Despite being limited in more ways than one, Joel Embiid saved the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
On Sunday, the reigning Most Valuable Player will look to help the Sixers even their Eastern Conference first-round series at two wins apiece when they host the New York Knicks in Game 4.
Embiid poured in a playoff career-high 50 points while still struggling on his surgically repaired left knee in a 125-114 win over the Knicks in Game 3 on Thursday. Embiid had surgery on the lateral meniscus on Feb. 6.
In addition, Embiid confirmed an ESPN report that he had also been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy.
“It’s pretty annoying with my left side of my face, my mouth, and my eye,” Embiid said. “It’s been tough but I’m not a quitter, so I have to keep fighting through anything. It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it, but that’s not an excuse. I have to keep pushing.”
Embiid produced a 50-point game on 13-of-19 shooting from the field, 5-of-7 from 3-point range and 19-of-21 from the free throw line. The only other Sixers to score at least 50 in a playoff game are Allen Iverson (three times) and Billy Cunningham.
Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 15 and Cam Payne gave the Sixers an unexpected lift off the bench with 11.
“On the bench, I hop around all game. I’m locked in on the game plan,” Payne said. “I pay attention to what’s going on out there on the court. That’s half the fight, really paying attention.”
The Knicks will look to rebound from their loss when they take the court on Sunday.
Jalen Brunson had 39 points and 13 assists in Game 3. Josh Hart added 20 points, OG Anunoby had 17 and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 14.
But the Knicks had to play the second half without Mitchell Robinson, who suffered a sprained ankle.
Embiid committed a flagrant 1 foul against Robinson with 4:34 left in the first quarter. Robinson left the Wells Fargo Center in a walking boot and his status is unclear. The Knicks believed it was enough to have Embiid ejected.
Donte DiVincenzo called the play “dirty.”
“We’re just happy Mitch didn’t get a serious injury on that,” Hart added. “I’m all for tough fouls, playoff fouls, but that’s something that can put a guy out for a significant amount of time.”
Coach Tom Thibodeau said that the Knicks must focus on their execution not the questionable calls by the referees.
“This is playoff basketball,” Thibodeau said. “It’s going to go up. It’s going to escalate. And now we’ve got to bring it. My thing is there’s two teams and they responded. Now we have to respond. We got to do better. We got to fix it.”
While the Knicks will need to focus on Embiid, they also need to concentrate on how they approach the game from the opening tip.
“We have to come in on Sunday and from the beginning, throw the first punch,” New York’s Miles McBride said. “And keep throwing them.”
–Field Level Media
