Joel Embiid overcame a knee problem and his recent Bell’s Palsy diagnosis by leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win over the New York Knicks in their third playoff match.
Embiid’s 50-point haul cut the series deficit to 2-1 in the third game of this first round Eastern Conference series, which is all the more remarkable in light of his recent physical and mental adversity.
He was recently diagnosed with a form of the facial paralysis as well as battling his way back from knee surgery, showcasing his fighting spirit.
“It’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter. I’m going to keep fighting through anything.”
The 30-year-old holds the franchise-best record of scoring 70 points in a match with the San Antonio Spurs in January, and showed his clinical nature on Thursday after being the first player in NBA history to take 50 points on fewer than 20 shots in a playoff game.
Embiid won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in 2023 and spoke in more detail about the condition which he has suffered since the 76ers’ win over the Miami Heat on April 17.
“I battled migraines and thought it was nothing. Usually I like to tough it out, but for some reason I ended up having to tell somebody,” he added.
“It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it. But that’s not an excuse. Got to keep pushing.”
Jalen Brunson top scored for the Knicks with 39 points, while Josh Hart took 20 on an otherwise disappointing night for the New Yorkers.
Nuggets move closer to Lakers clean sweep
The Denver Nuggets extended their series lead at 3-0 over the Los Angeles Lakers with a 112-105 victory, with Aaron Gordon taking 29 points to take the Colorado side on the verge of a clean sweep.
Nikola Jokic added a further 24 points to put Denver on the cusp of the second round after the reigning NBA champions won a 11th consecutive match against the Lakers.
“They were up 20 in Denver, they were up 12 today in the first half, but I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. That’s a really tough team, and every game is really interesting and tough to win. Every game we’re playing catch-up, and they’re really talented. It’s really hard to close a team out.”
The writing appears to be on the wall for the Lakers, with no NBA team having ever recovered from a 0-3 playoff deficit to progress.
Anthony Davis top scored for the Lakers with 33 points, while LeBron James added another 26 points against a side they have not beaten since December 16, 2022.
“You come out with the mindset, ‘Let’s get one, force a Game 5, and then we go from there,’” said James.
“As long as you still have life, then you obviously have belief. I just think you play ’til the wheels fall off. That’s what it’s always about for me. That’s a mindset, and I know (Davis) feels the same way.”
Orlando Magic created unwanted history for Cavaliers
Elsewhere, the Orlando Magic powered past the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 121-83 victory to inflict their worst loss in franchise playoff history.
The Cavaliers still lead this Eastern Conference series 2-1 despite this defeat, but it proved to be a sobering night as Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs led the way with 31 and 24 points respectively for the Floridians.
Banchero is guarding against complacency though, as they look to level the series in the next match on Saturday.
“We know we have to do the same thing on Saturday. Obviously we’re proud of the win tonight. It is big for this group to get your first playoff win but we want the whole series.”
Jarrett Allen led the way for the Cavaliers for 15 points, while Caris Levert and Donovan Mitchell added a further 15 and 13 points respectively.
“We knew they were going to come out with a punch but we’ve got to find a way to score and it starts with me,” Mitchell explained.
“You don’t get two wins for winning by more than 20, so you’ve got to keep it in that perspective.
“At the end of he day we could have lost by 20 or 40, it doesn’t matter. It’s one win.”