After Joel Embiid misses second showdown against Nikola Jokić and Denver Nuggets, a breakdown of the MVP race

About four minutes into Saturday’s much-anticipated matchup between the 76ers and Denver Nuggets, chants of “Where’s Embiid at?” began raining from the Ball Arena crowd. And when Joel Embiid joined teammates on the Sixers’ bench during the fourth quarter, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player was serenaded with boos.

Basketball lovers were again denied a showdown between Embiid and Nuggets two-time MVP center Nikola Jokić in Denver. After he was not listed on the injury report throughout Saturday, Embiid was a late scratch because of knee soreness that sparked concern from the medical staff during his pregame warmups.

Following the Sixers’ 111-105 loss, there are no more regular-season opportunities for those superstars to face each other. And though such matchups are not the sole determining factor for who wins MVP, they can provide signature moments and performances that voters remember.

Embiid’s 41 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in the Jan. 16 win over the defending-champion Nuggets at the Wells Fargo Center certainly qualifies. So does the unfortunate fact that Embiid has not played in Denver since 2019. And on Saturday, Jokić totaled 26 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists — and was crucial down the stretch while the Nuggets held off an admirable effort by the shorthanded Sixers, who were also without Tyrese Maxey (ankle) and Tobias Harris (illness).

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid continues to downplay his rivalry with Nikola Jokić: ‘It’s a matchup between Denver and Philly’

At this rate, though, Embiid’s health issues are putting him in danger of being disqualified from contention to repeat as MVP. Under a new NBA rule, a player must log at least 20 minutes in 65 out of 82 regular-season games to be eligible for end-of-season accolades, including MVP, defensive player of the year, and All-NBA teams. Saturday was Embiid’s 11th absence due to various injuries and illnesses, meaning he can miss only six of his team’s remaining 38 games.

Embiid has maintained that he is prioritizing his health for the playoffs, after being hampered by injuries in recent postseasons. Yet given that uncertainty — and where we are in the schedule — it is an appropriate time to check in on the group of MVP contenders:

For this exercise, let’s assume he plays in enough games to contend for the award.

A masterful 70-18-5 performance in Monday’s win against the Spurs served as a reminder of how dominant Embiid has been when healthy.

He leads the NBA in scoring at 36 points per game, while adding 11.4 rebounds, a career-high 5.8 assists, and 1.8 blocks. He has scored 30 or more points in 22 consecutive games, the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history, and within that went 16 straight games with 30 points and 10 rebounds. And he helped the Sixers quickly move on from the James Harden conundrum and maintain their status as a team with legitimate championship aspirations, with a 29-15 record and in third place in the Eastern Conference standings.

» READ MORE: Wilt Chamberlain’s family members loved watching Joel Embiid’s 70-point game that broke a Sixers record

The two-time MVP is (again) practically averaging a triple-double for the reigning champions.

Jokić is averaging 26.3 points with an effective field-goal percentage of 59.1, . As of Monday, he ranked fourth in the NBA in rebounding (12 per game), with dangerous tip-ins supplying the bulk of his offense in the first Sixers-Nuggets meeting. And he was fourth in the league in assists (8.9 per game), featuring highlight-worthy passing wizardry for a man his size.

And after Jokić led the Nuggets to last season’s title and won Finals MVP, Embiid has repeatedly called Jokić the best player in the world.

SGA is spearheading one of the NBA’s best stories, with the Oklahoma City Thunder rapidly shifting out of their rebuild to ascend to a tie atop the Western Conference entering Monday.

He is a lethal scorer, entering Monday ranking third in the league in points per game (31.1) on a wickedly impressive 54.7% shooting for a Thunder offense that was fifth in the league in efficiency. He also led the NBA in steals (2.2 per game), deflections (3.6 per game) and total loose balls recovered (50) for the defense that was the fourth-most efficient in the league.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder also have won two of the three regular-season matchups against Jokić’s Nuggets so far, including a 40-point outburst for SGA in late December (and a season-low seven-point stinker in the opening week). He had 31 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a home loss to the Sixers in late November on a night when Embiid had 35 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, and four blocks. The Thunder visit Philly on April 2.

Another two-time MVP winner is again putting up terrific numbers for the Milwaukee Bucks, entering Monday ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring (31 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (11.7 per game) while also averaging career highs in assists (6.2 per game) and field-goal percentage (60.8%). He remains the hyper-athletic hub of an offense ranked second in the NBA in efficiency entering Monday, and for a team that was second in the Eastern Conference standings.

Antetokounmpo did all of this while things were obviously awry behind the scenes under now-fired coach Adrian Griffin — which means it will be fascinating to follow how Doc Rivers utilizes Antetokounmpo’s unique two-way talents on the fly.

» READ MORE: Sixers react to Doc Rivers joining Milwaukee Bucks as new head coach

The Bucks topped the Sixers, 118-117, on opening night, when Antetokounmpo had 23 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals (Embiid finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and seven turnovers). Those teams play twice more: Feb. 25 in Philly, and March 14 in Milwaukee.

Four days after Embiid’s 70-point outing, Dončić raised the bar by dropping 73 on the Atlanta Hawks.

He is putting up sensational individual numbers, entering Monday ranked second in the NBA in scoring (34.4 points per game) and third in assists (9.4 per game), while also averaging 8.6 rebounds as a guard. But he is disinterested in being a defender, and his team’s 25-21 record (eighth place in the Western Conference) entering Monday does not stack up against the other contenders.

The Mavericks have not yet played the Sixers. They visit Philly on Feb. 5, before a March 3 game in Dallas.

Tatum brings the classic “best player on the best team” argument.

He entered Monday averaging 25.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists for a 35-11 Celtics team that is the clear title favorite — and boasts a barrage of stars including Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis.

The Celtics play the Sixers one more time this season, on Feb. 27 in Boston.

Also worth mentioning: Kevin Durant, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell.