Sixers’ Joel Embiid named Eastern Conference player of the week

For the third time this season, the 76ers’ Joel Embiid on Monday was named the NBA Eastern Conference player of the week.

He averaged a league-best 37.8 points on 54.5% shooting to go along with 8.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks as the Sixers went 4-0. Embiid and New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson were the only players in the league to average at least 35.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists last week.

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Embiid’s highlight was finishing with 41 points, 10 assists, and seven assists in a 126-121 victory over the Denver Nuggets last Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.

Monday marked Embiid’s 14th career player of the week honor. Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is the only player with more as a Sixer (20).

Through 31 games heading into Monday’s matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, Embiid averaged a league-best 35 points along with 11.4 rebounds and a career-best 5.9 assists. He’s on pace to join Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists over a full season. Chamberlain did that during the 1963-64 season with the San Francisco Warriors. The West Philly native and former Overbrook High School great was traded to the Sixers during the 1964-65 season.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant was named the Western Conference player of the week after averaging 31 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks.

Brunson, Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, and Cleveland center Jarrett Allen and guard Donovan Mitchell were other nominees in the East. The other West nominees were Suns guard Devin Booker, Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis, Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, and Los Angeles Clippers guards Paul George and James Harden.

Two of the NBA’s top defenders remain sidelined for the Sixers.

De’Anthony Melton missed his fifth consecutive game Monday night with lumbar spine response. Meanwhile, Robert Covington has been sidelined 10 games with left knee inflammation.

Melton was fourth in the league in steals at 1.6 per game as of Sunday. The starting shooting guard also ranked fifth in deflections per game (3.2) and sixth in deflections per 36 minutes (4.0).

Covington was first in deflections per 36 minutes (6.5) and eighth in deflections per game (3.0). The reserve forward is averaging 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 16.1 minutes in 26 games since being acquired from the Clippers on Nov. 1.

In 33 games, Melton is averaging 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 29.1 minutes in 33 games. The numbers are either career-bests or match career-bests

Both players didn’t travel with the team during last weekend’s road trip to Orlando (Friday) and Charlotte (Saturday).

In addition, Patrick Beverley missed his second consecutive game Monday with an illness. It was also the fifth straight game that Mo Bamba was sidelined with left knee inflammation, and the fifth for Jaden Springer, who sat out with right ankle tendinitis. It was the first game that Marcus Morris Sr., out with left foot plantar fasciitis, has missed because of injury.

“Pat Bev is still sick,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said before the game. “We’re hoping that he’ll get better and be back shortly. Marcus, we’re hoping this, as well, is a one-game thing with him.

“Cov is out for a good chuck yet, I think. But we’re hoping to get a better update on that. And Melt is the one that’s probably a little closer. We should get a good read evaluation on our next practice whenever that is — Tuesday or Wednesday.”

Nurse added that Springer and Bamba are day-to-day.

The Sixers are tough to beat when Kelly Oubre Jr is in the starting lineup. They headed into Monday’s game with a 14-4 record in games he’s started. The Sixers were 6-0 when he started alongside Tobias Harris, Embiid, Melton, and Tyrese Maxey. The lineup of Batum, Harris, Embiid, Oubre, and Maxey was 5-1.