In the Sixers' 126-121 win over the Nuggets on Jan. Each has been runner-up when the other won the award. That includes MVP, which he won last year for the first time while denying Jokic a third consecutive such honor.Įmbiid and Jokic have jockeyed for MVP front-runner status each of the last four seasons, including this one. 8, 2019.Įmbiid has missed 11 games this season and because of the NBA's new rules he can only miss six more to remain eligible for the league’s awards. That is, when he's not unavailable - which is sometimes the case, especially in Denver, where he hasn't played since Nov. “He's putting history right now in front of our eyes, and he's making it look so easy,” Jokic said.Įmbiid is averaging 36 points and 11.4 rebounds, and Malone said 90 minutes before the game that the Sixers' All-Star center has become “really unguardable.” Jokic didn't want to dwell on Embiid's latest absence on the Ball Arena court, saying Reed deserved the airtime instead for his spectacular performance.īesides, Jokic said, what Embiid is doing this season is absolutely breathtaking. Paul Reed led Philadelphia with a career-best 30 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. Jamal Murray scored 23 points for Denver and Michael Porter Jr. But the tired Nuggets, coming off a season-long 12-day East Coast swing, couldn't shake the Sixers until the closing minutes. "But, we have to do a better job of handling those situations.”Įmbiid was preparing to play without much of his supporting cast as Tyrese Maxey (ankle), Tobias Harris (illness) and Mo Bamba (knee) were all ruled out well before he was.Ĭounting Embiid, that’s 84 points of scoring averages that the Sixers were missing. “But it's just really tough on the (opponent) preparing for them and then all of a sudden, last minute, he's out. ![]() We've had situations this year where we've talked to the league and they told us if a player goes from being active to out, there's going to be an investigation.”Įmbiid tweaked his troublesome left knee against the Pacers on Thursday night, but he wasn't listed on the injury report Saturday. “And I'm sure the league will do their due diligence because that's frowned upon. “We found out very late and again, I don't know how you go from being active/available to out,” Malone said. Nuggets coach Michael Malone was miffed by the late nature of Embiid's scratch. “He really wanted to play, and the medical team did not deem him fit to play today,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. Philadelphia's star center missed the Sixers’ game at Denver for a fourth consecutive season after the team’s medical staff determined he shouldn’t play on his balky left knee.ĭenying hoops fans another marquee matchup between the last two NBA MVPs, the Sixers scratched Embiid minutes before tipoff after he grimaced through his warmups. The Denver Nuggets fended off the gritty, short-handed Philadelphia 76ers 111-105 on Saturday behind 26 points and 16 rebounds from Nikole Jokic, who was again denied his rematch with fellow MVP contender Joel Embiid. ![]() ![]() Jokic, Nuggets fend off gritty 76ers 111-105 as Embiid sits out for 4th consecutive time in DenverĭENVER - This matinee was no marquee, not with one of its co-stars missing again.
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