Nikola Jokic Praises MVP Rival Joel Embiid After Nuggets Win Over Sixers

• Nikola Jokic praised MVP rival Joel Embiid after the Denver Nuggets beat the Philadelphia 76ers
• Embiid missed the game while Jokic registered his 29th triple-double of the season to help the Nugs win
• The two superstar centers are the frontrunners for the MVP award this season for their performances

Philadelphia 76ers center, Joel Embiid and Denver Nuggets superstar, Nikola Jokic have been the two best players in the NBA this season.

For most of this season, they have been the frontrunners in the MVP race. However, Embiid's impressive performances in the last few weeks have given him an edge.

The Sixers superstar has finished as the MVP runner-up in two straight seasons behind Jokić. He is having an outstanding season and leads the league in points per game (33.3).

In their first match-up this season, he dominated Jokic, finishing with 47 points, 18 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks to help the Sixers win 126-119.

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However, the Cameroon star did not play out due to a right calf injury in their latest matchup, in which Jokic and the Nuggets won 116-111. The reigning MVP finished the game with his 29th triple-double of the season, per ESPN.

Jokic's high praise for Embiid

After the game, Jokic had nothing but praise for the Sixers superstar, calling him a great player and believes he will be remembered as one of the league's most dominant.

"The guy's a beast, and he's so talented. He can affect [the game] many ways on the floor. He can post up, he can face up, he can shoot 3s. He can defend really well. He can, in some situations, guard 1 through 5. So he's a really, really good player."

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Embiid sits top of the latest NBA MVP ladder, with Jokic coming in second.

The Sixers star recently went on a scoring tear. At the beginning of March, he had 10 straight 30-point games, the first center to do so since Shaquille O'Neal in 2001.

In that time, the Nuggets hit a bumpy patch in early March, losing four straight games and five of six. However, they've won four straight since.

Jokic targets MVP 3-peat

Sports Brief recently reported on the NBA's leading MVP candidates this season.

Nuggets All-Star, Jokic hopes to dislodge Embiid in the ladder in the games left.

He is an integral part of Denver's offense, averaging a near triple-double this term.