76ers' Joel Embiid: Being treated for Bell's palsy
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Embiid is being treated for a mild case of Bell's palsy, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. He finished Thursday's 125-114 win over the Knicks with 50 points (13-19 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 19-21 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one block across 41 minutes.
Embiid delivered one of the best playoff performances of his career in Game 3 to keep the Sixers alive in the series, but the post-game news of his mild case of Bell's palsy may be the bigger headline. Embiid revealed the condition started following the Sixers' Play-In victory over the Heat, but the star big man wanted to keep it private to avoid distractions for his team. Bell's palsy is a condition in which there is a facial weakness or paralysis due to injury to the seventh facial nerve. Based on Embiid's recent performances, it doesn't appear that his play will be affected by this issue. He has scored 29 or more points in each of the three games of the first-round series against New York.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Good to go Thursday
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Embiid (knee) will start Thursday's Game 3 against the Knicks, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports.
Embiid carried a questionable tag prior to this update, but he seemed more than fine in the opening pair of games in this series. He made it through his usual warmup, and there's no word of any restrictions ahead of tipoff, so he seems like a safe bet to handle his regular workload after logging 35-plus minutes in the first two contests of the series.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Considered questionable for Game 3
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Embiid is questionable for Thursday's Game 3 against the Knicks due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid played 37 and 39 minutes, respectively, during the first two games of the series and totaled 63 points, 18 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and a block during those contests. Despite the prolific stats, he hasn't looked 100 percent at times, but it'd be surprising if the reigning MVP didn't try to gut it out with his team facing a two-game deficit.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Records double-double in 39 minutes
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Embiid totaled 34 points (12-29 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 8-12 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists and one block over 39 minutes during Monday's 104-101 loss to the Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Despite laboring up and down the court at times, Embiid showed no ill effects of his lingering knee injury and logged a full workload in the loss, but his prolific line wasn't enough to turn the tide. Embiid and Tyrese Maxey got no help from their teammates as the rest of the roster ended with fewer points than Embiid alone.
Embiid (left knee injury recovery) has been cleared to play in Monday's Game 2 against the Knicks, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (illness) will suit up Monday, although coach Nick Nurse noted that Maxey will operate at less than 100 percent while still dealing with symptoms. Embiid logged 37 minutes of action despite briefly exiting Saturday's contest before halftime, so he'll likely be leaned on even if gimpy.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Officially a game-time decision
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Embiid (left knee injury management) is a game-time decision for Monday's Game 2 versus the Knicks, Derek Bodner of AllPHLY.com reports.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (illness) will both be game-time calls Monday. Coach Nick Nurse remarked that "availability will be determined after they each go through their pregame workout routine" in advance of a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.
Embiid is questionable for Monday's Game 2 against the Knicks due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid carrying the designation of "injury recovery," as opposed to a specific aggravation, is a good sign, and returning to the second half of Saturday's contest likely puts him on track for Game 2. That being said, Philadelphia has been unreliable in reporting injuries of late, so Embiid's status will need to be monitored. He declined to speak with media after Saturday's contest, but the big man has returned to action after suffering in-game tweaks twice in the time since his initial return from surgery, so gutting out lingering pain has been the precedent.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Starts second half Saturday
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Embiid (knee) started the third quarter of Saturday's game against the Knicks, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports.
Embiid left Saturday's contest in the second quarter following an awkward fall after throwing an alley-oop to himself. However, the star big man, who was helped off the court after that sequence, started the third quarter, and he's expected to play for as long as he's able to.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Heads to locker room Saturday
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Embiid headed to the locker room during the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Knicks with an apparent knee injury, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.
Embiid made a spectacular play after throwing an alley-oop to himself, but he grabbed his left knee after landing and was helped off the court before going to the locker room. If Embiid can't return, that would mean a significant turn of events for a Sixers team that struggled massively without the star big man. Paul Reed should see more minutes if Embiid is unable to return to the game.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Scores 29, overcomes tweaked knee
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Embiid notched 29 points (8-22 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 11-12 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in 37 minutes during Saturday's 111-104 loss to the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Embiid exited late in the second quarter of Saturday's contest after lobbing a dunk off the backboard to himself and landing solely on his left leg. He returned after halftime, with Philadelphia battling to take leads late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. Embiid also tweaked his knee April 12 in his fifth game back following meniscus surgery, but he returned to that contest as well. On Saturday, Embiid touched on the still-growing trust in fully utilizing his athleticism, acknowledging that feeling tweaks and dealing with pain will be a natural occurrence down the stretch, but that his knee is structurally sound. Mitchell Robinson is a formidable matchup against a less-explosive Embiid, but Embiid's scoring gravity and defensive anchoring were huge for Philadelphia on Saturday. He finished with a plus-14 net rating during his time on the court, representing a notable margin of victory across 37 minutes
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Available to play Saturday
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Embiid (knee) will play Saturday against the Knicks, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Embiid went through his pre-game routine unscathed, and the star big man will be ready to handle his regular workload in the series opener against New York. Embiid has averaged 29.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks across 31.8 minutes per game in six appearances since returning from the knee injury that sidelined him for two months earlier this year.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Will go through pre-game routine
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Coach Nick Nurse said Embiid (knee) will go through his usual pre-game workouts to determine his availability for Saturday's series opener against the Knicks, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.
Embiid is officially listed as questionable due to injury maintenance on his surgically repaired left knee. However, barring a setback during his pre-game routine, he's expected to be available and handle his regular workload. Embiid has averaged 29.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks across 31.8 minutes per game in the six games since returning to the hardwood.
