76ers HC: Joel Embiid Will Be 'Ready to Go' vs. Heat in Play-In Game amid Knee Injury

After Joel Embiid sat out of the Philadelphia 76ers season-finale on Sunday, head coach Nick Nurse clarified that the move was just cautionary and the reigning MVP will be ready to go for the play-in tournament, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

"He did everything at practice yesterday," Nurse said the win over the Brooklyn Nets. "But we decided out of caution to hold him out.

"He'll be ready to go."

Embiid made his return from meniscus surgery two weeks ago after missing 29 games, but after tweaking his knee on Friday against the Orlando Magic, Nurse felt it was best to rest him in the final game.

Embiid's absence caused the 76ers to plummet out of the top-six seeds and now they will have to earn a playoff spot through the play-in tournament. Philadelphia will take on the Miami Heat on Wednesday with a chance to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.

The 76ers won each of Embiid's six games back from injury, which is a positive sign heading into the playoffs. While Philadelphia would have liked to secure an outright spot in the playoffs, the team has to be feeling good heading into Wednesday's matchup with Embiid back on the court.

While Embiid was limited to just 39 games this year, he averaged 34.7 points per game, which would have earned him the scoring title had he met the 65-game requirement to be eligible for postseason awards. He had a strong case for another MVP before the injury as well.

Embiid won't be taking home any personal awards this year, but he can lead his team to something even better with a big playoff showing. The 76ers haven't made it past the second round since they reached the NBA Finals in 2001, but they seem poised for a deep run this year.

If Philadelphia wins on Wednesday, it will face the New York Knicks in the first round. If the 76ers lose Wednesday but win their second play-in game, they will take on the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round.