At one point, Joel Embiid was considered doubtful to play in Game 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ opening-round series against the Miami Heat, but he returned to the court and played a major role in his team’s 128-108 win.With the series tied 1-1 heading to Miami, it’s clear that Embiid and the organization felt as though it was an important-enough time for the big man to get back on the court. He had missed time due to a a concussion and orbital bone fracture, which everyone was reminded of since he wore a protective mask.In 30 minutes, Embiid posted 23 points along with seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal. He went 5-of-11 shooting, but most importantly 10-of-15 from the free throw line, which showed his willingness to attack the rim and not shy away from any contact.Now up 2-1, it appears as though the Sixers are in control of the series. With their All-Star center back, they seemingly have a massive advantage over the Heat moving forward.Most of the time, NBA stars make it known that they operate on a game-by-game basis, especially in the postseason. But, Embiid is anything but ordinary, as he has proved many times over the course of his young career.

"I'm extremely happy. We've been going through this for the past 4 years and finally we have the team," the center told TNT after the Sixers' win. ".... Our goal is to go to the Finals so we actually have a pretty good chance, we have the talent."

The Sixers obviously have a chance to reach the Finals, but they’ll have to get by the Heat and two more talented and successful opponents in the East first.

During Thursday's win, Embiid also made another prediction. Midway through the game, Miami’s Justise Winslow appeared to make an effort to intentionally break Embiid’s mask. As you might imagine, Embiid didn't take kindly to that.

“Justise stepped on it and tried to break it with his hands,” Embiid said after the game, per Sarah Todd of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Little do they know that I have about 50 of them so it’s going to take much more than that to get me out of this series. I’m going to be a nightmare for them.”

He proved to be a nightmare for them in Game 3 and will likely continue to pose a major problem in the upcoming games. But, it's obvious that he's looking ahead to the Finals.

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