WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton are among injured stars expected to be sidelined as the second round of the NBA playoffs begins on Sunday.

All four seeds from the Eastern and Western Conferences qualified in the first round, but few managed to escape unscathed.

Embiid, the NBA’s leading scorer from Cameroon, suffered a fractured right orbital bone and concussion in the 76ers’ pivotal victory in Toronto and is out indefinitely.

The 7-foot star was already nursing a thumb injury when he was hit in the face by fellow Raptors Pascal Siakam’s left elbow.

“I think he broke my face,” Embiid said. “But everything is fine in the playoffs.”

Embiid 26.2 points and 11.3 rebounds against Toronto. He had 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds in the regular season and is a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player award.

Middleton, a 30-year-old striker, is expected to miss most if not all of the second round with a left knee ligament sprain.

Defending champion Milwaukee, prompted by Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo, will open a best-of-seven series against Boston on Sunday in the East while Golden State travels to Memphis for its opener in the West on Sunday.

The other two conference semifinals begin Monday with Philadelphia at Miami and Dallas at Phoenix.

East seed Miami had four stars who did not practice on Friday, including forward Jimmy Butler with a knee injury and Kyle Lowry with a hamstring problem.

Butler has averaged 21.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game for the Heat this season while guard Lowry, who won an NBA title with Toronto in 2019, had 13.4 points , 7.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Memphis was without New Zealand big man Steven Adams, in COVIS-19 protocols, for a decisive series win over Minnesota.

Golden State’s Andre Iguodala was scheduled for reevaluation next week for aggravated neck pain during the Warriors’ first-round series against Denver.

Boston’s Jaylen Brown had a strained hamstring but was scheduled to play in Sunday’s opener against the visiting Bucks.

The Celtics are in the second round for the fifth time in six years and are rested after scoring the only first-round sweep by knocking out Brooklyn.

They finished the regular season 26-6 and NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart anchors the NBA’s best defensive unit, a group that will try to make life difficult for Antetokounmpo.

That includes Jayson Tatum, who averaged nearly 30 points per game in the first round.

The 76ers, who lost to Atlanta in the second round last year, would need star guard James Harden, forward Tobias Harris and point guard Tyrese Maxey to step up if Embiid misses a major time against the Heat.

Miami big man Bam Adebayo could play a pivotal role in the series if he can dominate in Embiid’s absence.

Memphis boasts the NBA’s Most Improved Player Ja Morant and the impressive Desmond Bane leading a young and talented Grizzlies unit.

But they face a Golden State team that has quickly reshuffled and has star guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, inside defensive strength Draymond Green and third-year guard Jordan Poole.

Curry recovered from a left foot injury that left him off the bench much of the first round and his backcourt battles against Morant could be the highlights of the series.

Poole took advantage of his starting role in Curry’s recovery to deliver a punch as a reserve.

“I don’t really have any expectations,” Poole said. “I didn’t know what to expect because it was my first time here. But I certainly learned a lot.

Green is the main frontline player after the Warriors’ NBA title runs and coach Steve Kerr trusts him to handle any position on the court.

“Draymond has the green light to do whatever he wants,” Kerr said.

Phoenix and Dallas are healthy now that Devin Booker of the Suns and Luka Doncic of the Mavericks are back.

Doncic was plagued with a left calf strain but recovered to help fire Dallas over Utah while Booker missed three games with a right hamstring strain as Phoenix ousted New Orleans.

Suns goaltender Chris Paul had 14 shots in a 33-point effort in Phoenix’s final triumph.

Dimitri Payet’s first experience of a major continental final with Marseille was not a positive one, with the winger replaced after picking up the injury in the first half of his side’s 3-0 loss to Atlético in the 2018 UEFA Europa League tie-breaker. Four years later, the 35-year-old may still have a chance to make amends, with OM taking on Feyenoord for a place in the UEFA Europa tie-breaking opener Conference League.

Since leaving the peaceful island of Reunion for Nantes, Payet has experienced a lot, with his two spells in Marseille separated by 18 months in England with West Ham. However, after scoring one of the greatest goals in UEFA Europa Conference League history in the quarter-finals, he hopes to leave the club’s passionate fans with something else to remember him by.

Play the UEFA Europa League prediction!

By facing Feyenoord in the semi-finals

I think we are well prepared for it after our trip to Greece with the passionate crowd [at PAOK]. We expect a very difficult match, which they will be under pressure to win. It is therefore up to us to approach this match as we have the others: play our game and try to make it as difficult as possible for them.

If I have the chance to play in a European final, I will give my all. That’s the goal: to play two matches and then be able to play in the final. You also have to do well in the league and try to juggle the two competitions.

On what he expected when he joined Marseille for the first time from LOSC in 2013

Highlights: Marseille 3-1 Qarabag

[I was expecting] a significant challenge. I expected to join a big club, the biggest French club, with all that goes with it: the expectations of the supporters and the daily pressure. Also, the fact that I would have to play with that in mind and earn my place in a well-composed team at the time too. This raised more questions than it relieved me.

