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Nikola Jokic posted his 29th triple-double this season in the Denver Nuggets' 116-111 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The Sixers were shorthanded, with their leading players, Joel Embiid and James Harden, sitting out due to injuries.
Jokic recorded 25 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists, shooting 72.7% on just 11 attempts. He made it look effortless again and capitalized on Embiid's absence. The Sixers were forced to go small due to this, giving Jokic the license to be a dominant force inside the paint.
It was an impressive performance overall, but fans hoped to see Embiid in action. There's been plenty of debate over the MVP conversation, with the two big men leading the odds for the third consecutive year. This matchup would've given voters more clarity on who the better player is this season.
Nikola Jokic showed up and stuffed the stat sheet en route to a win. However, the notion that Jokic "stat padded" was brought into the conversation again by fans who believe Joel Embiid is the MVP. Following "The Joker's" triple-double outing, a few fans mocked the Serbian once again. One fan wrote:
"Fat oversized statpadding calculator merchant"
More reactions followed:
Joel Embiid-less 76ers nearly prevail against Nikola Jokic's Nuggets
The Philadelphia 76ers showcased their depth in the absence of Joel Embiid and James Harden by giving the West leaders, Denver Nuggets, a run for their money. Nikola Jokic needed to put in a triple-double effort to help the Nuggets squeeze out a five-point win.
The 76ers trailed by two points at the break. They fell behind by 22 in the second half but still managed to fight their way back and give themselves a chance down the stretch. The Sixers trailed by 20 with 7:52 left in the fourth. They went on a 27-10 run to cut the Nuggets' lead down to three points with 28 seconds left in the game.
Jalen McDaniels, Paul Reed and Furkan Korkmaz were the key architects of that stellar run. However, the Sixers fell short after the Nuggets tightened up defensively, and Jeff Green sank two game-winning free throws to extend the lead to five.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets improved to 51-24, extending their advantage to 3.5 games over the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers dropped to 49-26, three games behind the second-placed Boston Celtics.
The Sixers are being cautious with James Harden and Joel Embiid over the final stretch of the regular season as they hope to have the two superstars at 100% in the playoffs.
Guess the Lakers players!
