Sixers’ Joel Embiid on case of Bell’s palsy: ‘It’s unfortunate’

Philadelphia 76ers middle Joel Embiid has been coping with a case of Bell’s palsy affecting the left facet of his face, mouth and eye for greater than per week, the reigning NBA MVP mentioned after Thursday evening’s playoff recreation.

Bell’s palsy is “an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. It “results from damage to the facial nerve,” and there may be presently no identified remedy. Embiid mentioned he has been getting migraines and started experiencing the signs shortly earlier than the Sixers’ Play-In Tournament recreation per week in the past towards the Miami Heat.

“I don’t know exactly what happened but I guess it’s a normal thing. I think it started a game or two before the Miami game. I had bad migraines and I thought it was nothing. Usually I don’t like to check it out but for some reason I ended up having to tell somebody,” Embiid mentioned of the preliminary signs in a information convention after Thursday’s 125-114 playoff victory over the New York Knicks. “That’s why that Miami game, my body was just — I was just not feeling it. Then I noticed it lately. I’m sure if you Google the symptoms you’ll know what it is. It’s pretty annoying with my left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It’s been tough but I’m not a quitter. I gotta keep fighting through anything. It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it. But that’s not an excuse. You gotta keep pushing.”

Joel Embiid confirmed that he has had a case of Bell’s palsy during the last week-plus. He mentioned it started 1-2 days earlier than the Play-In recreation towards the Heat. He had migraines. It has affected the left facet of his face and mouth.

Embiid: “It’s been tough… It’s unfortunate.” pic.twitter.com/0EOPWlAGXx

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Embiid mentioned the signs have persevered.

“It could be weeks. It could be months. I just hope it could stay like this,” Embiid mentioned. “I got a beautiful face. I don’t like when my mouth is looking the other way. Like I said, unfortunate situation but everything happens for a reason. I gotta take care of myself mentally.”

Embiid missed two months of the common season because of a torn meniscus however returned in early April because the Sixers fought for postseason positioning within the Eastern Conference. After scoring 29 factors and 34 factors within the Sixers’ first two video games of their best-of-seven sequence towards the Knicks, Embiid scored 50 factors in Thursday’s Game 3. Philadelphia now trails the sequence 2-1, with Game 4 set for Sunday afternoon.

(Joel Embiid: Bill Streicher / USA Today)