76ers' Joel Embiid set to win second straight scoring title

The last player of any position to win back-to-back scoring titles in Embiid's teammate, James Harden, who did it in 2018-20.

Among the NBA's leaders in scoring, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the closest to Embiid, averaging 32.7 points per game with one game remaining to play. 

However, the Mavericks decided to play Doncic for only the first quarter Friday in their loss to the Chicago Bulls. Doncic scored only 13 points in 10 minutes before exiting the game. The Mavericks were officially eliminated from the Western Conference playoff race, entering the night a half-game back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final play-in spot. 

Before Friday's contest, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Doncic would play the first quarter against the Bulls, then "he's done for the season." While Kidd backpedaled a bit from the comment, many believe the Mavericks will stay the course and sit Doncic for their final regular season game. 

Meanwhile, Embiid has played at an elite level down the home stretch. Over the last 10 games, Embiid is averaging 30.5 points, including 46-point and 52-point outings against the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. 

The 29-year-old has also made a considerable push to earn MVP honors for the first time. 

Along with a career-high in points per game (33.1), Embiid is averaging 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists, shooting 54 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range. 

According to OddsChecker, sportsbooks list Embiid as the overwhelming favorite to win MVP (-1000), ahead of Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic (+1200) and Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1600).