James Harden Refers to Joel Embiid as MVP Following Game 3 Win vs. Raptors

The NBA has yet to announce the winner of Most Valuable Player in the league. Last week, the three finalists were revealed. Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid were considered finalists.

For Embiid and Jokic, they were finalists last season as well. When it was all said and done, Jokic was the ultimate winner, as many cited his availability throughout a dominant season helped him get the edge over Embiid.

While Embiid was much healthier this time around, many of the voters still favored Jokic when they made their picks public. While it's unclear if the defending MVP will make it two years in a row or not, as the final results haven't been revealed, many are under the impression that Embiid will come up short once again.

But in James Harden's eyes, his teammate is still the league's most valuable. And he reiterated that much once again following Embiid's impressive game-winning shot in the third matchup of the first-round series between the Sixers and the Raptors.

“That’s the MVP of the league right there," said Harden, who fouled out in the fourth quarter of the game. "I couldn’t help, but we just rallied, and we found a way to win. That’s what the playoffs are about. I kept talking about it in the regular season, it might not be the prettiest game, but we found ways."

Without Embiid, the Sixers likely don't make it out of Game 3 with a victory on Wednesday. Although the star big man had just five points going into the second half, he completely turned it around in the third quarter and willed Philly to a win.

Overall, Embiid collected a game-high of 33 points in 44 minutes. As the Sixers and the Raptors needed an additional five minutes beyond regulation to settle the score, Embiid's three-pointer in the final seconds of the game sealed the deal for a comeback victory to put Philly up by three games.

Playoff performances won't count towards the MVP race -- but Embiid's few performances in the postseason could have some voters re-thinking their decisions.

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