Sixers center Joel Embiid had one of his best games of the season on Tuesday night in a 103-101 victory over Boston, scoring over half of his team’s points and keeping Philadelphia’s hopes alive for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed.
Embiid’s final line included 52 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists on 20-of-25 shooting. He was a plus-17 in nearly 39 minutes. The 76ers were outscored by 15 points in the nine-plus minutes he didn’t play.
In the view of head coach Doc Rivers, it was a convincing closing argument from Embiid in what has been a hotly contested battle for this season’s Most Valuable Player award.
“We did so many things wrong, but what we did right was Joel Embiid,” Rivers said after the game, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “The MVP race is over.”
Teammate James Harden – who had a double-double of his own in the victory, with 20 points and 10 assists – also believes Embiid has done enough this season to lock up his first MVP award.
“Joel should win it,” Harden said. “He’s been in contention for it the last few years. He led the league in scoring last year. It looks like he’s going to lead the league in scoring this year. We’re the third seed in the East. He’s been consistent all year.”
Embiid certainly has a compelling case for MVP honors. His 33.3 points per game lead the NBA, as Harden observes. He’s chipping in 10.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG, and has matched a career high with 4.2 APG. His .547 FG% is a career best, as is his .859 FT% on 11.8 attempts per game. He’s the anchor of Philadelphia’s defense and the team is 11.2 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the court than when he’s not.
It’s not just Embiid’s coaches and teammates who are endorsing his MVP candidacy either. Plenty of players around the NBA have made the case for the Sixers star, including former MVP Stephen Curry, who told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report this week that Embiid would get his vote.
Of course, as has been the case all season, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are posting superlative numbers of their own and they’re doing so for the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences (though it’s worth noting that Embiid’s Sixers have the same record as Jokic’s Nuggets).
Antetokounmpo is averaging a career-high 31.1 PPG to go along with 11.8 RPG and 5.7 APG while making a strong case for All-Defensive recognition. Jokic, the advanced metric darling, is nearly averaging a triple-double (24.8 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 9.8 APG) and the difference between the Nuggets’ performance when he’s on the court (+12.8 net rating) and when he’s not (-11.5) is stunning.
Still, a recent straw poll conducted by Bontemps had Embiid holding a slight lead over Jokic. The Nuggets star, battling a right calf issue, has only played 24 minutes since the results of that poll were published, while Embiid has scored 105 more points across three games and has added another signature outing to his résumé.
Additionally, while media members may claim that voter fatigue isn’t a factor in their picks, the fact that Jokic and Antetokounmpo have won two MVPs apiece while Embiid has yet to win one may help tip the tip the scales in his favor — especially since there’s a sense he has been a worthy candidate for each of the last few seasons.
That brings us to today’s Community Shootaround question: Is Rivers right that the MVP race over? Has Embiid clinched it? Or is still a two- or three-man race as we enter the final five days of the season?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Most Valuable Player to their team is clearly Jokic
@idiot you are dismissed
it’s embiids turn.
Well said but the African warrior has earned it.
Right, everyone gets a trophy
There is no such thing as turns. You like participation trophies too? Giannis is better. Deserves it more. Best record. Bucks have had injuries all year long.
The media has loves him, so he’ll likely get it off that.
Giannis still has my vote. Giannis the BEST PLAYER on the BEST TEAM that has contributed THE MOST to his team winning games.
Thank you
It feels so dumb … if the voters had a draft to pick 1 player first for their team to start in these playoffs, it would and should be Giannis.
Bwaaaaaaa
I vote for Embiid.
Embiid is MVP.
Yeah, Embiid won it last night. While he was scoring half of his teams points in a critical games against the Celtics, Jokic and the Nuggets were getting blown out by the Rockets.
I guess ducking Jokic gave Embiid the rest he needed down the stretch. Now maybe he’ll quit whining.
C’s we’re down to starters last night, including Robert Williams . Embid did his damage against Luke Cornet and Blake Griffin. Not a lot to brag about there. And it certainly doesn’t help his argument to win it over Giannis
Just stop it. You are just making things up. Robert Williams stinks and Embiid torches him regularly. Like when he dropped 41 on him earlier this season. Secondly, Blake played 8 minutes last night and kornet played 16, they are both reserves that barely played. There isn’t a big in the league that can defend Embiid.
Embiid had one of the most dominant performances in league history last night, 50 points with 10+ boards on over 80% from the floor…I believe that’s happened twice before, both by Wilt.
Good deal. Smoke a team obviously resting it’s starters. Good for him. He’s still not more valuable than Giannis.
With it without Embid, Sixers will still choke in the playoffs.
