Sixers' Joel Embiid Credits Pacers' Myles Turner After Dominating the Matchup

Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner is having himself a solid year. Throughout the first half of the 2020-2021 NBA season, he's been discussed in the conversation regarding potential Defensive Player of the Year candidates.

But if Turner wants to win that award, he knows he has to dominate against some of the best bigs in the league, which certainly includes Philadelphia 76ers center, Joel Embiid. In January, the Sixers were paying a visit to the Pacers in Indiana.

Heading into that matchup, Turner looked forward to facing Embiid, who was already in the MVP conversation at that point. “If I am who I think I am, I’m going to step up to the challenge,” Turner told the IndyStar before the matchup, which created an anticipated matchup between the two thriving bigs.

Unfortunately, Embiid couldn't make it on the court for the battle. Before the game, the Sixers ruled him out with back tightness, which caused everybody to wait for the March 1 matchup to see them go at it instead.

Embiid almost missed Monday's rematch between the Pacers and the Sixers as he's been dealing with ankle soreness, but the big man played through it. In just 26 minutes of action, Embiid shot 10-for-17 from the field for 24 points. He also collected 13 rebounds, five assists, and a block.

Following the game, Embiid reacted to his performance against Turner, who wanted to try and prove he can stop one of the best centers in the NBA right now. "He's a great player and I have a lot of respect for him," Embiid said.

"I say this respectfully, that's a matchup I've dominated since I got to the league. He's a great defender, leads the league in blocks, and he should be up there when it comes to Defensive Player of the Year," he concluded.

Although Embiid chose not to gloat too much, it's clear who has the upper hand between the two bigs at this point. Not only did Embiid win the one-on-one battle with Turner on Monday, but the Sixers went up 2-0 overall against the Pacers this season.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA