The Philadelphia 76ers put the game 5 away behind Tyrese Maxey’s heroics. After succumbing to the New York Knicks‘ aggressive offense throughout the series, the Philly roster hinted at the potential they held in the elimination game. However, despite Maxey’s 46-point outburst, the win would have never transpired had Kelly Oubre Jr. not displayed a staunch stance to play through an illness.

So, when asked about his health, Kelly Oubre Jr radiated at the challenges of Game 5—all while having a mild case of chuckles. He hilariously cited, “I feel like dog water right now. But even dogs drink it,” sparking laughter within the conference room.

Oubre Jr then went on to share how he’s been coping, albeit finding ways to crack jokes. “I probably should have [taken medicine]. I remember Rese [Tyrese] was here, he said he took medicine and he had the same thing,” hilariously claiming that he could’ve posted a high-scoring game if he opted for meds too.

Nevertheless, Oubre then shared that he feels “okay” right before resonating with his intentions to always put his best foot forward on the court. Moreover, as he shot 6-13 from the field (14 points) and struggled from the three-point line (0-3), Kelly Oubre Jr claimed that “fatigue was a factor.”

Moreover, he added that, apart from his illness, he was facing issues from a leg bruise that he garnered from game 4.

Embiid also faced a potential sidelining like Kelly Oubre Jr

Just like Kelly Oubre Jr, Joel Embiid was also facing health concerns before the game 5 in New York. Philadelphia’s superstar center was listed questionable for a knee injury management. However, as the game neared, Embiid went through a migraine episode. The instance came just days after it was revealed that Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which has a correlation with migraine.

The updated forced uncertainty around Embiid presence for the game. With that, and Kelly Oubre Jr’s illness, the two players did not appear with the squad during the team’s pre-game shootaround. However, with the pressure of 6 consecutive eliminations early from the post season, the two saw green light right before the game.

Kelly Oubre Jr, with his fair share of struggles, churned out a decent game. However, Embiid paced himself out. In what was his lowest scoring total of the series, Joel posted 19 points. Nevertheless, as Tyrese Maxey shouldered the major offensive load, Embiid emerged to post his first triple-double of the matchup, with 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He also had 4 crucial blocks.

The Sixers will now face the Knicks at home, hoping to even out the 3-2 disadvantage in the Wells Fargo Arena.