Without Giannis, Bucks don’t even sniff the playoffs
Funny they clinched the number one seed without him
One game. You are the worst take ever
Joking for 3rd. He had nights like Emblid’s all the time. Giannis 2nd
Oof
Compare giannis and Embiid season, I don’t see any way Giannis wins. Jokic, that’s another story. Giannis and Embiid are great two way players. Embiid is having the better offensive season and that’s what truly wins these awards. Give Giannis DPOY if that makes you feel better
The bucks are something like 10-6 without giannis, which is over 60% win percentage. That would still be a playoff team and top 5 at that. You act like Middleton and Holliday are scrubs. Two all stars lol. Also, you completely fabricated a reason Embiid was successful and can’t own it. Great takes
Dude, the Sixers have the nearly same winning percentage without Embid as the Bucks do without Giannis, so there goes that argument…
Middleton has missed over 40 Games… there goes that argument…
Their offensive numbers are nearly identical across the board. Embid is a slightly better 3pt shooter, but Giannis has more assists. and like you said, Giannis is a significantly better defender… so there goes that argument…
So who is “fabricating reasons”?!?
You’re 0 for 3
Lol ducking joker lol lol lol lol. Man played with a shattered face and torn off thumb tumor cat.
A torn off thumb tumor cat sounds awfully painful.
OFC Embiid is better because there’s actual numbers to back his case up (PPG, PTS differential when he’s on/off the court among them). Means more than the silly metrics that like Jokic or oversimplifications like “best player on the best team” or empty phrases like “means more to his team”. Watch Embiid play a few games and tell me he isn’t the best player in the game right now.
Gino and Jokic are both better I watch plenty of basketball. Sixers funnel all of their offense through Embiid because they have no other options. Even Harden is a facilitator. Add to the fact that whistles are friendly af for the big man (what % of his points record comes from free throws?) And yeah he puts up nice stats. But Bucks and Denver both had better seasons because of their stars and it’s a season long award.
Embiid is the most dominant player in the NBA. 76ers have Harden and Maxey as legit #2 options, and Tobias Harris isn’t a slouch as the #4 option. Embiid gets the touches b/c he can’t be stopped 1 on 1, and when teams double team him he either finds the open man, hits the J or dominates under the basket. Jokic is a joke. I have never heard him call the most dominant player, or the most dominant big man. IMO Giannis is the legit competition for MVP.
You just hate philly and Embiid. If philly was in the west, which prior to the deadline had far less talent than the East, they would also be in first. Denver has the exact same record as philly this season, so I don’t see how denver has had a better season
Rivers is never right. He should be focused on getting his team to the Finals in the relatively small window they have left to do it, instead of engaging in this kind of presumptuous lobbying/bullying over a regular season award. It’s the voters who will determine whether it’s over, not one player’s blowhard coach. Maybe, let them do their jobs and in the meantime do yours.
Embid’s case is strong, but not dispositive. If he wins, then hopefully the voters who swing his way this year did so on the merits as they perceive them, and not to avoid enduring more tantrums from the player and his coach.
Putting up 50 is quite the feat against Boston. Embiid shot 80%- which is insane. I think Rivers could have celebrated Embiid’s great night and that alone would have made the case for MVP. The lobbying isn’t necessary.
He stated a fact.
Great we can start basing season awards on one game. Genius.
Donovan Mitchell is the obvious MVP. Just look at the Cavs last year compared to this year. He completely changed their landscape.
Wow you’re really gonna disrespect Garland and Mobley like that? Smdh
There’s no disrespect. Just facts. They are really good players and Mobley probably should be DPOY. But the truth is last year with them leading the team they barely squeezed out the 8th seed. This year they are easily a contender. Mitchell just takes them to a whole new level.
Embid could win, and I’d be fine with it, but I think Jokic is the clear winner.
GA uses roids, that has to factor in a negative light for GA
Huh? Why should it disqualify you?
Never said disqualify.
Just said that those facts might carry weight with a moral elector or 2.
If there are any…
Whoa — you edited your comment? You absolutely said disqualify and you’ve since changed it to a more “shocking” quote about Gino. Bruhhh that is sad lol. Bait and switch eh?
Changed my underwear maybe…
Maybe? That’s nasty…
Embid has the pity of not yet winning on his side.
And he’ll take that kitty with him into retirement. He’s not good enough to lead a team to a title. He couldn’t win with Simmons, he couldn’t win with Butler, and he won’t win with Harden.
He had like 3 weeks with butler, calm down. Simmons is not good, no one can or has won with him. How many titles does harden have? How many titles did your boy win without his super team? GA couldn’t win with Jabari Parker, or brogdon…how many has he won without Jrue?
Of course it is over!!!
Always was Jokic by a landslide… I mean Embiid would have win it any year but for Jokic been otherworldly!
I am a huge fan of Embiid, but Jokic must win it for his own merits!
Only way Embiid wins it is for all the massive campaign going on for him to win it, right?
Who has been the most MVP consistent on both ends? Who has done this without his number two guy for most of the season? Who has also gotten his team to the best record in the NBA, which interns the number one overall playoff seed. Give it to JoJo but realize who is the best player in the planet.