SUMMARY
- Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell's Palsy.
- The 2023 MVP revealed that he's been dealing with the condition since the Heat Play-In Tournament clash.
Going into Game 3 at the Wells Fargo Center while 0-2 was frustrating enough for Joel Embiid. The Philadelphia 76ers have never had proper playoff runs over the years and this year is going to be their most crucial one. Philly, though they were 0-2 in the series had many chances to win in Game 2. However, questionable officiating may have cost them the game, leaving Embiid in disbelief.
Josh Hart DID foul Tyrese Maxey on the inbounds pass in the final minute of the game according to the L2M report pic.twitter.com/Amv0r4Nm0E
— Jacob Moreno (@Jacobmorenonba) April 23, 2024
The final moments of Game 2 featured a lot of unnecessary contact that should’ve been acknowledged by the referees at Madison Square Garden. However, members of the Sixers camp claimed the officials simply chose to ignore time-out requests or the contact that was being made. Even Game 3 brought a sense of physicality which Joel Embiid is under fire for on social media. Philly managed to avoid the treacherous 0-3 run.
The Sixers did not reveal Joel Embiid’s injury to avoid distractions
Following Game 3 of the Sixers vs Knicks series, Joel Embiid confirmed that he has Bell’s Palsy. Later, Adrian Wojnarowski reported via X, “Sixers star Joel Embiid has been treated for a mild case of Bell’s palsy 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.”
There had been some speculation about why he had been wearing sunglasses and whether there was an issue with his eyes, but that was related to the Bell’s palsy — which impacts facial muscles in one-half of face. Embiid had 50 points in Game 3 victory over Knicks tonight. https://t.co/qd2WK4TpSb
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 26, 2024
For those who aren’t aware of the condition, Bells Palsy is when the facial muscles on one side of the face suddenly weaken or collapse, causing the affected area to droop. During Game 2 of the series, the left side of Embiid’s face seemed to have sagged. Fans and experts grew increasingly concerned about his condition. Embiid played through injuries throughout the regular season as well. He tore his meniscus which required surgery to repair causing him to miss multiple games.
Joel Embiid admits he wasn’t healthy ahead of the playoffs
Joel Embiid addressed the condition following a Game 3 win over the Knicks. He said, “I don’t know exactly what happened but obviously I guess that’s a normal thing. I think it started a day or two before the Miami game and I had bad migraines and I thought it was nothing. Usually, I don’t like to check it out but for some reason, I ended up having to tell somebody. Yeah, that’s why that Miami game, my body was just not feeling it.”
Embiid added, “Yeah it’s been tough, but I’m not a quitter. So you gotta keep fighting, do anything. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the way I look at it. That’s not an excuse. You gotta keep pushing.” The former MVP is aware that his reputation is on the line if the Sixers do not make a deep playoff run. However, he had an outstanding Game 3 stat line scoring 50 points along with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block. This was the highest-scoring playoff night since Allen Iverson’s 55-point performance in 2003.