Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic competed in the MVP race's annual midseason check-in on Tuesday in Philadelphia. A little less than a year ago, on January 28, 2023, Embiid engineered a 15-point second-half comeback against Jokic's Nuggets in a win that ultimately saw his MVP odds nearly halved from +700 to +360 . He ended up winning the award, but just like last season, Jokic is the slight favorite in most books at this point. If Embiid wanted to reclaim his spot at the top of the rankings, he could make a powerful statement with a 126-121 win over Denver on Tuesday.
Jokic was spectacular, scoring 25 points and 19 rebounds in the loss, but Embiid stole the show with a tour de force of 41 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He saved his best performance for the fourth quarter. When he came back into the game with 7:28 left in the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 111 apiece. Jokic and Tyrese Maxey exchanged shots to bring the score to 113 each, but Embiid took the lead from there. A total of 10 points were scored between 6:57 and 3:32 of the fourth quarter. They all came from Embiid. His personal 10-0 run gave the 76ers a 123-113 lead they would never relinquish.
In a normal year, it would have been one of the best performances of the season, but compared to the standards Embiid has set this season, it was downright boring. It was Embiid's eighth 40-point game of the season and was the first time since Nov. 17 that he failed to reach the 30-point, 10-rebound mark. Of course, he made up for it with his 10 assists, because even if he's slightly deficient in one area this season, Embiid has found ways to make up for it elsewhere. He is having the best season of his career and yet after the game he turned his back on the player he had just defeated. Jokic and Embiid hugged after the game and Embiid whispered something in Jokic's ear that the camera didn't quite catch. In his postgame interview, Embiid stated that he told Jokic he was the best player in the league.
“I just told him he’s the best player in the league,” Embiid said. “Like I told you, he won a championship, this is the best team in the league. He is the MVP of the Finals. So I just told him, 'Go ahead, see you in two weeks, keep doing your thing,' that's why you're the best in the league.'”
The 76ers are scheduled to play the Nuggets again in Denver on Saturday, January 27th, so Jokic may have a chance to prove Embiid's words, but the Philadelphia star's recent history suggests he may be in this game will not be a player. Jokic and Embiid finished first and second in the MVP race three years in a row, but Embiid hasn't played a single away game in Denver during that time. There was some concern that he would miss Tuesday night's game, the second half of a back-to-back 76ers game, but he ended up playing. He has missed seven of Philadelphia's last 11 games, and the 76ers will be careful with his health in hopes that he comes into the playoffs at full strength.
Jokic was ranked No. 1 in the NBA in most preseason player rankings. For example, he was the pick of CBS Sports, The Ringer and Bleacher Report, and before Embiid's 2023 MVP win, Jokic had taken home the previous two trophies. This year's race will be a little deeper. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo all have triple-digit odds to this point and are being heard. But ultimately, Embiid is right. The title of “Best Player in the League” is determined in the playoffs, not in the regular season. Embiid may have taken a step toward winning his second MVP award on Tuesday, but if he wants to capture Jokic's far more meaningful title of “Best in the World,” he'll have to do it in June, not January.