Joel Embiid is fighting several physical ailments right now, but they won’t keep him off the court Tuesday night. Despite the Philadelphia 76ers listing him as questionable with a sore knee and a migraine, Embiid is active for Tuesday night’s Game 5 against the New York Knicks.
Embiid’s left knee, which is still recovering from meniscus surgery from earlier this year, has been bothering him throughout the series. He has also been dealing with Bell’s palsy, a nerve condition that affects muscles in the face. Embiid was absent from shootaround Tuesday morning due to a migraine, which is a symptom of Bell’s palsy, as well as his sore knee.
The Sixers are down 3-1 in the series and are in a win-or-go-home situation. They desperately need Embiid on the floor to have a chance of extending this series, because the moment he hits the bench, the Sixers stop looking like a playoff team. He did not sit for a single second of the fourth quarter in Game 4, and subsequently went 0-for-5 from the floor.
The Sixers’ entire season once again rests on the broad shoulders of their injured superstar, who must yet again play through pain to try and save his team from certain elimination. It’s not a long term strategy, but it’s the only one the Sixers have.
