Joel Embiid pulled off a magnificent performance against his MVP nemesis Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a resounding victory on Saturday. The five-time All-Star fiercely scored 47 points with 18 rebounds and five assists to carry the 76ers to a comfortable 126-119 victory. Nikola Jokic is believed to be the prime contender for the MVP award this season for the third time in a row. Meanwhile, Embiid, who has been the MVP runner-up for the last two seasons, seemed to make a valiant statement with his recent performance on the court. The 76ers star also ended up making a huge championship claim after his dominating performance against Jokic’s Nuggets.
Joel Embiid seemed to have a changed mindset this season. He claimed to be in the hunt for a bigger price instead of chasing personal milestones. The 2022 scoring champ reckoned that he was done trying to endorse himself with his performance. Instead, his main focus is winning his first championship victory this season.
Joe Embiid eyeing a championship win this season
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In a recent interview with ESPN, Joel Embiid was asked if he thought could take away the MVP crown from Nikola Jokic this season. In response, Joel Embiid stated, “I don’t know. That’s up to you guys to decide. Like I told you I’m done arguing for myself. It’s all out there. Whatever I do.”
Further, Embiid ended up making championship claims while talking about his greatest goal. The 28-year-old reckoned that the current Philadelphia roster was possibly the most skillful in his seven-season-long NBA career. Joel Embiid continued, “But the focus is on winning. As long as we win, I know everything is going to take care of itself. If we keep winning, and everyone stays healthy, I’ve got a better chance of going out there and winning a championship.”?
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Thus, Embiid expressed his trust on the current Philadelphia squad. He believed that it was his chance to finally win a championship this season. Despite being in a frustrating MVP tussle with Nikola Jokic, the 76ers star expressed that he had a bigger goal in mind this season.?
Embiid’s Philly destroys Jokic’s Nuggets
The Philadelphia 76ers secured a satisfying victory against the Denver Nuggets on January 28, winning by a margin of 15 points. Apart from Embiid scoring 47 points, James Harden contributed 17 points with four rebounds and 13 assists against the Nuggets. Moreover, six of the ten Philadelphia athletes ended up scoring above ten points in the game.
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After a satisfying win against Nikola Jokic’s team, the 76ers improved their record to 32-16. Philadelphia stays in second place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the closely following Milwaukee Bucks.