Joel Embiid dominated in a big Philadelphia 76ers win over the Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokic also playing. After the win, Embiid and Jokic embraced and spoke to each other away from the microphones. When Embiid was asked about what he said to Jokic in that interaction, the reigning MVP revealed he called Jokic the best player in the NBA.
“I just told him he’s the best player in the league… He won a championship, that’s the best team in the league, and he’s the Finals MVP. I just told him to keep going and see you in 2 weeks. Keep doing your thing, that’s why you’re the best in the league.”
“I just told him he’s the best player in the league… He won a championship, that’s the best team in the league, and he’s the Finals MVP. I just told him keep going, see you in 2 weeks.”
Joel Embiid on what he said to Nikola Jokic 🗣️pic.twitter.com/3GQybtBwzq https://t.co/34blQLZjDo
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 17, 2024
Embiid had a fantastic night, scoring 41 points with seven rebounds and 10 assists on extremely efficient shooting. Jokic had a strong game of his own, but his 25 points with 19 rebounds weren’t enough to match Embiid’s incredible night. This is the second matchup where Embiid has outplayed Jokic, with their last game also ending with a 76ers win while Embiid had a monstrous statline of 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks.
Embiid is the frontrunner for MVP right now, averaging 35.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists over the season. Jokic is averaging 25.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, falling behind in the MVP race but everyone is aware that he will unlock a new level of performance in the playoffs, as he did last season.
The Nuggets are 28-14 and hold the No. 3 seed in the West. The 76ers improve to 26-13 with this win, also occupying the No. 3 seed in the East.
Joel Embiid Looking To Prove Himself As A Better Player Than Nikola Jokic
Joel Embiid spent the majority of his last few seasons coming up short of whatever Nikola Jokic has achieved. They have had three consecutive MVP battles against each other, with Jokic winning in 2021 and 2022 before Embiid was given the award last season. Unfortunately for Embiid, people wrote that off the second Jokic led the Nuggets through a historic playoff route to win the 2023 Championship along with Finals MVP.
This season, it’s clear that Embiid is performing at a higher level in the regular season. But that won’t matter if the 76ers succumb to yet another second-round exit. These players have reached such an elite level that only playoff success will be the true differentiator between the two. If Embiid carries this form into the postseason, good luck to everyone else.
Embiid may miss out on MVP due to played game requirements, as he can only miss six more games to be MVP-eligible through the second half of the season. If playoff achievement is the barrier to success between the pair, it’s likely Embiid will sacrifice winning MVP and being in the best shape possible for the playoffs to bring the 76ers their first title since the 1980s. Jokic already got the Nuggets their first championship in franchise history last season.
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