joel Embiid will be healthy enough to play Game 1 between the Sixers and the Heat on Saturday night are going to be disappointed….for now.
The Sixers' All-Star center suffered a fractured orbital bone in his left eye during a March 28 game against the New York Knicks. Since then, the Sixers are undefeated, not losing a game and keeping their 16-game winning streak alive and well heading into the playoffs this weekend.
Embiid spoke to reporters about the probability of him playing in the first game Saturday prior to the Sixers' season finale on Wednesday night, as the Inquirer's Keith Pompey wrote.
“Unlikely,” Embiid said, “but there’s still a chance based on the way I’ve been feeling the past couple of days and the way I’ve progressed. Unlikely, but we’re going to see how it feels.”
Don't be surprised if Embiid and the Sixers make a last minute decision concerning his chances of playing on Saturday, as they have done all season long with a multitude of key players including Embiid and most recently and notably, Markelle Fultz.
While the Sixers played well without Embiid in the closing weeks of the season, the playoffs will be a whole other animal. Getting Embiid back to be a threat to face and match up with Hassan Whiteside in the first round against the Heat will be extremely beneficial to their success going forward. Getting Embiid back will increase the Sixers' chances even more of advancing to the future rounds.
