Joel Embiid has become the favorite in the race for NBA MVP after he scored 52 points to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to a 101-103 win over the Boston Celtics. With just five games remaining in the regular season, the Sixers are on course to clinch a playoff spot.
“We did so many things wrong,” Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers said of his team’s narrow victory over the Celtics. “But what we did right was Joel Embiid. The MVP race is over.”
Sixers guard James Harden, who joined the team from the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, stated after the game that Embiid should win the MVP award. Harden was one of the Sixers’ standout players on the night, scoring 20 points and providing 10 assists in 40 minutes.
In addition to grabbing 52 points, Embiid delivered an impressive 20 from 25 shooting performance. In doing so, Embiid became the first player in the shot clock era to score more than half of his team’s points and shoot 80% from the field.
