No player is facing more adversity than Joel Embiid. Despite having suffered a knee injury and a nerve-related issue, fans keep criticizing him for disappearing in the postseason. Having scored 50 points in the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 3 win, Embiid will have to put up several more such performances to silence the naysayers. However, as he is again added to the injury report, things might be slightly tricky for JoJo.
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The 76ers have added merely two players to their injury report. Robert Covington, who has been dealing with a right shoulder complication, stays out. Joel Embiid is listed as ‘Questionable’ due to the meniscus injury he sustained, back in January end.
Joel Embiid (injury recovery) listed questionable for Sunday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) April 27, 2024
The 2023 MVP was forced to miss 29 games due to the injury he sustained during the 30th January clash against the Golden State Warriors. In the next eight weeks, the Pennsylvania side had an 11-18 losing record. While it is unlikely that the two-time scoring champ will miss tonight’s contest, the absence could be due to the Bell’s Palsy complication he’s dealing with.
Joel Embiid deals with Bell’s Palsy issue
Following Game 3’s victory, Joel Embiid revealed just how stressed the knee injury made him. Talking to the reporters in the postgame interview, Embiid said per Sports Illustrated:
“I think going from the knee injury, I think mentally the stress that may be part of it, like I’ve been saying, mentally it’s just been so draining, depressing. I need to take care of myself mentally and physically.”
As if dealing with the hurt meniscus wasn’t draining enough, reports also disclosed that Embiid was dealing with a mild case of Bell’s Palsy. The nerve-related injury has been bothering JoJo since the start of the play-in tournament. But it has been treated, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN Sources: 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.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 26, 2024
However, Embiid didn’t look to be fully recovered. During the contest, the center’s left side of the face seemed partially paralyzed. A sports doctor even mentioned the horrific details of the injury if not treated well.
Embiid has been phenomenal, playing through two risky injuries. So far, the Philly leader has recorded a staggering 37.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, per ESPN. However, as difficult as it may seem, the 30-year-old will have to continue playing at this same level if the Sixers want the opportunity for a deep run in the playoffs.
