Even though Joel Embiid and James Harden didn’t play for the Philadelphia, the Denver Nuggets still came to play capturing a 116-111 victory over the 76ers. Denver has now won four straight games and five of their last six games and they’ve really started to find their rhythm following a tough stretch just a few weeks ago.
Even though we did not get the MVP showdown we were all hoping for, that did not stop Jokic from absolutely dominating the 76ers as he finished with a triple-double of 25 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists as Philadelphia had zero answers for the best player in the world. It also seemed like the fans at Ball Arena had a fun time this evening as these signs were spotted throughout the arena:
Embiid had a phenomenal chance to cement himself as the league MVP tonight, but instead Jokic was able to take full advantage of his absence. The back-to-back league MVP — who should win a third this year — did what he usually does, which is dominate the game from start to finish to help Denver pick up the win.
Jokic’s 25 points came on an extremely efficient 8-of-11 shooting from the field as the 76ers had no chance of slowing down the Nuggets superstar big man. Jamal Murray also had a solid night offensively as he scored 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc to go along with seven assists and five rebounds.
Michael Porter Jr. (15) and Aaron Gordon (12) also finished in double-figures along with Bruce Brown, who poured in 18 points off the bench in the win. It should also be pointed out how great Tyrese Maxey was for Philadelphia tonight as he scored a game-high 29 points and did everything he could to try and keep the 76ers in the game.
Denver now gets two days off before they are back in action Thursday night at home against the New Orleans Pelicans.
