On an epic playoff night in NBA, Joel Embiid would already have a place in history when writing down its 50 points na Philadelphia 76ers win 125-114 against the New York Knickswhich gave the team survival for a place in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But the pivot’s personal record in postseasons happened precisely while Embiid was suffering from the call Bell’s palsya condition that affected the left side of the face.
“I think it started a day or two before the Miami game [no torneio play-in]. I had bad migraines, but I thought it was nothing,” Embiid said after his victory last Thursday night. “It’s very boring. The left side of my face, my mouth and my eyes. So, yes, it has been difficult.”
“But I don’t give up. I have to keep fighting. But it’s regrettable. That’s how I see things. It’s not an excuse. I have to keep fighting.”
Embiid admitted that the partial paralysis on the left side of his face has affected his vision, causing it to become blurry, and said that he constantly has to put eye drops in his eyes to prevent them from becoming too dry.
The Philadelphia center, however, acknowledged that it is still unclear how long the condition could last, and that it could take weeks or even months.
“I just hope it stays that way,” Embiid said, smiling. “I have a beautiful face. I don’t like it when my mouth is turned the other way. It’s an unfortunate situation. But everything happens for a reason. I need to take care of myself mentally.”
Despite dealing with the condition, Embiid managed to bring his best performance in a playoff game to the court, confirming his emphatic statement in the Madison Square Garden locker room on Monday night.
After the team’s collapse in the final seconds of Game 2, Embiid guaranteed: the 76ers would win the series.
Embiid’s physical limitations are not just Bell’s palsy, but also continued recovery from the knee injury that caused him to undergo surgery in February and miss two months of the regular season.
The center is still wearing a knee brace, although he moved well during Thursday’s game – and certainly better than he did in much of the first two games of the series.
Asked if he was able to trust his knee, Embiid was emphatic.
“Did not say. “I’m just trying to keep moving forward. Like I said, I’m not giving up. Even if it’s with one leg, I’ll still go out there and try. That’s no excuse. I have to keep playing better and better and better. Whatever it takes to win.”
Embiid became the first player to score at least 50 points in the playoffs on fewer than 20 shots, and tied for the second-fewest shots in 50-point games in NBA history, behind only Adrian Dantley’s 17 shots in 1980. .
Although admitting that he feels frustrated by the series of injuries in his career, especially in the playoffs, Embiid said that he has been trying not to let it get him down this time.
“I think about it every day,” Embiid said when asked if he ever considered the ‘why me?’ phase. due to physical problems. “It’s regrettable. You start to ask, ‘Why?’ Every year, it’s very boring. Maybe it’s meant to be this way. But the one thing I won’t do is give up, no matter what. I have to keep fighting, I have to keep putting my body on the line, for my family, for this city, for this team.”
“I can’t sit around and feel bad about myself. All this goes through your head and you may question yourself. But what are you going to do about it? Are you going to give up or are you going to continue?”
“The best thing you can do is do your best to prepare every day. That’s what I’ve been doing. And sometimes you get the results, sometimes you don’t. But if there’s one thing I can say about myself, it’s that I won’t give up. No matter what happens. If I win, if I don’t win, I just know that when I finish, I’ll be proud of myself and my team will be proud of me.”
Series schedule:
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New York Knicks (2nd) 111×104 Philadelphia 76ers (7th)
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New York Knicks (2nd) 104 x 101 Philadelphia 76ers (7th)
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Philadelphia 76ers (7th) 125×114 New York Knicks (2nd)
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Philadelphia 76ers (7th) x New York Knicks (2nd) – Sunday (28/4), at 2pm (Brasília time) – Broadcast live on ESPN on Star+
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New York Knicks (2nd) x Philadelphia 76ers (7th) – If necessary – Tuesday (4/30), time to be confirmed
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Philadelphia 76ers (7th) x New York Knicks (2nd) – If necessary – Thursday (2/5), time to be confirmed
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New York Knicks (2nd) x Philadelphia 76ers (7th) – If necessary – Saturday (4/5), time to be confirmed
