On April 30, Beijing time, according to The Athletic reporter Shams Charania, Philadelphia star Embiid was elbowed by Siakam in game 6 of the series with the Raptors, resulting in a fractured right eye socket and a slight concussion, so he will miss the heat and Philadelphia series first match, and there is no specific timetable for Embiid's return for the time being.
The news can be said to have given Philadelphia fans a hammer, after all, if there is no Embiid, it is almost impossible to rely on Harden's strength to eliminate the Heat in the series. However, Philadelphia fans don't need to worry too much, because from the current situation, Embiid will not miss all the games in this series.
Although embiid underwent surgery in 2018 when he suffered a fracture of his left orbit, in general, if the operation is done, a 2-4 week break is required. But this time Embiid's situation is better than 4 years ago, and experts have tested him and believe that he does not need surgery. And once you don't have surgery, the time to come back will be very fast.
From past experience, former Knicks player Ron Baker and Capela, who played for the Rockets, have both had eye socket fractures, but they have returned after only 1 or 2 games without surgery, and the same cases include Cunningham and Turcoglu. So if Embiid is sure not to operate, then he will most likely wear a mask to protect himself and then return.
But if Embiid wants to return to the field, he still needs to solve one problem, that is, to pass the concussion test. The NBA's test for concussion is very strict, not only the team doctor agrees to appear on the stage to return, but also must pass the NBA's official special test. Minor concussions generally require a 5-10 day break. So most likely, Embiid's first 2 away games will not catch up.
However, Game 3 of the series between Philadelphia and the Heat will be played on the eighth day after Embiid's injury, when he will have a good comeback if he recovers smoothly and can pass the league test. And even if Philadelphia loses the first two games, if Embiid can return, they still have hope of qualifying.