By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
The long-running absence of Joel Embiid in Denver added another chapter last night, as the Denver Nuggets rolled to a comfortable 124–96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, once again without the former MVP on the floor at Ball Arena.
Embiid, who has not played a road game in Denver since November 8, 2019, remained sidelined due to injury, extending one of the NBA’s most peculiar streaks. Despite multiple scheduled matchups against Nikola Jokić in Colorado over the past several seasons, the two superstar centers have repeatedly missed the opportunity to face off there, fueling ongoing debate among fans and analysts about his absence in the Mile High City.
Jokić, a two-time MVP, finished the game with just eight points but dished out 14 assists, controlling the tempo throughout and exploiting a depleted Philadelphia lineup. What might have been another marquee installment of the league’s defining center rivalry instead became a routine blowout- and yet another Embiid absence in Denver, a game he has missed for a variety of reasons over the years.
In the 2020–21 season, Embiid did not play in Denver due to a knee injury (specifically a hyperextension with a bone bruise) that sidelined him for several weeks. In the 2021–22 campaign, the Cameroonian center again missed the game, this time due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The 2022–23 season- when Embiid went on to win MVP—marked the beginning of controversy: he missed the Denver game with calf soreness, the only game he sat out during a long stretch of appearances, and at the height of the MVP race against Jokić.
In 2023–24, the controversy intensified. Embiid was ruled out with a knee issue, but notably, the decision came just minutes before tip-off after he had initially been expected to play. During the 2024–25 season, he once again missed the game in Colorado due to knee management and ongoing physical issues, reflecting a broader pattern of recurring injuries. Finally, in the 2025–26 season, the pattern continued, with Embiid sidelined due to injury as part of a heavily depleted 76ers lineup.
While many of the missed games have come with legitimate medical explanations, including knee injuries and COVID-19 protocols, the pattern has drawn scrutiny, particularly given the timing of some of these absences, which have prevented repeated clashes between two of the best centers of the past decade.