Nikola Jokic Comments on Joel Embiid Following Nuggets vs. 76ers

The highly-anticipated battle between MVP candidates Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid did not go down on Monday night in Denver. With Embiid battling calf tightness over the last few games, the big man got the night off on Monday when the Sixers faced Jokic and the Nuggets.

In addition to missing Embiid, the Sixers also ruled out their ten-time All-Star guard James Harden for the fourth-straight game. From that point moving forward, it was clear that the top-seeded team in the West would be viewed as the favorites going into Monday’s game.

Despite the Sixers being down Embiid, Nikola Jokic issued props to Philadelphia for putting up a good fight. Through the first half of action, the Sixers had the game within a four-point reach. While a significant third-quarter run allowed Denver to get up by as many as 22 points, the Sixers’ bench unit scratched a clawed during an attempted comeback.

It was a close call for Denver, but the Nuggets escaped Monday’s game against an undermanned Sixers team with a 116-111 win.

“I mean, the guy's averaging 35 points so they're missing that of course,” Jokic said of Embiid after the matchup. “They’re missing James Harden too. They missed their main guy. I think it’s really hard to play when you miss a main guy. Actually, they played really good. We had a stretch in the third quarter, they kind of slowed down a little bit, and then they had a good stretch in the fourth quarter for them.”

Fans of both teams and NBA fans, in general, wanted to see Jokic and Embiid battle it out for the second time this season. Therefore, they were disappointed when Embiid was scratched on the morning of the matchup. As for Jokic, the news of Embiid’s absence didn’t change his mindset.

“I didn’t really think [about it],” said the center. “If he goes, he goes. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. It’s not going to change my approach to the game.”

Although he got off to a quiet start in the scoring department, Jokic finished the night with a team-high of 25 points. He made it a triple-double with 17 rebounds and 12 assists as the Nuggets issued the Sixers their third-straight loss.

As Embiid and the Sixers packed up and left Denver, Jokic parted the matchup with a final message aimed at Embiid as the MVP race concludes.

“I think he's a great player,” Jokic concluded, discussing Embiid. “I think he's gonna be remembered as one of the most dominant players in the league. The guy is a beast, and he's so talented. He can affect in many ways on the floor. He can modify the game in many ways on the floor. He can post you up, he can face up, he can shoot threes, he can defend really well. He can, in some situations, guard one through five. I think he’s a really, really good player.”

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.