Center Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers spoke about his chances of winning his second MVP award after his comeback against the Houston Rockets (124:115). The reason was a newly introduced NBA regulation.
To be nominated for the major awards, NBA players must play at least 20 minutes in 65 of 82 games this season. Embiid has already missed ten games this season, so he should only miss a maximum of seven games in the second half of the season.
However, the award is not a priority for the 29-year-old, as he emphasized after the game against Houston. “It doesn’t matter how many games I play. My goal is to stay healthy for the rest of the season.” And a possible second MVP title? “I’ve already done that. If I have the chance to win a second one, I will do it. But I won’t force it or risk anything for it. My game speaks for itself, we win. That’s the main thing.”
Embiid had missed the Sixers’ last three games with knee problems, including two losses. When he returned, he only needed 31 minutes for 41 points and 10 rebounds. He is averaging 34.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists this year. “We look at the big picture,” he said. “Hopefully the knee doesn’t swell again.”
With him in the lineup, the Sixers are one of the best teams in the league (22-6), without Embiid they were only able to win three out of ten games.
Last season, Embiid played 66 games and beat Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets in the fight for the MVP award. But he has been regularly plagued by health problems in the playoffs for years.
2024-01-16 13:30:00
#Health #important #award
