Doc Rivers: Joel Embiid is feeling ‘as good as can be’… surgery remains required

Tim Bontemps: Doc Rivers says Joel Embiid is feeling “as good as he can be” with everything he has going on, and that he’ll give Philly everything he has tonight.Source: Twitter @TimBontemps

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Austin Krell @NBAKrellEmbiid takes the floor for his warmups, briefly serenaded with MVP chants. pic.twitter.com/Pn3Yl2gUom – 6:21 PM

The Ringer @ringernbaWith the 76ers facing elimination in Game 6, will Joel Embiid score over or under 25.5 tonight against the Heat?(Odds presented by @FDSportsbook) – 6:04 PM

Gina Mizell @ginamizellDoc Rivers on Joel Embiid’s health status: “Joel’s good — as good as he can be with all the stuff that’s going on with him. He’s good. He’s able to play. We’re thankful [for] that. He’s gonna give us what he can give us, and we’re thankful for that.” – 6:02 PM

Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly#Sixers coach Doc Rivers on guard Tyrese Maxey needing to bounce back from a difficult Game 5 vs #Heat: pic.twitter.com/SqpiURTVD9 – 5:21 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinDoc Rivers says he won’t evaluate James Harden’s play for them right now. That will come when the season ends. #Sixers – 5:20 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsDoc Rivers says Joel Embiid is feeling “as good as he can be” with everything he has going on, and that he’ll give Philly everything he has tonight. – 5:19 PM

Justin Grasso @JGrasso_Doc Rivers says that Joel Embiid is “as good as can be” health-wise #Sixers – 5:19 PM

Noah Levick @NoahLevickA bit of Joel Embiid at Sixers shootaround before a must-win Game 6 tonight vs. the Heat: pic.twitter.com/VNr6nrT3vf – 11:18 AM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinJoel Embiid putting up shots after shootaround this morning #Sixers pic.twitter.com/N91reNJyja – 11:12 AM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinIt’s do or die tonight in Game 6. Joel Embiid and the team discuss their mindset heading into this game. #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/lists/joel-emb… via @SixersWire – 10:53 AM

Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzzFrom PM: The eyebrow-raising data on the Strus/Vincent impact. And 76ers, Embiid irritated: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 9:04 AM

Story continues

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinPhiladelphia faces elimination on Thursday, but Doc Rivers still feels confident that they can beat the Heat in this series #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/05/11/doc… via @SixersWire – 9:24 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalkNikola Jokic tops Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo in closest three-way MVP race in decades nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/11/nik… – 7:30 PM

TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBAThree players received first place MVP votes.Nikola Jokic: 66Joel Embiid: 26Giannis Antetokounmpo: 9Jokic was the runaway winner. pic.twitter.com/sv9hAsN5CW – 6:58 PM

Gordon Gross @GMoneyNuggsThere were 2 second-place votes for anyone not named Jokic, Embiid or Giannis. Voters agreed – everyone agrees – those were the 3 guys.MVP shares past 4 years:Jokic – 1, 1, 9, 4Embiid – 2, 2, 7, 12Giannis – 3, 4, 1, 1Still looking for the disrespect. – 6:58 PM

Michael Grange @michaelgrangeICYMI — Nikola Jokic was the worthy MVP in a race that Embiid and Giannis also deserved to win. And if you don’t like it? Blame Mike Budenholzer for refusing to play Giannis more than 33 minutes a game: sportsnet.ca/nba/article/ye… – 6:54 PM

Adam Wexler @AdamJWexler65 of 100 voters voted Nikola Jokic as the #NBA MVP and he easily outpoints Joel Embiid who got 25 first place votes and Giannis Antetokounmpo who received the other 9 votes. The vote totals: pic.twitter.com/TZEFe9CN4t – 6:53 PM

