NBA MVP candidate Joel Embiid has described himself as a "f***ing monster" and hailed Philadelphia 76ers team-mate James Harden as the playoffs loom large.
The pair sat out Monday's defeat on the road against the Denver Nuggets, with Embiid and Harden nursing minor calf and Achilles injuries respectively, robbing fans of a highly anticipated duel between MVP contenders Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
Regardless of how the voting plays out, with Jokic edging ahead as a minor favourite for his third-straight MVP, the 76ers are heading into the playoffs well-placed as the third seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. And Embiid has been on a tear in recent weeks, racking up 10 straight 30-point games since the start of March, emulating Shaquille O'Neal as the first centre to do that since the Los Angeles Lakers legend in 2001.
