A fragile, surgically repaired left knee and physical, suffocating defense of the New York Knicks aren't the only limiting factors Joel Embiid is managing during the first round of the playoffs.
After he led the Philadelphia 76ers to a pivotal Game 3 win over New York on Thursday night, it was revealed that Embiid has been receiving treatment over the past week for a mild case of Bell's Palsy, a condition that causes partial paralysis of the face.
“Sixers star Joel Embiid has been treated for a mild case of Bell’s Palsey for the past week. The condition began during the play-in victory over Miami but he has wanted to keep it private to avoid distractions for his team,” ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Embiid's official diagnosis comes as no surprise. Footage of the 7'2 big man being unable to blink his left eye after taking a hard fall in the postseason opener went viral, and the left side of his face was clearly immobile at times during the Sixers' potentially season-saving Game 3 victory. His case of Bell's palsy also explains why Embiid has been wearing sunglasses or covering his face during recent postgame interviews.
Philly's franchise player donned shades again after Thursday's game while shedding further light on his condition, nothing that symptoms date back to before the Sixers' play-in victory over the Miami Heat on April 17th.
“I think it started a day or two before the Miami game. I had bad migraines and thought it was nothing,” Embiid said, per ClutchPoints' Sixers beat writer Sam DiGiovanni. “Usually I don't like to check it out, but for some reason I ended up having to tell somebody. Yeah, that's why in the Miami game by body was just not feeling it.
“It's pretty annoying,” he continued. “My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye…It's been tough, but I'm not a quitter. So gotta keep fighting, do anything. But yeah, it's unfortunate—that's the way I look at it. But that's not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing.”
Joel Embiid hits new playoff peak as 76ers take down Knicks in Game 3
Embiid certainly pushed through his various maladies in Game 3, a virtual must-win for the Sixers after they lost the opening games of the series at Madison Square Garden. He dropped a career playoff-high 50 points on Thursday night, adding eight rebounds and four assists.
Embiid shot a scorching 13-of-19 overall, went 5-of-7 from deep and drained 19-of-21 at the free throw line en route to one of the most efficient playoff 50-burgers of all-time. Before Game 3, no NBA player had ever scored 50 points while taking fewer than 20 shots in a postseason contest, per Stathead.
Far more significant than any personal best or statistical history, of course, is how Embiid looked physically while leading Philadelphia to victory. He was notably spry at Wells Fargo Center compared to his physical state at Madison Square Garden, using physicality and quickness to score from the post while more willingly putting the ball on the deck. Embiid gave more sustained effort defensively, too, even aggressively contesting a Knicks three-pointer late in the fourth quarter as the game was already decided.
What can't be discounted when it comes to Embiid's utterly dominant performance is the extra day of rest he enjoyed between Games 2 and 3. Philadelphia and New York have another two-day break before the series resumes on Sunday, affording Embiid more time for his knee and facial issues to improve.
Could this matchup shift back to Madison Square Garden next week all tied up, ending with a best-of-three? Given how Embiid played on Thursday, that dream Sixers scenario seems increasingly likely.
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