PHILADELPHIA -- As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare to face the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their Round 1 series on Friday, they will once again go to battle without Joel Embiid. The big fella was originally listed as doubtful for this matchup as he recovers from an appendectomy, but the Sixers ruled him out on Friday afternoon.

Coach Nick Nurse addressed the media before the game and gave the reasoning for Embiid being ruled out for Game 3. He just needs more time as he continues to take steps forward on his way back to the floor.

"Just not ready, right?" Nurse said. "I mean, he’s lifted some, he’s got on court a bit, but we’re still two weeks a day, I think. So, we’re just not ready yet."

With that being said, it sounds like Embiid is making a remarkable recovery. The 2023 MVP winner is taking big steps forward and it sounds like a return isn't too far away. If he can return, it would be surprisingly quick compared to NBA players who had the surgery in the past.

For example, OG Anunoby had it in 2019 and underwent surgery on April 11. He was not cleared to return until June 2. Nikola Mirotic had the surgery on Jan. 27 back in 2016 and was not cleared to return until March 5.

"He’s getting some playing in and pretty intense playing," Nurse added. "Mostly workouts and stuff. Individual stuff, but he has gotten out there and played against competition since getting there."

When asked if Embiid was playing with players or just player development coaches, Nurse said the big fella has had a mixture of both. Game 4 is Sunday evening in Philadelphia.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers injury news: Latest update on Joel Embiid before Game 3 vs. Cs