76ers outlast the Nuggets

There was no stopping Joel Embiid as he led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 126-121 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night in a battle between the two last NBA MVPs. There was no doubt that Jokic would hold his own in a heavyweight showdown in which he scored 25 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds.

Embiid got the better of Jokic late, buoyed by a three-point play that stretched the Sixers’ lead. After getting fouled on a bucket, Embiid crotched chopped in celebration toward the fans as he was fouled. The free throw made by him gave the team a lead of 118-113. After Embiid added a 3 pointer for an eight-point lead, the Sixers showed that when Embiid is healthy, they can be as good as any team, even against the NBA champs.

When asked about the game before tipoff, coach Nick Nurse said, “The card tonight is more than just the big heavyweight matchup." “There’s a little more going on. I think it’s going to be worth going out there for tonight to watch it.” He was right.

Tobias Harris had 24 points and Tyrese Maxey scored 25 for the Sixers. This was Embiid's 18th straight 30-point game, tying Elgin Baylor for the sixth-longest streak in NBA history.

In my opinion, this is one of the best games of the season with two of the best big men in the game. I would love to see these two teams face off in the NBA Finals in June.