In a battle of the league's last thee MVPs, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers came out on top on Tuesday.

Embiid outdueled Nikola Jokić and led the 76ers to a 126-121 win over the NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. Jokić was outstanding, but the night belonged to Embiid, who finished the game with 41 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Both players re-entered the game with 7:30 remaining and Denver leading 111-110. With the game tied at 113-113, Embiid went on a personal 10-0 run that gave Philadelphia a 123-113 advantage that put the game out of Denver's reach. He scored from inside, out and at the line during the run with a 3-pointer over Jokić increasing Philadelphia's lead to 121-113 with 4:53 remaining.

The Nuggets cut the deficit to 125-121 in the final 30 seconds with three Michael Porter Jr. free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt. But the Nuggets wouldn't score again as Philadelphia held on for the win.

Jokić tallied 25 points, 19 rebounds and three assists, but it wasn't enough for the Nuggets as they tipped of the first game of a five-game East Coast road swing. Their first game back when they return to Denver? A rematch against the 76ers on Jan. 27.

The game was a showcase of the game's two best centers and arguably it's two best players, period, who have combined to win the last three league MVP awards. Jokić won the honor in consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022. Embiid secured his first MVP trophy in 2023 ahead of Jokić, who finished in second place. Jokić countered with a Finals MVP trophy in his first NBA championship.