76ers News: Shaq Weighs in on Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic Debate

Earlier this week, one of the biggest stories in the NBA was the battle of superstar big men. On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers played host to Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Over the past three seasons, Jokic and Joel Embiid have constantly been debated in basketball circles. They have consistently been at the top of the MVP ballot, with Jokic winning two and Embiid securing the award last year. Once again, these two centers are some of the top superstars in the association.

Leading up to Tuesday's matchup, Shaquille O'Neal weighed in with his thoughts on the two dominant big men. He said just going off this season, he has to give the nod to the Sixers star.

"This year, I'm gonna give the nod to Embiid because he is dominating, putting up dominating numbers," Shaq said. "Embiid is dominating because when he gets the ball he’s looking to score first. Joker lets the game come to him."

Embiid had an opportunity to further cement his MVP case Tuesday night and did not let it go to waste. Along with leading the Sixers to a 126-121 victory, he nearly finished with a triple-double. Embiid's historic streak saw its end, but he still put up a dominant stat line. When all was said and done, he had 41 points to go along with seven rebounds and 10 assists.

As Shaq said, Embiid is putting up dominant numbers this season. He is putting up career-highs in both points (35.1) and assists (6.1). If he keeps this pace, he'll join the rare company of players to win three straight scoring titles.

It won't be long before these two centers are doing battle again. Later this month, the Sixers will travel to Denver to face the Nuggets in the final game of the season series.