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Tyrese Maxey heaped praise on the resilience shown by Joel Embiid as he decided to play Game 3. "JoJo" decided to play despite the injury problems he had coming into the encounter.
The big man had suffered a thumb injury in Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors in the first round. He decided to play through that, but things got worse when he suffered an orbital fracture. That happened due to a smack to the face from Pascal Siakam in the blowout Game 6 of the first-round series.
Initially, Embiid was listed out of the game as he was believed to not have completed the necessary steps for a return. However, the NBA MVP candidate decided to show up for his team as they were on the verge of elimination from the playoffs. Maxey had nothing but praise for the spirit shown by Joel Embiid and when asked about how he felt about having the center on the court for Game 3, the youngster said:
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"I was so happy to see 21 hanging up in the locker room, with his mask. But I mean he's a solider man. Thumb, mask, concussion, broken face, you know it make him look even uglier now, but he's resilient. He's the MVP for a reason. The attention that he demands is great for us, it just is a testimony to his will and his wanting to win."
Joel Embiid played 36 minutes and ended the night with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Even though it was not his most dominant performance, the spirit he showed to get on the court and play was commendable. His presence did make a whole lot of difference as the 76ers played with a lot of desire and it showed up as they bagged a stunning 99-79 win.
With the series at 2-1, many are expecting Philly to have a chance as they now have Joel Embiid back in action. Playing through injury can make things difficult for Jojo, but he is determined to get the job done as this could be his shot to win the championship and cement his legacy as an all-time great in Philly.
Can Joel Embiid win the MVP award this season?
Over the past few weeks, many players have expressed their views on who they think deserves to win the MVP award. The battle has always been between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Although Jokic finished as number one on the MVP ladder, many former and current players believe that Embiid is the rightful recipient of the prestigious trophy.
The 76ers center became the first center since Shaquille O'Neal to win the scoring title and his dominance helped the team through some adverse situations this season. Jokic has led his team to the playoffs without two of his primary stars, but many believe that Embiid is what has been the difference for the 76ers this season.
It is believed that bringing James Harden to the team may have lessened his chances of winning the trophy because of the potential the beard has. However, the ten-time All-Star has not been the same since moving from the Brooklyn Nets. Even with him on the team, Joel Embiid is proving to be the pivotal figure that can help the 76ers to a championship.
In a matter of a few days, the league will announce who among the two will succeed in winning the trophy. However, if Joel Embiid fails to win it this time, it would certainly be a big disappointment for him. It would be the second time in succession that he has failed to bag the honor.
