Joel Embiid Amazes NBA Fans in Duel With Nikola Jokic as 76ers Beat Nuggets

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In a showdown of two former MVP’s, Joel Embiid came out on top.

Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets 126-121 on Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center to improve to 26-13 on the season and extend their winning streak to three games.

The battle between Jokić and Embiid was one of the highlights of the 2023-24 season to date.

Embiid notched 41 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and one block in the win. It was his second straight 41-point performance and his 18th straight game with at least 30 points.

Jokić, meanwhile, finished with 25 points, 20 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.

With both players playing some of their best basketball, NBA fans couldn’t help but praise both superstars and hope for more matchups between the two in the future, perhaps in the 2024 NBA Finals:

Two of the best big men in the NBA, Jokić and Embiid are two of the top MVP candidates again this season. Jokić has won the award twice and Embiid won his first MVP last year.

Jokić entered Tuesday’s matchup averaging 25.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 40 games while shooting 58.2 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Embiid, meanwhile, entered Tuesday averaging 34.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 blocks in 28 games while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 35.2 percent from deep.

Embiid is currently considered the frontrunner for the MVP award, but Jokić is right on his tail. With plenty of season left, it’ll be interesting to see which player separates himself from the other, although Embiid may have done just that on Tuesday.

Aside from the MVP race, fans will also surely be keeping an eye on the Eastern and Western Conference standings and the playoff picture in hopes the Nuggets and Sixers meet in the NBA Finals.