Joel Embiid is reportedly dealing with a mild case of Bell’s palsy, but still led the Philadelphia 76ers to a much-needed win Thursday night over the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center.
According to ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Embiid has been suffering with the ailment since the play-in game against the Miami Heat on April 17. It is a condition characterized by a weakness in certain facial muscles due to nerve trauma.
Embiid told ESPN that the condition has been “pretty annoying” and is “unfortunate” but that he just has “to keep pushing.”
“I think it started a day or two before the Miami game [in the play-in tournament], and I had bad migraines and thought it was nothing,” Embiid said after Thursday’s win. “It’s pretty annoying, you know, with the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. So yeah, it’s been tough.
“But I’m not a quitter, so gotta keep fighting. But yeah, it’s unfortunate. That’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing.”
Embiid still was a monster on the court, becoming the first player in NBA history to drop 50 points on less than 20 shots, which is a postseason career-high, while leading the 76ers to a 125-114 victory over the Knicks in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series on Thursday. That cut the Knicks’ lead in the series to a single game after they won both contests at home in Madison Square Garden.
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbiid was also very lucky to escape an early trip to the shower after pulling Mitchell Robinson down to the court by his ankle.
The foul incident in question occurred in the opening frame. With New York leading by three, 18-15, Knicks forward OG Anunoby knocked Embiid to the floor while attacking the cup. He then passed the ball to Robinson, who was standing over Embiid under the basket.
As Robinson jumped to deposit a dunk, Embiid grabbed his right ankle and pulled him to the court. Robinson lost control of the ball, and officials whistled Embiid for a foul.
Tempers boiled over, and Embiid and Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo got in each other’s’ faces and exchanged words. Players were separated, and officials then called for a replay review, the third of an intense first quarter.
After review, officials ruled the contact unnecessary and upgraded the call to a flagrant 1. He narrowly avoided a flagrant 2, which would have resulted in his automatic ejection from the game.
Though the game was tight for much of the first half, the 76ers took pulled away in the third quarter. Embiid had 18 of his 50 points in the period, which sent the 76ers into the fourth quarter with a 13-point advantage. He shot 7-of-8 from the field and knocked down four triples during that stretch, completely dominating the game. From there, Philadelphia simply rode its double-digit lead the rest of the way and held on to grab the 11-point win.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with a bounce-back game of 39 points and 13 assists in the loss while shooting 13-of-27 from the field. Josh Hart finished with 20 points, and O.G. Anunoby added 17 points.
Embiid had eight rebounds and four assists to go with his 50 points in the win for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and seven helpers, and Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Game 4 of the series is set for Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.
