PHILADELPHIA – National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid poured in a career play-off high of 50 points to propel the Philadelphia 76ers to a much-needed win over the New York Knicks on April 25, then confirmed that he is playing through Bell’s palsy.
Reports surfaced on the same day that the Cameroon-born star had been treated for the past week for the condition, which causes weakness in the muscles of the face.
Asked about it after the Sixers’ 125-114 home victory over the Knicks, who cut the deficit in their Eastern Conference play-off series to 2-1, Embiid said he had been dealing with it since before their play-in clash with the Miami Heat.
“It started a day or two before the Miami game,” said Embiid, adding that he suffered migraine as well as muscle weakness that particularly affects his left eye and mouth.
“Yes, it’s pretty annoying,” added the centre, who wore sunglasses as he spoke to reporters.
“My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter. It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse – got to keep pushing.”
The cause of Bell’s palsy is not known. It is thought to be the result of swelling and irritation of the nerve that controls the affected muscles, and some believe it could be a reaction triggered by a viral infection.
Symptoms usually start to improve within weeks, and most recover fully within six months.
“With the conversations that I’ve had, it could be weeks, it could be months,” Embiid said, adding that he did not like “when my mouth is looking the other way”.
It is just the latest health concern for the 30-year-old, who had surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee in February. He returned earlier in April to bolster the Sixers’ play-off push.
Philadelphia had dropped the first two games of their best-of-seven first-round series at Madison Square Garden, with Embiid defiantly insisting they were the “better team” and would right the ship at home.
He made sure they did, connecting on 13 of 19 shots, including five of seven from three-point range and added eight rebounds and four assists at Wells Fargo Centre.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists. Josh Hart scored 20 points but Game 2 hero Donte DiVincenzo had just five and the Sixers will have a chance to level the series on April 28.
Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic compiled 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets moved one win closer to the Western Conference semi-finals with a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Aaron Gordon added 29 points with 15 rebounds as the Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead at Crypto.com Arena. Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Michael Porter Jr added 20 points and 10 rebounds to help Denver extend their winning streak over the Lakers to 11 games.
Said Porter: “I don’t think anybody besides the media looks at the 11 (straight victories). But it’s not easy to beat this team. Last game, coming back from 20 points, we had to scratch and claw. So it’s not easy. But of course we like winning, and the more times we can win, the better.”
Back in the East, Paolo Banchero collected 31 points and 14 rebounds at Kia Centre to fuel the Orlando Magic past the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-83 in Game 3 of their series.
He sank four three-pointers and had seven offensive rebounds for the fifth-seeded Magic, who trail 2-1.
“I just wanted to come out and be aggressive,” Banchero said. “Going down 3-0 is a lot different than being down 2-1. So (I) knew we had to get this game – and we’ve got to do it again on Saturday.” AFP, REUTERS
