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Despite a sore knee and Bell's palsy, Joel Embiid keeps battling

April 26, 2024

Joel Embiid egging on the crowd while standing behind Kyle Lowry.

Apr 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts after a score against the New York Knicks during the second half of game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embiid managed to accomplish an NBA playoff first, becoming the first player ever to score 50 points in a postseason game on under 20 shot attempts. Cue the complaints about how many free throws he got up, but it's impressive no matter how you slice it in a backs-against-the-wall Game 3 for the Sixers.
And while a 50-point game is meaningful in basically any context, the big man is in uncharted territory for reasons that are a little less fun. Let's dive into it before the Knicks fans show up.
The main thing — Down, but not out
Thursday's Game 3 would have turned out quite differently if just one replay review had gone another way. Joel Embiid was on the verge of ejection in the first ...

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