Sixers News: Joel Embiid Tops MVP Ladder During Final Week

Joel Embiid was accused of ducking Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic last Monday when the big man got the night off due to calf tightness.

As a result of missing the matchup, Embiid found himself with the second-best odds to win MVP on most major sportsbooks and placed second on NBA.com’s MVP ladder.

Fast forward a week later, and Embiid is once again back on top.

Following a spectacular performance against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, which featured a highly-efficient 52-point scoring outing from the big man, it seems Embiid is back in good graces with the voters around the league.

Here’s the latest on Embiid’s status as the ladder leader, courtesy of Michael C. Wright:

“There’s a belief among some that Embiid closed the book on the MVP debate with his performance in Tuesday’s win over the Boston Celtics. “When he gets it going like that, no one can stop him,” teammate P.J. Tucker said. But this race might be too close to reach hasty conclusions. There’s no doubting Embiid’s otherworldly production. Averaging 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds, Embiid is about to finish the season with a stat line that’s been achieved on just 13 other occasions. Having produced three 50-point games this season, Embiid joins Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA centers to accomplish that feat in one season.”

As expected, Embiid is the overwhelming favorite in most major sportsbooks.

With the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks both locked into their playoff seeds during the final stretch of the regular season, there likely won’t be enough minutes for Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo to improve their statuses in the MVP race.

While the race is too close to call at this time, as an MVP straw poll from ESPN last week showed Embiid win by just two points thanks to a ton of second-place votes, Embiid’s dominance against Boston early this week might’ve been the performance that will help him seal the deal.

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