I realize [now] that expectations grow over the years. I currently live near the stadium in Marseille. Fans continually remind me of individual games, what happens at the end of the season and so many other things. There is always something to say about OM. Living in Marseille, it is impossible to escape this passion.

Dimitri Payet file

Born: March 29, 1987, Saint-Pierre, Reunion
Appearances/goals in UEFA club competitions: 62/14
International appearances/goals: 38/8

On his development as a player

Who dials Dimitri Payet’s perfect number 10?

I’ve been through so much in the last 10-15 years. I don’t think I was as good when I was 20 as I am now, because I wasn’t experienced or mature or crafty enough, but I grew up because I was wrong. I made mistakes, I fell several times and it allowed me to become stronger mentally, to be calmer and to approach situations differently.

I’m not a captain at heart. What made me wear the armband was time and experience. I share it with Steve [Mandanda]. I’m more of a leader on the pitch. I give speeches but it’s rare, only when I feel it’s really useful. I’m more of a big brother: I give advice. We have great young players and we have to guide them so they can take us far because they are our future.

On his magnificent strike against PAOK

Enjoy Payet’s Marseille stunner from every angle

Honestly, in this position and at this distance, I haven’t succeeded that many times. It’s more something you try in training or when we focus on finishing. But I think that night I was in the right place at the right time and shot the right way. It’s successful because I think I can try a few more times and it won’t be as good. I appreciate it because it’s a goal that people will remember and it’s a goal that mattered.

We talked about it in the locker room. I took the photo casually, as if it was during training. I think that feeling of relaxation makes the movement fluid. I couldn’t have hit better. He bounced forward; he sat perfectly for a left-footed shot. It was a tough move but I did it without pressure and I think I scored because I was relaxed when I shot.

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Dimitri Payet’s first experience of a major continental final with Marseille was not a positive one, with the winger replaced after picking up the injury in the first half of his side’s 3-0 loss to Atlético in the 2018 UEFA Europa League tie-breaker. Four years later, the 35-year-old may still have a chance to make amends, with OM taking on Feyenoord for a place in the UEFA Europa tie-breaking opener Conference League.

Since leaving the peaceful island of Reunion for Nantes, Payet has experienced a lot, with his two spells in Marseille separated by 18 months in England with West Ham. However, after scoring one of the greatest goals in UEFA Europa Conference League history in the quarter-finals, he hopes to leave the club’s passionate fans with something else to remember him by.

Play the UEFA Europa League prediction!

By facing Feyenoord in the semi-finals

I think we are well prepared for it after our trip to Greece with the passionate crowd [at PAOK]. We expect a very difficult match, which they will be under pressure to win. It is therefore up to us to approach this match as we have the others: play our game and try to make it as difficult as possible for them.

If I have the chance to play in a European final, I will give my all. That’s the goal: to play two matches and then be able to play in the final. You also have to do well in the league and try to juggle the two competitions.

On what he expected when he joined Marseille for the first time from LOSC in 2013

Highlights: Marseille 3-1 Qarabag

[I was expecting] a significant challenge. I expected to join a big club, the biggest French club, with all that goes with it: the expectations of the supporters and the daily pressure. Also, the fact that I would have to play with that in mind and earn my place in a well-composed team at the time too. This raised more questions than it relieved me.

I realize [now] that expectations grow over the years. I currently live near the stadium in Marseille. Fans continually remind me of individual games, what happens at the end of the season and so many other things. There is always something to say about OM. Living in Marseille, it is impossible to escape this passion.

Dimitri Payet file

Born: March 29, 1987, Saint-Pierre, Reunion
Appearances/goals in UEFA club competitions: 62/14
International appearances/goals: 38/8

On his development as a player

Who dials Dimitri Payet’s perfect number 10?

I’ve been through so much in the last 10-15 years. I don’t think I was as good when I was 20 as I am now, because I wasn’t experienced or mature or crafty enough, but I grew up because I was wrong. I made mistakes, I fell several times and it allowed me to become stronger mentally, to be calmer and to approach situations differently.

I’m not a captain at heart. What made me wear the armband was time and experience. I share it with Steve [Mandanda]. I’m more of a leader on the pitch. I give speeches but it’s rare, only when I feel it’s really useful. I’m more of a big brother: I give advice. We have great young players and we have to guide them so they can take us far because they are our future.

On his magnificent strike against PAOK

Enjoy Payet’s Marseille stunner from every angle

Honestly, in this position and at this distance, I haven’t succeeded that many times. It’s more something you try in training or when we focus on finishing. But I think that night I was in the right place at the right time and shot the right way. It was a hit because I think I can try a few more times and it won’t be as good. I appreciate it because it’s a goal that people will remember and it’s a goal that mattered.

We talked about it in the locker room. I took the photo casually, as if it was during training. I think that feeling of relaxation makes the movement fluid. I couldn’t have hit better. He bounced forward; he sat perfectly for a left-footed shot. It was a tough move but I did it without pressure and I think I scored because I was relaxed when I shot.

Download the Europe app!