Joel Embiid Moves Up 76ers’ Leaderboard in Matchup vs. Nuggets

To say that Joel Embiid has been getting up for the battle of MVP-caliber bigs lately would be an understatement. After showing out against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets last season, Embiid put together another spectacular performance against the defending NBA Champions once again on Tuesday night.

In the midst of his scoring masterclass against the two-time MVP Jokic, Embiid moved up the Sixers’ scoring leaderboard.

Where Does Embiid Stand?

It didn’t take long for Embiid to surpass Red Kerr, who previously ranked seventh on the list with 11,699 points on the 76ers. Once he took over the seventh spot on the leaderboard, Embiid continued building with another spectacular offensive showing.

moving on up.

EMVPIID. 👑 pic.twitter.com/vRLfdELoJV
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 17, 2024

By hitting 13 of his 22 shots from the field and knocking down 12 of his 15 free throws, Embiid scored 41 points on the Nuggets. It was his second straight game, scoring over 40 points, and his 18th consecutive game, scoring 30 points and over.

Embiid’s contributions helped the Sixers pick up a crucial win over the Nuggets to secure their third victory in a row. They advanced to 26-13 on the year, remaining as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

On a personal level, Embiid strengthened his MVP case despite being in danger of becoming ineligible for the award due to the number of absences he’s had through the first half of the 2023-2024 NBA season.

Next up for Embiid is the sixth slot, which is currently possessed by Billy Cunningham, who scored 13,626 points in his 76ers career. The top five is made up of Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Dolph Schayes, Allen Iverson, and Hal Greer.