StatMuse @statmuseStat leaders among the top 5 MVP finalists:PPG — EmbiidRPG — JokicAPG — LukaSPG — JokicBPG — EmbiidFG% — Jokic+/- — Booker pic.twitter.com/2Ob9rCrdSE – 6:47 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsNBA MVP voting results:Jokic: 65 1st place votes, 875 ptsEmbiid: 26 1st place votes, 706 ptsGiannis: 9 1st place votes, 595 ptsFinal ESPN MVP straw poll results:Jokic: 62 1st place votes, 860 ptsEmbiid: 29 1st place votes, 719 ptsGiannis: 9 1st place votes, 593 pts pic.twitter.com/MhP7nmjlvS – 6:46 PM

Callie Caplan @CallieCaplanLuka Doncic: Year 4, No. 5 in MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Devin Booker.Luka and Booker both got 1 second-place vote but Booker got 8 third-place votes to Luka’s 0. pic.twitter.com/rtNccIdPzF – 6:44 PM

Michael Singer @msingerNikola Jokic earned 65 first-place votes (875 points overall) Joel Embiid had 26 first-place (706 points overall). Giannis Antetokounmpo had 9 first-place votes (595 points overall). – 6:43 PM

JD Shaw @JShawNBAFull voting results for the MVP award. Behind Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid finishes second, Giannis Antetokounmpo third: pic.twitter.com/MOSvbrLXVD – 6:35 PM

Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzzThe category where Max Strus leads every single NBA player this postseason. And the category where Gabe Vincent is 2nd best among all NBA guards this postseason: Tidbits to impress your friends. And 76ers, Embiid irritated: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 6:34 PM

Noah Levick @NoahLevickDoc Rivers on potential adjustments vs. Jimmy Butler he mentioned last night: “We would love to run our defense the right way first.”Rivers said, “We have to fix that first, and then we’ll be ready for the second part.” – 2:19 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinDoc Rivers: “I have confidence in my team…we have proven that we can win games. We’ve proven that we’ve won games in this series.” #Sixers – 1:46 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinI’m gonna say it, and I know it’s gonna bother a lot of people, but Doc Rivers deserves to be cut a lot of slack for this season. The Ben Simmons thing was toxic as hell, the James Harden addition sent shockwaves, and now he’s dealing with his MVP candidate being hurt again. – 1:14 PM

Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers#Sixers lay down in Miami, from Doc Rivers to James Harden to Joel Embiid, in the playoffs | writes Marcus Hayes inquirer.com/sports/sixers-… via @phillyinquirer – 8:40 AM

Gina Mizell @ginamizellDoc Rivers on tonight’s lopsided Sixers loss: “Everything (Miami) did tonight was harder and better. Their stuff was better than what we ran. Their energy was better. Their toughness was better. … – 12:33 AM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinAfter a disheartening and flat effort in the blowout loss in Miami, Doc Rivers and the rest of the #Sixers explain what went wrong sixerswire.usatoday.com/lists/doc-rive… via @SixersWire – 11:49 PM

Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzzDoc Rivers, who said he will burn the tape after watching it: “Jimmy is so comfortable right now.He’s doing everything he wants to do. There are adjustments we can make, some we really don’t want to have to make but we might have to.” – 10:03 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsDoc Rivers says the 76ers have to make life a lot more difficult for Jimmy Butler. Says he’s far too comfortable. – 10:02 PM

Noah Levick @NoahLevickDoc Rivers says everything Miami did tonight was “harder and better.”He says the Sixers played at “a snail’s pace.” Thinks he’s going to watch the tape, then burn it. – 10:01 PM

Justin Grasso @JGrasso_Doc Rivers says that they’ll watch the tape then burn it. Says they simply have to move on from tonight’s loss and get ready for Game 6 #Sixers – 10:01 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsDoc Rivers: “I’ll have to watch the tape, or burn it. I’m not sure which one.” – 10:00 PM

Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeckDoc Rivers: “Everything they did tonight was harder and better.” – 9:59 PM

Justin Grasso @JGrasso_Doc Rivers says the #Heat were “so much more engaged and so much more physical” tonight #Sixers – 9:59 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsDoc Rivers: “They we’re just so much more engaged, physical … there was a lot of disappointment for all of us.” – 9:58 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinDoc Rivers: “There was a lot of disappointment in this one.” #Sixers – 9:58 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsNot that it wasn’t over already, but Doc Rivers now has all backups in with 8 minutes to go down 29. This series will head back to Philadelphia with the 76ers trailing 3-2, and facing elimination in the conference semis for the fourth time in the last five years. – 9:37 PM

