Doc Rivers says MVP race is ‘over’ after Joel Embiid 50-point game
Joel Embiid just silenced all the MVP haters during Tuesday’s game against the Boston Celtics and his head coach agrees. Doc Rivers, the Philadelphia 76ers head coach, says that the MVP race is now “over” after Embiid dropped 50 points in a win against the Celtics, per theScore.
Embiid exploded for 52 points on 20-of-25 from the field. He also added 13 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in only 39 minutes. Embiid’s performance helped lift the 76ers past the Boston Celtics in a 103-101 victory.
After the crucial win over the Celtics, Rivers made comments on Embiid being this year’s MVP.
“The MVP race is over. … The man just scored half our points in an NBA game,” Rivers told reporters postgame, via theScore. “And I’m biased. But the MVP race is over.”
Over the course of this season, Embiid has been nothing short of spectacular. He is on pace for another scoring title with 33.3 points per game. Adding to that, the big man is averaging just over 10 rebounds a game along with 4.2 assists, and almost two blocks a game.
Embiid joins legendary center Wilt Chamberlain as the only player in NBA history with 50-10-5 on 80% shooting or better against the Celtics since the 1971-72 season.
Although the stats are impressive, Embiid isn’t looking forward to potentially winning the MVP.
“They’re probably right. But we have bigger goals in mind,” Embiid said, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Via theScore.
Embiid agreed with Rivers, but wants even bigger hardware: a championship trophy. The 28-year-old hasn’t made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in his eight-year career. With the 76ers looking at their best, Embiid has a real chance to reach the conference finals this season.
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