Guess who won’t be playing against Jokic in Denver once again

Former NBA MVP Joel Embiid will miss the Philadelphia 76ers’ upcoming game in Denver against the Nuggets for the fifth consecutive season after experiencing pain in his left knee from a workout on Thursday, his team announced.

Embiid last played in the Mile High City on Nov. 8, 2019. On that night, Nikola Jokic hit a game-winner capping a 21-point fourth-quarter Nuggets comeback while Embiid fouled out. That contest is one of just two times Embiid has played in Denver since being drafted way back in 2014. It’s one of the three times he’s played a basketball game in Colorado that we know of and another one of those ended in a buzzer-beater as well when the CU Buffs hit a half-court shot to knock off the ranked Jayhawks in 2013.

The battle this year was much less anticipated because Embiid’s season has been a disaster, playing in just 13 of Philadelphia’s 39 games so far. He’s been dealing with a left foot sprain this month and now the knee issue, which will be re-evaluated in about a week, according to the 76ers’ statement Friday. While the 76ers made a huge splash this summer in signing Paul George to pair with the big fella, the team is a lousy 15-24. He’s the latest All-Star to join forces with Embiid in Philly, all of which have failed.

Jokic, who has never played with an All-Star, reclaimed his MVP last season after many felt it was stolen from him back in 2023. The two centers have battled for the league’s top player award for the last several years, with Embiid finishing runner-up to Jokic in 2021 and 2022 before Jokic was second to Embiid for his lone win. Through those years fans in Denver have been ticked off that they have not gotten to see the league’s two best battle as Embiid has almost always missed the one annual game in Colorado.

Things have really taken a turn in the saga since 2023. That year a calf injury popped up out of nowhere for just that night, keeping Embiid from playing in Denver, the lone game he missed over a stretch of 18. It came on the heels of the Philly player attempting a whiney diss track published in The Athletic, where he laid out his case for MVP and tried to dunk on Jokic. The crowd buzzed by handing out flyers for a missing person, all the while the center sat in the Ball Arena tunnels.

Last season Embiid played Jokic in Philly two weeks before the Denver date, vowing to see him in the Mile High City. When the time came, the center was a full go, not even being listed on the 76ers injury report. Until moments before the game when the 76ers announced that a pregame knee injury prompted the team’s medical staff to hold him out. This time the patrons chanted a question, “Where’s Embiid at?” He responded by coming out of the locker room and onto the bench in street clothes with minutes left in the game. Egging on fans, who had paid good money for the matinee, Embiid’s appearance sparked a game-winning run from the Nuggets. After the contest, Michael Malone questioned if the 76ers violated the NBA’s Player Participation Policy. The NBA ruled that they did, docking the franchise a few days later.

The frustrating part is that this whole time Embiid has shown out in games on his home court where Jokic has always showed up—but the Serbian hasn’t gotten the chance to respond at his home. While both were on the road, they met in the Olympics this summer for a classic game where Embiid’s stacked American team was almost shockingly upset in the medal round by a huge Jokic game. But Embiid, who always seems to have the better teammates, was bailed out by herculean efforts from Steph Curry and LeBron James.

Embiid is already out of the MVP race this season and his 76ers might not even make the playoffs. Jokic is battling for home seeding in the West and is co-favorite for the award with OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished runner-up last season.