Joel Embiid has gained momentum in the NBA MVP race during the final stretch of the season, and his performance against the Celtics on Tuesday was another milestone in his campaign.
The Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston 103-101 behind a 52-point performance from the star center. Embiid had his way with the C’s, but head coach Joe Mazzulla cited other factors that led to his team falling short at Wells Fargo Center.
Embiid accomplished multiple milestones Tuesday night, and while the betting markets tabbed him as the favorite to win MVP in March, NBA pundits are divided between him and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. And Doc Rivers added his analysis to the debate after his team’s win.
“The MVP race is over, really,” Rivers told reporters, per Bleacher Report video. “(Tuesday), we couldn’t make shots. We had open shots. The man (Embiid) scored half of our points in an NBA game. And I’m biased, but the MVP race is over.”
The race has been a tight one. Jokic nearly is averaging a triple-double with 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game prior to Wednesday’s matchups. And the Nuggets are the top team in the Western Conference. The 76ers likely will be the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
But Embiid leads the NBA in scoring, averaging a career-high 33.3 points per game. He also is averaging 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
There is a possibility of voter fatigue since Jokic has won the MVP award for two straight seasons. It’s a tough call for voters, and the race might come down to the final game of the season.
