Ahead of Thursday’s must-win game against the New York Knicks, Joel Embiid finally revealed his secret to the basketball world. According to the former MVP, he’s been dealing with mild paralysis in his face that has required treatment for a week.
“ESPN Sources: Sixers star Joel Embiid has been treated for a mild case of Bell’s Palsey for the past week,” reported Adrian Wojnarowski. “The condition began during the play-in victory over Miami but he has wanted to keep it private to avoid distractions for his team.”
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Bell’s Palsy is “an unexplained episode” of weakness or paralysis in the face. While the exact cause is unknown, it likely stems from damage to the cranial nerve and can include symptoms such as sensitivity to sound, loss of feeling in the face, headaches, and even an inability to close one eye.
As for the treatment options, it’s likely that Embiid was given a dose of corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation and ensure it resolves on its own within a few days.
Embiid displayed these symptoms on the court over the past week but his game is where we saw the biggest signs that something was not right. Really, since the start of the post-season, Embiid hasn’t looked like himself at all. In Game 1 against New York, he shot just 36% from the field and had zero blocks in 36 minutes.
In Game 2, another loss for the 76ers, Embiid was better with 34 points and 10 rebounds on the night but, again, his efficiency was low and he was unable to step up and secure the win when his team needed it.
Fortunately, with his team facing an impossible 3-0 deficit on Thursday, he responded in a big way by posting a whopping 50 points and 8 rebounds on 68.4% shooting. The 76ers will need more performances like that from him if they want to even the series and give themselves a chance to take control when they go back to Madison Square Garden next week.
After scoring 50 points in a signature game, it’s safe to say that Embiid is back to full strength and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for the 76ers. if he can just keep this up and avoid any more setbacks, this could finally be the year that he makes a run in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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