Sixers Notes: Noel plans to play again this season

CHICAGO - Nerlens Noel doesn't plan to shut things down before Wednesday's season finale against the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center.

The 76ers rookie power forward/center suffered a game-ending right-ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's home loss to the Washington Wizards. He sat out Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls.

"I think I will be good to play right before the season ends if I do feel good enough," he said Saturday. "We are just going to take it day by day."

Noel has been undergoing around-the-clock treatment on his ankle since the injury.

"I'm definitely just being smart with it," he said. "I was able to walk [Thursday], surprisingly, with that being as sore as it was."

Coach Brett Brown said he "personally" would be disappointed if Joel Embiid didn't play summer-league basketball.

"Personally, I expect him to play in the summer league," Brown said. "But if I guessed any of this wrong, I want to make sure that the club is on record not being definitive. We are not in the position to say that now."

Brown raised a few eyebrows Wednesday when he would not commit on whether the 7-foot center would play this summer. Embiid has missed the entire season as he recovers from right-foot surgery.

"I just feel like it's too definitive if we come out and say he's definitely playing now," Brown explained. "It's not so much any trepidation I have to 100 percent declare it. I don't feel like it's responsible to say that now. He's heading in that direction."