Gina Mizell @ginamizellDoc Rivers at this morning’s shootaround, when asked about the possibility of Duncan Robinson playing: “We’re scared of Strus and all those guys, too.”He’s now got 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 10 boards. – 9:25 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinWell, this hasn’t been the start to the 3rd that Doc Rivers was probably looking for. The Heat expanded their lead to 20, but Philly has scored 5 in a row to force an Erik Spoelstra timeout. #Sixers – 9:01 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNUDoc Rivers gave Kane Fitzgerald the business and got a tech for it – 8:22 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsJoel Embiid is down after being hit in the face. It looked like Dewayne Dedmon hit him right in the face on the right side, where he has the fracture.Embiid appears to be in a ton of pain. Doc Rivers was given a technical foul by Kane Fitzgerald, as well. – 8:22 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinBig fella is still on the ground and grabbing at his face after that Heat bucket. It looked like they got away with a foul and Doc Rivers just picked up a technical foul arguing for one. #Sixers – 8:21 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_CarlinDoc Rivers says they’re going with Shake Milton over Furkan Korkmaz off the bench because he feels like the Heat are a team that closes out hard and he likes the idea of going with him in that situation #Sixers – 6:06 PM

Quinton Mayo @RealQuintonMayoMan, rewatching Heat/76ers Game 4 almost brought a tear to my eye.Erik Spoelstra & Doc Rivers coached their butts off.Tonight’s game should be good — chess match. – 2:48 PM

Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixersSixers’ Doc Rivers disappointed Joel Embiid missed out on MVP: ‘This whole analytic-driven society, world is out of control at times …’ inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-… via @phillyinquirer – 1:14 PM

Gina Mizell @ginamizellDoc Rivers’ reaction to Joel Embiid not winning MVP: “I was obviously disappointed. Clearly, Jokic is a great player, too, and Giannis…I was surprised, though, by it. I actually thought Joel would win, but let’s win it (the title) and then everything else will follow, I guess.” – 11:15 AM

Justin Grasso @JGrasso_Doc Rivers said he was “obviously disappointed” hearing that Joel Embiid is not expected to win MVP.“I don’t know if a guy could’ve done more than he did this year,” he added #Sixers – 10:50 AM

Rich Hoffman @rich_hofmannDoc Rivers on the MVP race: “I do think this whole analytic-driven society, world is out of control at times with some of the measures that they use. Like, watch the dang game and decide is what I’ve always said.”Full quote below. pic.twitter.com/3gWVQBvmAA – 10:47 AM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontempsDoc Rivers on international players winning the last four MVPs in a row: “It’s David Stern’s dream.” Said the explosion of international talent across the past 20 years or so has been great for the sport. – 10:21 AM

Allen Sliwa @AllenSliwa‘Lakers Talk’ starts at 7p…-Who would be a better fit, Quinn Snyder or Doc Rivers?-Why trading Lebron and/or AD should not be considered for nowGuest: @Jovan Buha from the @The Athletic@ESPNLosAngeles – 9:53 PM

More on this storyline

Ira Winderman: Doc Rivers said Joel Embiid’s hand will not get better or worse. Surgery remains required. “He’s able to play and we’re thankful for that.” -via Twitter @IraHeatBeat / May 12, 2022

Tim Bontemps: Joel Embiid is back at his customary spot with James Harden at the far basket as we get let into shootaround before tonight’s Game 6. Embiid wasn’t on the court when we got let in prior to Games 3 and 4. -via Twitter @TimBontemps / May 12, 2022

Philadelphia: Joel Embiid (facial fracture / right thumb sprain) has been downgraded to questionable. Matisse Thybulle (left foot soreness) has been downgraded to questionable. Isaiah Joe (right ankle sprain) has been downgraded to questionable. -via HoopsHype / May 11, 2022