Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets (41-28) took on Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (41-26) in part of the NBA Monday slate. It was the Nuggets who came out with the win in this one with 114-110 being the final score.
The clear-cut top storyline in this one was the head-to-head showdown between two serious 2022 NBA MVP candidates in Jokic and Embiid. While Embiid had 34 points and nine rebounds while Jokic finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists.
Early on, the 76ers came out of the gate early looking to set the tone. Despite establishing a 37-22 lead through the end of the first quarter, Philadelphia failed to build on their momentum. The Nuggets stayed the course chipping away at the deficit.
While much focus was placed on the stars, the Nuggets received 20-point outings from Bones Hyland (21) and Will Barton (20) in this one.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Kevin Durant Reveals Why James Harden Wanted Sixers Trade
James Harden was noticeably passive in the final stages of the game. He still finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists on the night, but finished with more free throw attempts than field goal attempts.
In their last outing, the Philadelphia 76ers got by the Orlando Magic and barely avoided what would have been a significant letdown performance. They needed overtime to get the 116-114 win with Embiid and James Harden both relying on the free-throw line to prop up their performance.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Kevin Durant Reveals Why James Harden Wanted Sixers Trade
Entering this game, the Denver Nuggets lost two consecutive games and will were needing to avoid having that losing streak extend to three straight. They lost 127-115 in their previous outing against the Toronto Raptors.
Related Stories on Latest NBA Injury News, Trade Rumors & Analysis
WHY WESTBROOK NEEDS BUYOUT: The expectations were significant for the Los Angeles Lakers after the addition of Russell Westbrook was finalized using a trade with the Washington Wizards. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the helm, the bar was set at winning an NBA title or bust. READ MORE
KYRIE EARLY LANDING SPOTS: The 2021-22 NBA season has been a strange one for Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, to say the least. It still remains as such given he is still ineligible to play in home games and would not even be able to play in a road matchup with the Toronto Raptors in the play-in tournament. READ MORE
