76ers’ Joel Embiid (knee) out vs. Nuggets, can miss only 6 more games to be eligible for MVP

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (left knee soreness) was downgraded to out for Saturday night’s road game against top MVP competitor Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Embiid, 29, can now only miss six of Philadelphia’s remaining 38 games this regular season to be eligible for MVP and the All-NBA teams. Including Saturday’s matchup, Embiid has missed 11 games this season.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, players are ineligible for season-ending honors if they play in less than 65 regular-season games. This particular absence will drop his MVP odds.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, Embiid holds second-best odds below Jokic to win MVP this season. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic.

Joel Embiid is out vs. Nuggets, source says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 27, 2024

According to ESPN, the Sixers’ medical personnel shut Embiid down after watching him during a pregame workout. The six-time All-Star wore a large wrap on his knee in the locker room before Saturday’s game.

He missed three games earlier this month with the same issue and appeared to tweak the knee again in Thursday’s 134-122 loss to the Indiana Pacers. It would have been his first game in Denver since Nov. 8, 2019.

Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid misses game against Nikola Jokic in Denver, not listed on injury report

This marks the fourth straight season Embiid has missed playing against Jokic at Ball Arena in Denver. Jokic, 28, has missed only one of the Nuggets’ 46 games this season.

NBA fans worldwide were hoping to watch the league’s top MVP candidates face off. Over the last four seasons, Jokic or Embiid was the runner-up each time the other won the award.

Once again, Jokic was denied his rematch. Midway through the first quarter at Ball Arena, fans in Denver were heard chanting, “Where’s Embiid at?” The Nuggets outscored Philadelphia 31-27 in the opening period.

Joel Embiid, out with knee soreness, entertains the Nuggets’ crowd after being met with boos during his emergence from the locker room.

🎥 @CassidyHubbarth pic.twitter.com/quC14KquKU

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 28, 2024

The eight-year veteran was scratched on Saturday after not being listed on the injury report. If a team fails to disclose an injury, the league investigates the circumstances around the player’s absence.

The Miami Heat were fined $25,000 last season after Jimmy Butler was scratched with a back issue and never was listed on the injury report. The fine was for “failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting.”

Nothing went right for the Sixers on Saturday.

Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey (ankle) and Tobias Harris (illness) missed the Denver game as well. The Sixers were without their three leading scorers. De’Anthony Melton (back) remains out.

Following the Nuggets matchup, the 76ers will continue their five-game road trip Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 76ers then play the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday and the Utah Jazz on Thursday.