It will be interesting to see whether a passionate Denver Nuggets crowd follows coach Michael Malone's lead on Monday when Joel Embiid comes into town.
Embiid is Nikola Jokic's rival in an NBA MVP race that Malone believes has taken "a really ugly, nasty turn".
"It's like when I was a college coach, all the negative recruiting," Malone said last week, having described Embiid as "a great candidate".
"It's not promoting my guy. It's ripping down every other guy. And that's just ridiculous.
"Celebrate them; don't criticise, don't tear them down. Build them all up. And whoever wins it, good for them."
The Nuggets and Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers have been fighting for position in their respective conferences, but debate around the top individual award has continued to rage.
For his part, Jokic has tried to set it aside. "I don't think about it anymore," he said.
But it is easy for the two-time reigning MVP to take that stance. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the periphery of the conversation – albeit perhaps less so after losing to the Nuggets at the weekend – and he won the two before Jokic.
Embiid has been a finalist the past two years but has never been named the MVP. He might have a different view of things.
For that reason, the 76ers superstar should relish the opportunity to go into Denver and upset the top seed in the West.
Embiid has already landed a big blow in one game against the Nuggets this season, finishing with 47 points and 18 rebounds in the Sixers' win back in January.
That was only the 15th instance of such a performance in the regular season since the NBA/ABA merger, with others to achieve that feat including Antetokounmpo, Michael Jordan and, on three occasions, Shaquille O'Neal.
Yet for all Embiid's dominance, that game also illustrated how he and Jokic are so different.
That is no secret, with Jokic a center like Embiid but possessing the playmaking skills of an elite point guard, but it has only become clearer this year.
Embiid has a usage rate of 37.4 per cent, nudging above last year's mark for a career high. It is little wonder then when he has games, as against the Nuggets, in which he attempts 31 field goals. He has twice attempted 32 field goals this season.
It is that volume shooting that allows Embiid to lead the league in scoring (33.3 points) despite ranking 'only' 23rd in field goal percentage (54.5). It also helps that he is the only player making more than 10 free throws per game (10.2) – albeit he made just seven of 10 against the Nuggets.
Meanwhile, Jokic is averaging 24.9 points, down on the previous two seasons. He scored 24 against the 76ers.
But this is in line with his usage rate shrinking considerably to 27.3 per cent after peaking at 31.8 per cent in 2021-22 – and Jokic could scarcely be more efficient with those possessions.
He leads the Nuggets in both points and assists (9.9), as well as rebounds (11.8), just as he did in the 76ers game (nine assists, eight rebounds). His turnover percentage is up slightly (16.6) – there were seven against Philly – but so is his assist rate (45.5 per cent) and his shooting from the field (63.3 per cent), three-point range (39.0 per cent) and the foul line (82.3 per cent).
Jokic is right there for a season averaging a triple-double. That has only been done – four times – by one player in the modern NBA. In those seasons, Russell Westbrook's usage rate never dipped below 30 per cent. He also averaged at least 4.5 turnovers per game in each year, with Jokic back on 3.5.
Embiid, who likewise has 3.5 turnovers, carries the 76ers' burden in scoring and rebounding, but James Harden is the team's creative force. He had 13 assists against the Nuggets.
What the 76ers big man lacks in eye-catching passes, however, he makes up for on the defensive end. Defensive metrics do not really do justice to the gap between Embiid and Jokic.
But that is not to denigrate Jokic. In truth, given their extraordinary seasons, there are no shortage of numbers that would support the case for one man or the other – perhaps contributing to the nastiness Malone bemoaned.
Maybe it is best then that it comes down to a matchup on the court, two weeks out from the end of the regular season.
Might we see another 40-point Embiid night to clinch a first MVP? Or Jokic's latest triple-double that pushes him towards three in a row? Whoever wins it, as the Nuggets coach said, good for them.
Lakers will 'play 'til the wheels fall off', vows LeBron James
LeBron James has urged the Los Angeles Lakers to deal with the pressure, and thrive under it, as they aim to avoid a series sweep against the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers slumped to a 3-0 lead in their first-round series against the reigning NBA champions following a 112-105 loss on Thursday.
Denver have now won 11 straight games against the Lakers, who squandered a big lead in Game 2 and were no match for the Nuggets in Game 3, with Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon in fine form.
James had 26 points and Anthony Davis had 33 for the Lakers, but Los Angeles went just 5 of 27 from the floor and missed 15 of their first 16 3-pointers.
Defeat means the Lakers will have to become the first team in NBA history to rally from a 0-3 playoff deficit to keep their postseason alive.
James, though, laid down the gauntlet for his teammates.
"It's one game at a time, at this point. You lose, you go home. You come out with the mindset, 'Let's get one, force a Game 5, and then we go from there,'" James said.
"As long as you still have life, then you obviously have belief. I just think you play 'til the wheels fall off. That's what it's always about for me.
"That's a mindset, and I know [Davis] feels the same way.
"You're supposed to have anxiety and pressure, or feel the pressure.
"That's what it's about. This is what the postseason is about.
"Me and this guy [Davis], have been playing together for six years. We've been to the mountaintop. We've been close to the mountaintop. We've played a lot of games.
"We know what it takes to win. We know what it takes to win a championship and how damn near perfect you got to be. That's not like something that's so crazy to obtain."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham came under criticism from some fans following the Game 3 loss, but he paid credit to the Nuggets.
"They have a championship confidence," he said.
