The duel was part of the final bouquet of the NBA's “Rivals Week”. So, even if Nikola Jokic repeats that there is no real rivalry between the Nuggets and the Sixers, the arrival of Philadelphia in Colorado was expected.
Except that Joel Embiid ultimately did not play. Already embarrassed by his knee against the Pacers, the reigning MVP warmed up but Philly's medical staff stopped him a few minutes before the halftime interval, seeing him grimace…
“I tried to talk to the guys individually” explains Mike Malone, on his reaction after the announcement. Even if Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris were already out, the coach was afraid of a drop in tension among his men, who were waiting to challenge Joel Embiid. And that’s what happened…
“Aaron Gordon said to me, 'What are you talking about?' I told him Embiid wasn't playing. So our players didn't know it. While they were warming up on the field” continues the Denver coach.
More than four years without playing in Denver…
In fact, the Nuggets learned the information like everyone else, via Adrian Wojnarowski's tweets.
“I don’t know how you go from active to absent, and I’m sure the league will investigate” concludes Mike Malone. “Because it’s frowned upon. We had situations this year where we called the league, and they told us that if a guy went from active to absent, there would be an investigation. I'm sure there will be one. And I'm sure Joel hurt his knee in the Indiana game. It's real. I'm sure he's hurt. »
What the coach didn't like was this very last minute information. Was this intentional or not on the part of Nick Nurse and the Sixers? In any case, it really disrupted the Nuggets.
As for Denver fans, who were impatiently awaiting the duel between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid in the Rockies, disappointment also prevailed, with fans having asked “where was Embiid” several times during the meeting. It must be said that the latter has not set foot on the Denver floor since November 2019…
