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There’s no question that fans of the Philadelphia 76ers had this part of the season circled all season. It’s not an easy slate; a late road trip against the Warriors, Suns, and Nuggets followed by an East stint against the Celtics and Bucks is as fearsome as they come.
Of particular interest heading into the week were Philly’s games against Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets and Giannis Antetokoumpo-led Bucks. All season, Antetokoumpo, Jokic, and Joel Embiid have jockeyed for pole position in the NBA’s MVP race. It’s an old story at this point; Embiid finished as runner-up to Jokic for the trophy in each of the last two seasons.
But as Embiid explained, he’s not focused on individual honors this year. By extension, he’s also not worried about his one-on-one matchups against today’s greats.
“These types of matchups, whether it’s against Giannis, whether it’s against him, it’s cool and all,” Embiid told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But at the end of the day, it’s always about Milwaukee against Philly or Denver against Philly. [Individual matchups] is not where the focus should be. The focus is on making sure everything is running right for later on [during the playoffs].”
Unfortunately for the Sixers, it really hasn’t been Embiid-versus-anybody lately.
Doc Rivers Offers Joel Embiid 76ers Health Update
Embiid was a health scratch against the Nuggets on Monday due to calf soreness that was readily apparent in the Sixers’ loss to the Suns over the weekend.
After the game, Doc Rivers issued a grim update on Embiid’s status.
“Jo, I don’t know, but (I’m) optimistic for James,” Rivers said during his postgame press conference.
While Rivers noted that he hopes the injury doesn’t stick around, he was quick to point out that calf injuries are “tricky,” per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“He felt great the last two games, but we’re just gonna take this slow and be smart. We want to get him, and our whole team, healthy, for the playoffs. That’s the most important thing.”
Equally vital to the Sixers’ playoff chances is ensuring that James Harden is healthy. Philly’s lead playmaker has missed the last four games with Achilles soreness. Since then, the Sixers’ offense has taken a nosedive, with the team ranking below average on that end of the floor.
Joel Embiid Called Out for Missing 76ers Showdown
Monday’s matchup between Embiid and Jokic was figured to be a heavyweight fight over MVP honors. A strong showing from either player could have gone a long way toward solidifying their grasp on the trophy.
And after Embiid was listed as out with injury, the former Kansas Jayhawk endured criticism for missing the crucial matchup.
“Joel Embiid is ducking that smoke today, and y’all know how I feel about Joel Embiid,” Kendrick Perkins said on ESPN ahead of the matchup. “He has been on record, we know how much it means to him to win this award. Here it is, you gave Jokic a spanking when they was down there in Philly. You have to give him the opportunity to get his league back. You cannot sit out this game.”
After Jokic’s triple-double against Philadelphia, the Nuggets big man’s odds to win the award shot up. He’s now almost even with Embiid to take home his third-straight MVP.
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