CLEVELAND — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid says he doesn’t know what else he needs to do to win the MVP award this season after scoring 44 points in a 112-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night would have.
He made 17 free throws, added 17 rebounds and 5 blocks, made three 3-pointers and had three assists in 38 minutes.
Embiid has recorded 11 games this season with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds; only Russell Westbrook (12) and Moses Malone (12) have had more in a single season since the 1976-77 merger. Both players have won MVPs in those seasons.
“If it happens, great,” Embiid said of winning his first MVP. “If not, I don’t know what to do. I will feel like they hate me. I feel like the standard for boys in Philly, or for me, is different than everyone else.”
| MVP finish | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 Russell Westbrook | 12 | 1 |
| 1981-82 Moses Malone | 12 | 1 |
| 2021-22 Joel Embiid | 11 | ? |
| 2018-19 James Harden | 10 | 2 |
Embiid finished behind Denver Nuggets center and incumbent MVP Nikola Jokic in ESPN’s latest MVP straw poll released last week. Jokic is also the big betting favorite to win the award, at -300 odds via Caesars Sportsbook. Embiid has the second lowest rate at +270.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers says Embiid’s passing, defense and leadership are overlooked parts of his well-rounded game.
“Obviously I know he’s my man,” Rivers said ahead of Sunday’s game. “He just did so many things.”
Rivers credits Embiid with leading the Sixers through “the Ben Simmons saga.”
“He was our second best player at the time and was out, and on the All-Star break when we made the trade we were a game behind first place East,” Rivers said. “There’s a lot to say about that.”
James Harden, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his second triple-double with Philadelphia, also had a ringing endorsement for his co-star after the game.
“I witness his greatness every night,” Harden said. “Obviously his offensive numbers are self-explanatory tonight. Defensively he was very active blocking shots, switching shots and plugging the color was key.”
Embiid, 28, is averaging 30.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season.
The Associated Press and ESPN’s Stats & Information contributed to this story.