When it comes to the 2023 NBA MVP Award, three players have distinguished themselves as top candidates: Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
All three players are having spectacular seasons, and a strong argument could be made in favor of each of them. Picking between them is like splitting hairs, as they say, as they're all technically deserving of the league's most prestigious individual award. But only one can win, and in a race that projects to be extremely close, head-to-head matchups could be an important factor in the eyes of some voters.
With that in mind, here's a look at how the top three MVP candidates fared against each other in games this season.
Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic
Since they're in different conferences, the Sixers and Nuggets meet just twice a season -- once in Philadelphia and once in Denver. This season, Embiid and the Sixers bested the Nuggets at home in January, while the Nuggets returned the favor in March in a game that Embiid missed due to calf soreness.
Game 1: Jan. 28, 2023 -- Sixers won, 126-119
- Embiid: 47 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 38 minutes (+14)
- Jokic: 24 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 38 minutes (-4)
Game 2: March 27, 2023 -- Nuggets won, 116-111
- Embiid: DNP (calf soreness)
- Jokic: 25 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 blocks, 34 minutes (+11)
Nikola Jokic vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Just like the Sixers and Nuggets, the Bucks played Denver just twice, and the two teams split the season series with each team winning on its home floor. Jokic missed the first game between the two teams in January with hamstring soreness, while Antetokounmpo suited up for both games.
Game 1: Jan. 25, 2023 -- Bucks won, 107-99
- Antetokounmpo: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 31 minutes (+10)
- Jokic: DNP (hamstring soreness)
Game 2: March 25, 2023 -- Nuggets won, 129-106
- Antetokounmpo: 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assits, 4 steals, 32 minutes (-15)
- Jokic: 31 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 32 minutes (+19)
Joel Embiid vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Sixers and Bucks played four times on the season, and they split the season series with both teams winning once at home and once on the road. Both Embiid and Antetokounmpo played in all four games.
Game 1: Oct. 20, 2022 -- Bucks won, 90-88
- Embiid: 15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 36 minutes (-10)
- Antetokounmpo: 21 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists 3 blocks, 1 steal, 36 minutes (+13)
Game 2: Nov. 18, 2022 -- 76ers won, 110-102
- Embiid: 32 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 37 minutes (+8)
- Antetokounmpo: 25 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 34 minutes (-12)
Game 3: Mar 4, 2023 -- 76ers won, 133-130
- Embiid: 31 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 37 minutes (-7)
- Antetokounmpo: 34 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 35 minutes (-14)
Game 4: April 2, 2023 -- Bucks won, 117-104
- Embiid: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 32 minutes (-10)
- Antetokounmpo: 33 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 32 minutes (+21)
Keep in mind that these games are a very small sample of the much longer regular season, but they could still serve as a piece of the puzzle when it comes to differentiating between three deserving candidates. For what it's worth, Antetokounmpo is the only one of the three to play in all of the games against the other top candidates, while Embiid was the only one to earn wins over both of the other guys.
