Joel Embiid crushes Nikola Jokic in a clash of the titans!

Clash of the Titans Sixers of Joel Embiid and nuggets of Nikola Jokic he fulfilled all his promises. We imagine Embiid is determined to show his worth after his model, Hakeem Olajuwon, and his failure to host the next All-Star Game. loop of Philadelphia so he showed his detractors what he was capable of by destroying his colleague Denverdouble MVP title, in the second half.

The first quarter quickly lit up the evening’s matchup with an aggressive Joel Embiid (14 points on 10 attempts) despite starting 0/3 on free throws. For his part, Nikola Jokic was Nikola Jokic, outshining his teammates off the puck and also relying on Michael Porter Jr.’s (3/4) outside play (29) to allow the Nuggets to race ahead. -38).

After halftime, the Nuggets pushed each other

The release of the “Joker” rebalanced the debate, and Philly took advantage of the opportunity to buy at -2 thanks to the outside address of the pairing of Tyrese Maxey / Georges Niang (42-44). Denver found a stronger way out, the return of Nikola Jokic 8 straight points, 3 points with the board of Michael Porter Jr. and the acrobatic finish of Jamal Murray (55-66). After Murray’s outside rocket and Aaron Gordon’s alley-oop (58-73), the break eventually increased to +15.

Back from the locker room, the duel of the titans went in Joel Embiid’s favor on both ends of the floor, with defensive deterrence and rebounding, efficiency to fuel an 8-0 run and an assist for De’Anthony Melton. Sixes to -5 (79-84). In an isolated one-on-one, Embiid then mystified Jokic to finish with a dunk and fire up the fans (84-90).

The show features Joel Embiid

The Nuggets then took advantage of four straight Philadelphia fouls, including two by Tyrese Maxey and his feet at the line, to get back to +15 on a 3-pointer from Bruce Brown (84-99). But Doc Rivers’ men quickly caught up, ending the third act with a 12-0 run supported by Georges Niang and a free Joel Embiid (96-99).

Philly continued their onslaught with two 3-pointers by Georges Niang and Tobias Harris, followed by a layup by Embiid over Nikola Jokic to tie the game at 108-108. Symbolically, Philadelphia finally took the lead (112-110) with the new brilliance of “JoJo” who scored the counter and finished the pass.

A perfect pick-and-pop with James Harden allowed the superstar to nail a 3-pointer. Joel Embiid then added three more points, finding Tobias Harris in the corner (118-110). He was the go-to-guy for the Sixers, who led Denver’s final charge to fend off a late 3-pointer to seal the win, leading 126.119 with 30 seconds left.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Joel Embiid’s dominance over Nikola Jokic. The Sixers pivot showed his superiority especially in the second half. He won nearly every one of his singles matches, a two-time MVP. His long-range baskets were the finishing touch to an exceptional performance after halftime. Denver required at least that much to push his team.

– Sixers sacrifice. The game turned in the third quarter, when the rebellion of Doc Rivers’ troops showed itself on two runs, 8-0 and 12-0, to start and end the period. So, from -15, the locals returned to -3 with full confidence at the start of the final act, and Joel Embiid was also strengthened in his beliefs. Then the balance of power shifted and Philadelphia managed to hold their hand until the end.

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ Joel Embiid. Philadelphia sent a message to the entire league regarding this highly anticipated matchup with center Nikola Jokic. Dominant on both ends of the floor, he was close to perfection in the second half and used his many matchups with the Serbs to showcase his strength.

✅ James Harden. The game of an excellent lieutenant, a responsible shot selection (5/10, including 3/6 from 3 points) and quite effective, 13 assists and, above all, no turnovers.

✅ Tobias Harris. Without a doubt, the X-factor of this match, especially in relation to the first half, was completed at zero point. He regained his aggressiveness when he returned from the locker room, and he scored a couple of crucial baskets, including a layup that allowed Tyrese Maxey to add two crucial points in transition.

⛔️ Nikola Jokic. 24 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, but overall this duel of titans was dominated by Joel Embiid, an additional 7 turnovers were added, some of which were harmful in “money time”. Blame it on the arrangement Doc Rivers stuck on PJ Tucker’s back…

NEXT

Philadelphia (32-16) : The Sixers will look to continue their seven-game winning streak when they host Orlando this Monday (01:00).

Denver (34-16) : The Nuggets host the Pelicans this Tuesday (4:00 p.m.).