"That starting group has been together for a long time. Their net rating is off the charts as a starting group. They had guys step up and make plays."
The Nuggets are taking nothing for granted.
"I think every game is tougher and tougher," Jokic said.
"They were up 20 in Denver; they were up 12 today in the first half. I think it's really hard to play against the same team over again.
"You can't get bored with the style of the play or whatever. You just need to keep doing you, especially for us - because we won the last three - and just trust what we are doing and don't get bored with success because it can go wrong really quick."
Embiid reveals Bell's palsy diagnosis after historic 50-point performance versus Knicks
Fresh from putting up 50 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' Game 3 win over the New York Knicks, Joel Embiid revealed he has been suffering from Bell's palsy, a condition affecting the left side of his face and causing blurred vision.
The reigning NBA MVP added eight rebounds and four assists to his half-century as the Sixers dragged themselves back into their first-round series after two road losses.
He became the first player in playoff history to record a 50-point game while attempting fewer than 20 shots, going 13 of 19 from the floor and making 19 of 21 free throws.
He did it while suffering from a condition which causes temporary weakness or lack of movement in one side of the face.
Embiid has to continually use eye drops to combat the blurred vision, and he says the symptoms could last for weeks or months.
"I think it started a day or two before the Miami game [in the Play-In tournament], and I had bad migraines and thought it was nothing," Embiid said in his post-game press conference.
"It's pretty annoying, you know, with the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. So yeah, it's been tough.
"I'm not a quitter, so I've got to keep fighting, but yeah, it's unfortunate. That's the way I look at it. It's not an excuse. I've got to keep pushing."
Smiling, he added: "I just hope it could stay like this. I've got a beautiful face. I don't like it when my mouth is looking the other way.
"Like I said, it's an unfortunate situation, but everything happens for a reason. Like I said, I've got to take care of myself mentally."
Embiid has endured a difficult season after landing the NBA's top individual prize last year. He missed two months after undergoing surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his left knee in February.
Still wearing a brace on the affected knee, Embiid said he is still unable to trust it completely.
"No, I'm just trying to keep pushing," he said when asked if he had 100 per cent confidence in his condition. "Like I said, I'm not going to quit.
"Even if it's on one leg, I'm still going to go out there and try, but no, that's not an excuse. I've got to keep playing better and better and better.
"Tonight I got lucky. I made a few shots. I've got to find a way to rebound, and I don't even care about rebounds. I've just got to make sure that my man doesn't get it, and then box out my man and take him out of the play. Whatever it takes to win."
NBA: Nuggets close to Lakers sweep, Embiid has 50 as Sixers cut deficit
The Denver Nuggets are on the brink of sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers after opening up a 3-0 lead in the teams' first-round series on Thursday, registering their 11th straight win against them.
Aaron Gordon had a playoff career-high 29 points and added 15 rebounds, while Nikola Jokic was just short of a triple-double with 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as Denver clinched a 112-105 win.
Having squandered a big lead in Game 2, the Lakers failed to respond at home as the Nuggets began the second half with a 24-10 run to pull away from their hosts. Los Angeles failed to get closer than eight points in the fourth.
LeBron James had 26 points, six rebounds and nine assists, while Anthony Davis had 33 points and 15 rebounds, but Los Angeles were let down by their shooting from the field.
They shot just 5 of 27 from the floor, missing with 15 of their first 16 3-point attempts.
Game 4 takes place at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, with the Lakers needing to become the first team in NBA history to rally from a 0-3 playoff deficit to keep James' 21st season alive.
A small group of home fans showed their displeasure with head coach Darvin Ham after the loss, staying behind to chant, "fire Darvin" as the rest of the crowd filtered out.
Embiid's half-century takes Knicks-Sixers to 2-1
Joel Embiid's huge 50-point haul breathed fresh life into the Philadelphia 76ers' series with the New York Knicks, bringing the Sixers back to 2-1 after two road losses to start the playoffs.
The 76ers triumphed 125-114 as Embiid became the first player in playoff history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 shots in a game, going 13 of 19 from the floor and making 19 of 21 free throws.
Philadelphia were three down at the half but produced a huge third quarter, Embiid dragging his team into a 98-85 lead with four 3s in that period.
Tyrese Maxey supported Embiid with 25 points and seven assists, after the NBA admitted the officials missed a foul on him in the closing stages of the Sixers' controversial Game 2 loss.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists while Josh Hart tacked on 20 points, but Donte DiVincenzo only had five after hitting the decisive 3-pointer in Game 2.
Cavs suffer worst playoff loss as Magic hit back
The Orlando Magic also hit back after losing the first two games of their first-round series, dealing the Cleveland Cavaliers the heaviest loss in their playoff history on Thursday.
Taking the series back to Kia Center after a pair of road losses, Orlando recorded a 121-83 win behind Paolo Banchero's 31 points, with Jalen Suggs adding 24 for the fifth seeds in the East.
Orlando led by as many as 43 points in the fourth quarter before ultimately settling for a 38-point margin. The Cavs' previous worst playoff loss was a 36-point defeat to the Washington Wizards in 2008.
Franz Wagner tacked on 16 points and eight assists for Orlando, who now have the chance to level the series at home in Game 4 on Sunday.
Cleveland had four players in double figures but none managed more than the 15 put up by both Jarrett Allen and Caris Levert, the visitors shooting a miserable 8 of 34 (23.5 per cent) from the floor.
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