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Joel Embiid has not played the game of basketball in Denver, Colorado as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers since November 2019. But it appeared that this time, on a […]
Joel Embiid has not played the game of basketball in Denver, Colorado as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers since November 2019. But it appeared that this time, on a Saturday afternoon during the NBA’s “Rivalry” week, a healthy Embiid would finally suit up to play against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.
You know what they say… fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on you, fool me three times… are you a professional or something?
Embiid and the 76ers successfully trolled the Nuggets, the NBA, and fans nationwide by scratching Embiid from the lineup of the potential battle of the league’s last two unique MVP’s just minutes before tipoff, citing left knee soreness.
Instead of seeing Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. go toe-to-toe with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris (the latter two players already injured heading in to the matchup,) fans at Ball Arena (including a decent amount of 76ers fans) were treated to a 76ers starting lineup of Patrick Beverley, Kelly Oubre Jr., Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, and Paul Reed.
After surging out to a 18-8 lead in front of a still high-energy crowd, fueled by two deep Murray three-pointers, the 76ers actually outplayed the Nuggets for the majority of the remaining 43 minutes of game time. Denver had a horrendous night at the free throw line, shooting just 63.2%, with Jokic missing six of his 16 attempts, Murray going 1-for-4, and Peyton Watson going 3-for-6.
Fans let Embiid and the 76ers hear it, starting multiple “Where’s Embiid At?” chants during the game. When Embiid stood up with his 7+ foot stature during Philadelphia timeouts, the crowd also voiced their dissatisfaction with boos.
Between the poor free throw shooting as well as being outshot on the floor (53.1% to 45.1%), the 76ers stayed in the game until the final minutes, where the Nuggets slowly inched ahead late, winning 111-105.
While the question can obviously be begged: what would have happened if Embiid and even Maxey were playing? It’s not a fair question, as the intensity and meaningfulness of the game changed quickly with the 76ers last-minute decision.
The 76ers did come out on top in Philadelphia, 126-121, just 11 days prior. Embiid does have a strong 6-2 record against Jokic and the Nuggets in the regular season: but obviously, the majority of those matchups have taken place in Philadelphia. The real question is, in a hypothetical scenario where the 76ers and Nuggets meet in the NBA Finals, would Embiid be at a disadvantage not having regular season reps at altitude, where everyone else on the court will?
This game and Embiid’s apparent “ducking” of Jokic and the Nuggets in Denver will likely be a talking point for months when the 2023-24 NBA MVP vote comes down to it. Personally, I am in the camp that Jokic deserved his third straight NBA MVP award last season, and Embiid effectively “stole” the award late. This season, I can admit, Embiid is slightly ahead in this year’s race, due to his offensive dominance. But between the possibility Embiid doesn’t play enough games to qualify, and the fact the reigning MVP sits out big matchups, the 76ers center may not be able to pull off the rare back-to-back MVP award feat after all.
While Philadelphia did win this matchup on their homecourt, we’ll never know if the season series would be 1-1 or 2-0 if Embiid played in Denver. Nikola Jokic (26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists) didn’t even have a great night, but his consistent contribution to the Nuggets success makes him the real MVP.
Header Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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