The clashes between the Denver Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers stand out as some of the most eagerly awaited games on the entire NBA schedule, offering fans the opportunity to see two of the most offensively dominant players in today’s NBA. While their first meeting of the season lived up to expectations, featuring stellar performances from both Jokic and Embiid, their second matchup just a fortnight later failed to deliver, as Embiid was mysteriously ruled out just before the game.

The NBA did an inquiry into the incident and found the Sixers guilty of violating injury reporting regarding Embiid’s absence against the Nuggets on Saturday. According to ‘The Athletics’ Shams Charania, “The NBA has fined the Philadelphia 76ers $75,000 for violation of injury reporting regarding Joel Embiid’s absence Saturday vs. Denver. But no violation of player participation policy due to Embiid’s confirmed injury.”

As per the latest information available, the athlete suffered a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee when GSW’s Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there is still uncertainty about how the 76ers will move forward with Embiid’s treatment plan. After missing three games because of his knee issue, the player also sat out against Denver and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Denver’s HC Michael Malone voiced his frustration regarding Embiid’s no-show in a post-match conference. He said, “We found out very late. I don’t know how you go from being active, available, to out. I’m sure the league will do their due diligence, because that’s frowned upon.” 

The Sixers aren’t the only team being penalized, as the New Orleans Pelicans will also incur a fine. As per reports by Shams Charania, “The Pelicans also were fined $25,000 for failing to include Trey Murphy III on injury report Saturday vs. Bucks.” The NBA officials are looking to reduce load management to a minimum under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Under the new rules and guidelines, a player cannot be considered for postseason honors, such as the MVP award and Rookie of the Year (ROY) award if they participate in fewer than 65 games. This is to incentivize players who can appear in as many games as possible. But the same rule change poses a significant threat to Embiid’s bid for a second consecutive MVP award.

Watch this Story: Paul George’s Gaming Excuse in Call of Duty

Can Embiid win the MVP award?

Joel Embiid has continued his dominant performances of last season into the new season. In fact, he is recording better numbers than his MVP season. Embiid has averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 34 games this season. His extraordinary stats and remarkable influence on the Sixers make him the favorite to retain his MVP crown.

However, under the new rules, a player can only miss 17 games during the course of the season in order to be eligible for postseason awards. Having already sat out 12 games this season, and with over 30 games left, there’s a high likelihood that Embiid would cross that 17-game threshold.

Many players have been very vocal about this regulation. But as of now, the NBA has not rescinded the rule. Should the NBA remove such limits? Let us know in the comments below!

Read More: “That’s Not Fair”: Different Ball Sizes in Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu’s 3-Point Contest Garners Scrutiny From NBA World