January 16, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Two MVPs battled Tuesday night, as Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic took center stage in Philadelphia.
In perhaps their most highly-anticipated matchup of the season to date, the Sixers played host to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. The Sixers were able to ride their recent momentum and knock off the champs, 126-121. Here is what jumped out from the marquee matchup:
The head coach of the Sixers is known for his creativity, particularly when it comes to his exploits on the defensive end of the floor. Recently, he has deployed Tobias Harris -- a wing by trade -- on the other teams' opposing centers. Harris has utilized his excellent lower body strength to be a thorn in the side of some seven-footers -- not something every guy his size is able to pull off.
So, Nurse stuck to what has been a successful script and opened the game with Harris on Jokic. That allows the Sixers to use Joel Embiid around the rim as a roamer of sorts, which is where he is at his absolute best. Embiid can defend Jokic about as well as you can ask him to, but this alignment allows him to both conserve energy and be able to protect the rim more than he usually would have the chance to.
While Embiid has become a much-improved passer and playmaker, Jokic may be the greatest of all time at facilitating as a center. But it was Embiid, not Jokic, who dropped five dimes in the first quarter, constantly drawing double-teams and then using the attention he received to free up teammates for good looks.
Embiid's rapid ascension from a shaky playmaker to one of the best big-man passers in the NBA has completely transformed the Sixers' offense.
Beverley's offense has surged in recent weeks -- and in his last 10 games entering this one, he averaged more than seven points per contest, after averaging just 4.6 points per game up until then. Beverley raised that average by pouring in eight points in just the first half alone, knocking down two corner triples and scoring on his patented floater -- the shot that has defined his resurgence.
This game was mostly a high-scoring track meet, and one of the reasons Denver scored in bunches early was their offensive rebounding. Jokic, in particular, grabbed seven offensive rebounds in the first half alone -- a truly remarkable number -- and scored several easy put-back layups.
A stunner: Maxey was able to flourish in an up-tempo game featuring a lot of transition play on both sides of the ball. Maxey got off to a hot start as a shooter, quickly began getting to the rim and finishing at the rim, and had several impressive assists on top of it. There is perhaps no setting more conducive to success for him than one like this. His speed is as dazzling and aesthetically pleasing as it is maddening for opposing teams and coaches.
The Sixers' starting lineup often dominates when used to open and close each half. That has been the case for Embiid's entire career. But Nurse has had to experiment a bunch to solidify the team's standings to close the first and third quarters, when Embiid typically shares the floor with four reserves or plays who are not threats to score on their own.
In this one, Denver made a major run to close the third quarter, turning what peaked as an eight-point deficit into a five-point lead in the latter six minutes of the third quarter.
Harris has been outstanding of late, including two recent performances with more than 30 points. While this is true for most players in the game, Harris was at his best offensively. He continually punished Denver's smaller guards when Nuggets head coach Mike Malone tried to hide them on him, and he knocked down multiple important spot-up threes. He was particularly effective in the fourth quarter when Embiid rested, going on an impressive run of scoring in the low-post.
Not a lot of defense was played on either side in this game. That is, until the final moments of the game. The Sixers stepped up in a major way, consistently forcing turnovers, bad shots and even a crucial shot clock violation. It was exactly what a contending team should do in that situation, and in turn it made the Sixers look more convincing in that role than they have all season.
Embiid, meanwhile, took over the game on both ends of the floor and looked like the best player in the world. If the budding Embiid-Jokic rivalry were a boxing match, make no mistake about it: this round went to Embiid. Because of it, the Sixers are 26-13.
