NEW YORK — Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid are the main centers in the NBA, both having won MVP awards in the last three regular seasons, with potentially more to come.
Their paths diverge in the playoffs.
Jokic solidified his place among the game’s best by leading the Denver Nuggets to last year’s NBA championship, and he seems determined to maintain his position.
Embiid is simply trying to stay in the game.
He has rarely been healthy enough to make a legitimate push for a championship, and he is already not at full strength just one game into this postseason.
On Monday, Jokic will attempt to guide the Nuggets to a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Philadelphia 76ers look to have Embiid help them level their series against the New York Knicks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Orlando Magic in the other game on Monday after winning the first game of the series.
On Saturday, Jokic scored 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Denver’s 114-103 win. He has scored 20 or more points in 20 consecutive playoff games.
“We see it all the time, man,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “Nikola is an excellent player, and the bigger the stage, the brighter he shines.”
Embiid seemed on track for a dominant performance against the Knicks before appearing to aggravate his surgically repaired left knee after tossing the ball off the backboard to himself and dunking it late in the first half. The MVP and scoring champion from last season returned and finished with 29 points but seemed limited, shooting 2 for 11 after halftime and missing all five shots in the fourth quarter.
He has missed at least one game in each of the last three postseasons. However, after sitting out for two months following surgery on Feb. 6, he returned to help the 76ers make the playoffs. His teammates were not surprised that he continued to play through pain in Game 1.
“He’s always a fighter, he always wants to give his best for his team,” said All-Star Tyrese Maxey. “So if he's able and believes he can, he will definitely be out there.”
Donovan Mitchell dealt with his own knee issues in the latter part of the season but performed well with 30 points as Cleveland defeated Orlando 97-83 on Saturday, showing a strong response after being dominated by the Knicks last year.
“That's how the series will go,” said Mitchell, who was so eager for Game 1 that he only had a few hours of sleep. “How will you respond? That's been my message all year. We will face challenges. We will make mistakes. We will have bad possessions.
“We won't make shots. Things like that will happen. That was an excellent response.”
MAGIC AT CAVALIERS
Cleveland leads 1-0. Game 2, 7 p.m. EDT, NBA TV/fubo
• NEED TO KNOW: The Cavs passed the first test. Bigger ones are coming. Bolstered by a lively crowd, Cleveland stood their ground when Orlando became aggressive. Magic forward Franz Wagner's physical play under the hoop led to some confrontation and a couple of technical fouls. The Magic are expected to maintain their physical approach.
• WATCH OUT FOR: Keep an eye on Orlando’s Paolo Banchero. The All-Star forward scored 24 points in his first playoff game, but it took him some time to get started. Banchero was too careless with the ball, making nine of Orlando’s 12 turnovers. The Cavs did a good job by sending an extra defender at Banchero, forcing him into uncomfortable situations.
• INJURY WATCH: Mitchell seemed to benefit from a week of rest, moving quickly with his usual speed and jumping ability. It will be interesting to see how he performs with just one day of recovery.
• PRESSURE IS ON: Magic guard Jalen Suggs. He needs to try to contain Mitchell and contribute offensively after a 4-of-16 shooting performance, including 1 of 7 on 3-pointers. At least he made a shot; Orlando’s other guards Garry Harris, Markelle Fultz, and Cole Anthony went a combined 0 for 17.
76ERS AT KNICKS
New York leads 1-0. Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT
• NEED TO KNOW: The 76ers forced All-Star Jalen Brunson to shoot 8 for 26 in Game 1, but other Knicks players made them pay. Deuce McBride made five 3-pointers, Josh Hart made four, and Bojan Bogdanovic made three.
• KEEP AN EYE ON: The battle for rebounds. The Knicks aggressively pursue offensive rebounds, grabbing 23 in Game 1 for a 55-33 overall advantage and a 26-8 edge in second-chance points.
• INJURY WATCH: Embiid is again listed as questionable for Game 2. The Sixers allowed him to start in Game 1 after he completed his pregame workout, and that may be the plan for Monday.
• PRESSURE IS ON: Tobias Harris and Kelly Oubre Jr. Embiid needs assistance on the boards if he's limited, and the combined 12 rebounds from the starting forwards were one less than Hart's total.
LAKERS AT NUGGETS
Nuggets lead 1-0. Game 2, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT
• NEED TO KNOW: The Nuggets had a slow start in defending their first NBA championship, but they mostly outplayed the Lakers in their playoff opener, outscoring them by 10 points in second-chance opportunities and in the paint. They also outscored LA 21-14 in fast break points. Although LeBron James (27) and Anthony Davis (32) combined for 59 points, James had a quiet second half and committed seven of the Lakers’ 12 turnovers while the Nuggets only had four, including just one by their starters.
• KEEP AN EYE ON: Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, who missed 14 of 20 shots but seemed unfazed by his 30% shooting percentage, saying he was excited to attempt that many shots and expects a higher percentage to fall in Game 2.
• INJURY WATCH: Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Sunday it’s unclear when Christian Wood (knee) and Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) will be available to strengthen a bench that had only one player (Taurean Prince) score in Game 1. Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray, who missed seven games due to a knee injury, played 39 minutes without any issues in Game 1.
• PRESSURE IS ON: Los Angeles, which hasn’t beaten the Nuggets in almost 500 days. The Lakers have lost nine consecutive games to the Nuggets, despite having more free throw attempts in all nine games, with 204 compared to the Nuggets’ 130. On Saturday night, the Lakers were 17 of 19 from the free throw line and Denver was just 5 of 6. When asked how he’d address the difference, Malone joked, “Why should we? We keep winning.” However, Malone stated that his team doesn’t just settle for jump shots. “But we knew going into this series that they had a plus-500 differential this year.”
