It’s safe to say that Philadelphia 76ers fans probably were a bit apprehensive about Joel Embiid’s return in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series against the Miami Heat.After all, the talented All-Star missed the first two seasons of his NBA career (and a large portion of last year) due to injuries and recently suffered a broken orbital bone.Although he's required to wear a protective mask until it's fully healed, there’s always a risk of re-injury, which could derail the bright future of the club.But, Embiid did everything he could to make Sixers fans comfortable in Game 3. Helping his team to a 128-108 victory, he scored 23 points on 5-of-11 shooting and added seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal in 30 minutes.Perhaps most importantly, he proved that wearing a mask will not be a deterrent to his aggressive offensive game. Showing absolutely no signs of shying away from contact, the star center went 10-of-15 from the free throw line and welcomed physicality throughout the game.On Friday, he told reporters that drawing contact is a big part of his game."I feel like I'm one of the most physical players in the league -- I love contact, I love attacking, I love going to the free throw line," Embiid said, per Ian Begley of ESPN."I live for these moments," he added. "I thrive in this type of atmosphere and I think I was built for this, especially playoff basketball.”

Although Embiid has only played in one career playoff game, he seems poised to dominate the rest of the series, even though he might be in a bit of pain after each game. "I need about five massages today. It hurts," Embiid joked. "But it's the NBA. I'm trying to get back in the groove.”

It also seems as though the mask is an annoyance for him.

"I think it's still going to be annoying [in Game 4 on Saturday]," said Embiid. "But that's the only way that I can be on the floor, so I have to do it and I'm going to keep on doing it."

Sixers coach Brett Brown believes that Embiid will be seeing added physicality moving forward in the series.

"I think it's going to keep going," Brown said of the physical nature that he expects to see in Game 4. "We saw something in Game 2 and then we saw something in Game 3. And my history in this league and my experience in the playoffs says that it's only going to get more [physical]. ... There's not going to be any mystery on how [Game 4] is going to be played.”

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