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Joel Embiid had another monster night for the Philadelphia 76ers to continue his recent assault on the MVP race. “The Process” played 44 minutes and finished with 37 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.
Embiid, however, fouled out with a little over a minute left in the second overtime as the 76ers lost 109-105 to the Chicago Bulls.
Some of the fans who watched his superb performance promptly tossed in their appreciation of his display:
“Best player in our association”
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Still, some fans couldn't resist throwing digs at his incredible play tonight:
"Jokic would never foul out"
Over the last 10 games, Joel Embiid has been averaging 36.2 points on 61.2% shooting, with 8.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Philly is 8-2 during this stretch. Despite the loss against Chicago, they're still the hottest team in the NBA along with the Sacramento Kings over the said period.
Embiid's string of superb displays have allowed him to catch Nikola Jokic in the MVP race. The reigning MVP looked like he was leaving "The Process" and every contender in the dust for the regular-season's most prestigious individual honor.
Denver's current struggles and Philly's dominating run, however, have made the best player of the year more interesting. The Philadelphia 76ers supposedly have the toughest schedule after the All-Star break.
Joel Embiid has been up to the challenge. He's pushed the 76ers to have a legitimate chance of winning their division over the Boston Celtics. Embiid has simply been putting in an MVP-level performance.
Monday night just didn't go the Philadelphia 76ers' way. Embiid's four-point total in two overtimes will be something that fans will criticize him for. However, his impact wasn't just on putting up points.
Embiid was easily the best player on both ends of the floor against the Bulls and in most of Philly's games this season.
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers are closing in on a first-round home-court advantage
The Philadelphia 76ers (48-23) are just three games behind the Milwaukee Bucks (51-20) for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They're also chasing the Boston Celtics (49-23) for second place and the best record in the Atlantic Division.
Philly is also 6.5 games ahead of the New York Knicks (42-31) who are in fifth place in their conference. With roughly 10 games to go among all teams, it seems like Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers will host a first-round series.
Who they will be playing against will not be immediately known as their final seed hasn't been determined yet. The play-in also has to happen before the postseason matchups are finalized.
With the way they have been playing, the Philadelphia 76ers will be heavy favorites to eliminate their opponents. Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris have peaked at the right time.
The first-round, however, hasn't been where Philly failed during the Embiid era. They've never gone past the semi-finals despite more than decent chances of advancing.
This year might be different as Embiid is playing better than he's ever been.
You may also like to read: Exclusive: Joel Embiid "may have been lobbying for the MVP," says NBA insider
