By Canadian Press

Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid starts in Game 5 against Raptors

May 9, 2019 | 12:47 PM

TORONTO — Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown wasn’t giving much away on the subject of ailing centre Joel Embiid on the eve of Tuesday’s playoff game with the Toronto Raptors.

The seven-footer, who has been dealing with a variety of medical issues during the second-round series, was listed as a probable starter for Game 5 with an upper respiratory infection.

Asked 90 minutes before tipoff if he had an update on Embiid, Brown said simply: “No.”

However Brown went on to admit that the pace of the series, tied two games apiece prior to Tuesday, was not as fast as he would have liked. And that the health of his star centre was a factor.

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“The fact is he’s just not healthy,” said Brown.

Embiid started but skipped the anthems and was the last Sixer to take the court for warmups.

The big man had an off day last time out, collecting 11 points on 2-for-7 shooting in a 101-96 loss Sunday to visiting Toronto that evened the second-round playoff series at two games apiece.

After the game, Embiid said he had needed an IV at 6 a.m. after throwing up and not sleeping well.

Embiid had to deal with a bout of gastroenteritis prior to Game 2, scoring 12 points on 2-of-7 shooting in Philadelphia’s 94-89 win. He was on an IV prior to that game as well.

“Game 2 was just my stomach but this one seems to be everywhere — throat, headaches and all that,” he said Sunday.

The big man was firing on all cylinders in Game 3 with 33 points in the Sixers’ 116-95 victory. He totalled 39 points in Games 1, 2 and 4.

The 25-year-old from Cameroon averaged 27.5 points a game during the regular season. He has averaged 21.4 points in the first eight games of the playoffs.

Embiid missed 18 games during the regular season, mostly due to left knee soreness.

The Raptors, meanwhile, are dealing with Pascal Siakam’s calf contusion. Toronto coach Nick Nurse said the forward, also from Cameroon, was the same or perhaps feeling a bit better.

Nurse added that Siakam, who played Sunday, would probably not be out on the floor for long stretches at a time.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press