The Denver Nuggets had a successful two-game homestand, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans and the Indiana Pacers. Grabbing their 28th win of the campaign, the Nuggets now travel to Pennsylvania to kickstart their five-game Eastern Conference road trip beginning with the Philadelphia 76ers. The highly-anticipated duel between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid has basketball enthusiasts excited. However, fans are worried after the Denver side added the Joker to their injury report ahead of the fixture.
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Apart from missing out on Jamal Murray for a majority of the first half of this season, the Denver Nuggets have been injury-free. However, Michael Malone and Co. have added numerous players to the injury report ahead of the exciting clash between the Nuggets and the Sixers.
While Hunter Tyson and Jalen Pickett are on the G-League assignment, Vlatko Cancar and Julian Strawther will be missing out on the contest. Further, alongside Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic has been listed as “questionable” with a left hip sprain.
Nikola Jokic hasn’t had to deal with any injuries throughout the campaign. So far, the Serbian only missed out on one game. Even during the Nuggets’ previous fixture against the shorthanded Pacers, at no point in the contest did the center seem to be bothered by any injury.
Fans of the reigning champs need not worry. Jokic hasn’t suffered any major injury. In all probability, the franchise just wants their star player to get some rest. Having a two-game cushion ahead of the #4 Los Angeles Clippers, the Nuggets can afford to sideline the Joker.
Nikola Jokic has been outplayed by Joel Embiid in their head-to-head matchups
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are two of the greatest players in the modern NBA. Alongside Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O’Neal, these two superstars are often regarded as the best centers to ever set foot on the basketball court.
Even though fans haven’t been blessed with abundant head-to-head matchups between the two, duels between these two giants are a treat to watch. While the Nuggets star has received more love from the media and analysts, it is worth noting that JoJo has been more successful in their seven meetings. Apart from winning more games (5), the Process has also outscored, outrebounded, had more steals, and recorded more blocks than Jokic.
The last time the international superstars faced off against each other was almost a year ago. On the 28th January 2023 Sixers-Nuggets clash, Embiid recorded a 47-point, 18-rebound performance outperforming Jokic (24 points and 8 rebounds) to lead his team to a 126-119 win.
As entertaining as their previous clash was, fans might not get to witness the two lock horns tonight. However, the frontrunners for the MVP honor could go up against each other when the Denver side hosts the 76ers at the Ball Arena on 27th January.
