
Jokic: 31 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 32 minutes (+19).Antetokounmpo: 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assits, 4 steals, 32 minutes (-15).Antetokounmpo: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 31 minutes (+10).Jokic missed the first game between the two teams in January with hamstring soreness, while Antetokounmpo suited up for both games.
Giannis antetokounmpo vs joel embiid stats series#
Just like the Sixers and Nuggets, the Bucks played Denver just twice, and the two teams split the season series with each team winning on its home floor. Jokic: 25 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 blocks, 34 minutes (+11).Jokic: 24 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 38 minutes (-4).Embiid: 47 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 38 minutes (+14).This season, Embiid and the Sixers bested the Nuggets at home in January, while the Nuggets returned the favor in March in a game that Embiid missed due to calf soreness. Since they're in different conferences, the Sixers and Nuggets meet just twice a season - once in Philadelphia and once in Denver. With that in mind, here's a look at how the top three MVP candidates fared against each other in games this season. But only one can win, and in a race that projects to be extremely close, head-to-head matchups could be an important factor in the eyes of some voters. Picking between them is like splitting hairs, as they say, as they're all technically deserving of the league's most prestigious individual award.


If I had to pick, it would be him.”ĬNN’s Thomas Schlachter contributed to this report.When it comes to the 2023 NBA MVP Award, three players have distinguished themselves as top candidates: Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.Īll three players are having spectacular seasons, and a strong argument could be made in favor of each of them. “That leap turned heads and put in a great position. “Joel took a leap that I think a lot of people didn’t expect because he was dominant already,” Curry continued. Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry previously said that this jump is the reason why Embiid should be crowned MVP.Īsked by Bleacher Report about his pick for the award, the two-time MVP said: “I would say Joel. This comes after the center topped the charts last year, becoming the first player at the position since four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal to win the scoring title and the first center to average over moire than 30 points per game in 40 years – Embiid averaged 30.6 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo: What's the latest in the race to become the NBA MVP?Įmbiid has missed out on the MVP trophy and a spot in the All-NBA First Team for the past two seasons, thanks to Jokić’s supremacy and NBA voting stipulations. Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid is one of the frontrunners for the 2023 MVP award.

The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić and the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum have previously topped the NBA’s Kia Race to the MVP Ladder, but the pair’s performances have tailed off towards the back end of the season – leaving the three players to battle it out this season. 76ers’ coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Embiid is considered “doubtful” for Philadelphia’s Game 2 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday.

This is also the fifth consecutive season that an international player has won the award.Įmbiid has missed the 76ers’ last two games with a knee injury and hasn’t played a game since April 20. This is the first career MVP award for Embiid, the first ever awarded to a player from Cameroon and just the second time for a player from Africa. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2022-23 season.Įmbiid beat out the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić in a battle between three of the NBA’s premier big men for the inaugural Michael Jordan trophy.Įmbiid averaged a league-high 33.1 points per game during the regular season to go along with 10.2 rebounds per game.
