Joel Embiid drops 47 on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Sixers win seventh straight game 126-119
A statement was made this afternoon in South Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid won the battle of MVP candidates, dropping 47 points to go along with 18 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 126-119 win over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
The Denver Nuggets entered today with the second-best team field goal percentage, shooting an impressive 50.7% from the floor and 39.5% from beyond the arc. In the first half, it was on full display as they shot 65.9% (29 for 44) from the floor and 10 of 17 (58.8%) from beyond the arc.
The result was a 73-58 lead heading in halftime.
That was when everything changed. The Sixers drained their first six shots of the third quarter as Joel Embiid scored 16-pints on 5-of-6 shooting in the frame, sparking a 14-0 run that put the Sixers within one point early in the forth quarter.
The Sixers, led by Embiid wore down the Nuggets on their final game of a three game road trip to close out the game.
Embiid scored 47 points with 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks, making the ninth time this season he’s scored over 40 points and the 35th time he’s reached that mark in his career.
JOEL EMBIID: 47 PTS | 18 REB | 5 AST | 3 STL | 2 BLK
Originally tweeted by Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) on January 28, 2023.
Jokic finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. I could sit here and run through all the reasons why the MVP award should live in Philadelphia, how Joel Embiid gets zero respect in the NBA and from the fans who didn’t vote for him to start in the All-Star game but all of that doesn’t even seem to matter anymore.
The arguments are endless and it’s unlikely opinions will ever be changed. Advanced analytics will always come up with a way to show that any player is better than the other player that they are constantly being compared to.
Everyone knows what they are witnessing here in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid is the best basketball player on planet Earth. If you can’t recognize that after days like today, then honestly, you’re not worthy of even having the discussion.
