Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic named Players of the Month

Sixers center Joel Embiid and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic have been named the Players of the Month for January, per the NBA (Twitter link).

The Sixers went 11-3 last month, including 8-2 when Embiid played. He posted terrific stats, averaging 34.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.6 blocks on .549/.421/.861 shooting in 33.1 minutes per contest.

The back-to-back MVP runner-up to Jokic, Embiid is leading the NBA in scoring for the second straight season, averaging a career-high 33.5 points through 38 games. His top performance last month was a comeback victory over Jokic’s Nuggets on Jan. 28, recording 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks on a .581/.571/.700 shooting line.

Philadelphia is currently 33-17, the East’s No. 3 seed.

The Nuggets went 12-4 in January, including 10-2 when Jokic was in the lineup. He averaged a ridiculously efficient triple-double, posting 24.0 points, 11.6 boards, 11.3 assists and 1.2 steals on .677/.538/.897 shooting in 33.4 minutes.

Jokic’s top performance was arguably a victory over Portland on Jan. 17, when he recorded 36 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and one block. He was 13-of-14 from the field, 1-of-2 from three and 9-of-10 from the line.

Denver is currently the No. 1 seed in the West with a 35-16 record.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard and Lauri Markkanen, while Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland, Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East.