Joel Embiid missed a big game on Monday against Nikola Jokic, earning a lot of criticism from fans and analysts. The Philadelphia 76ers’ big man is dealing with some pain and decided to skip this game.
After all the criticism he received, Embiid clarified that he’s not losing sleep over the bad comments, explaining that he’s focused on the upcoming NBA playoffs.
“I don’t care,” said Embiid. “Like I said, it’s all about the playoffs. I mean, if one game was going to hurt anybody’s chances, I guess everybody should be out of it. We all have bad games, guys miss matchups, that’s not the first time and it’s not really a matchup about me and Nikola. He’s a great player, an amazing player. Like I always say, back-this-back MVPs, he’s one of the best players in the league and I’m a huge fan.”
The Cameroonian-born player said that he didn’t enjoy not playing against Jokic, but his decision wasn’t based on fear or anything like that.
Talking about the MVP race, Embiid said he’s not worried about winning or losing it, and he’s just trying to get the biggest prize, the NBA championship.
“I don’t care if I win it or not,” he stated, via Sixers Wire. “I’m just focused on trying to win a championship and whatever happens out there. If I win, great. If I don’t win anything, I don’t care.”
Embiid has made it clear that he’s disappointed with the MVP voters, given his last two defeats at the hands of Nikola Jokic. These are two of the best players in the league right now, but only one can put their hands on the MVP trophy.
The MVP Race Is Hotter Than Ever Right Now
This season has given us a very entertaining MVP race, and added to these two, Giannis Antetokounmpo is also trying to win the award. Things are going to get pretty intense down the stretch, and the next games will be key to defining who gets this trophy home.
This race has taken interesting turns recently, and some people like Kendrick Perkins think that Embiid avoiding the duel with Jokic hurt his MVP case. Tracy McGrady has shown his support to the Serbian big man, too, so the situation doesn’t look that promising for Embiid.
Joel Embiid has averaged 33.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 62 games this season. Nikola Jokic has posted 24.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.9 assists in 67 games this season.
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