Joel Embiid injury update: Will the 76ers star be able to suit up for Game 1 of their next series?

Joel Embiid suffered a sprained knee in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round and missed Game 4. The Philadelphia 76ers won Game 4 without Embiid and moved on to the second round.

When will Embiid be able to return to the lineup for Philadelphia?

Sixers coach Doc Rivers said on Saturday that Embiid's chances of returning for Game 1 of their next series are "at best 50 percent." Monday's update was more encouraging for Embiid.

NBA Insider Shams Charania gave a much more optimistic update for the MVP candidate.

“There is optimism that he’ll be able to play in Game 1 of their next series… He had a sprained knee and I think they believed this is about a 1 week injury,” said Charania.

“The hope is that Joel Embiid will be in the lineup. He went down a few times in that Nets Game 3, but thankfully it was not anything major,” said Charania.

Embiid averaged 20.0 points per game in the first-round series against the Nets, which was far lower than his season average of 33.1 points per game. This season, his 33.1 ppg was the best in the NBA.

Without Embiid, the Sixers are 72-89 all-time. This season, they were 11-5 without the center, including a 96-88 victory over Brooklyn.

In Embiid's absence, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey stepped up. In Game 4, Harris scored 25 points and Maxey added 16.

The Sixers await their next opponent. They will play the winner of the Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks series. Boston leads the series 3-1.

Boston will host Game 5 on Tuesday and will try to clinch the series with a win. If the Hawks force a Game 6 it would be played on Thursday. A Game 7 between the two will be played on Saturday.

The second round of the NBA playoffs is scheduled to begin on May 1. It can potentially start as early as April 29 depending on when the first-round series ends. If the Sixers' next series starts on April 29, it would be nine days after Embiid was injured in Game 3.