Embiid boosts MVP case with monster night vs. Portland

Joel Embiid Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embiid boosts MVP case with big night vs. Trail Blazers

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 3/10/23

While Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic remains the odds-on favorite to win a remarkable third-straight MVP, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers continues to make his case, which is getting harder to ignore.

On Friday night, Embiid scored the game-winner with 1.1 seconds left, lifting Philadelphia over the Portland Trail Blazers by a 120-119 score. The Sixers' big man finished 13-of-20 from the field and 13-of-18 from the charity stripe for 39 points while adding seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks to his stat line.

Embiid has now posted 35 or more points for the 23rd time this season, a statistical achievement which according to ESPN had only been accomplished twice prior to Friday

Embiid joins Hall of Famers Moses Malone and Shaquille O'Neal as the lone players to achieve the feat since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976. Both Malone and O'Neal were named league MVP in those seasons.

JOEL EMBIID CALLED GAME.

SIXERS WIN IN PHILLY. pic.twitter.com/E6eD8iHr69
— NBA (@NBA) March 11, 2023

With the victory, Philly improved to 44-22 on the season, trailing the Boston Celtics (46-21) by 1.5 games and the first-place Milwaukee Bucks (48-18) by four games for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid remains the NBA's leading scorer, averaging 33.3 points per game while bringing down 10.1 boards a game, ranked ninth in the league.

Despite his phenomenal work during the current campaign, Embiid hasn't gained any ground on Jokic for MVP. According to Oddschecker, sportsbooks still have Jokic (-260) as the overwhelming favorite for the award, followed by Embiid (+500).

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