Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have found their names at the center of the MVP debate in each of the past three seasons. Jokic took home the trophy in 2021 and 2022, and Embiid earned his first MVP award this year.
While both All-Stars have not always seen regular season dominance translate to playoff success, they have posted some stellar postseason numbers during their careers with the 76ers and Nuggets.
Through a combined 19 playoff series, which big man owns the more impressive resume? Let's run through the stats for each guy.
(All stats current as of May 3, 2023)
NBA PLAYOFFS 2023: Full schedule, TV channels and more
Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic: Playoff stats
Jokic tops Embiid in nearly every per-game category, including points, rebounds, assists and steals. Embiid's lone advantage is in the blocks department, which is unsurprising considering he is an elite rim protector.
| Embiid | Per Game | Jokic |
| 23.8 | Points | 26.6 |
| 11.1 | Rebounds | 11.8 |
| 2.9 | Assists | 6.6 |
| 0.8 | Steals | 1.1 |
| 1.6 | Blocks | 0.8 |
| 3.7 | Turnovers | 3.0 |
| 34.2 | Minutes | 36.8 |
| 46.7 | Field goal % | 51.6 |
| 28.9 | 3-point % | 40.4 |
| 81.5 | Free throw % | 82.6 |
| Embiid | Totals | Jokic |
| 47 | Games | 55 |
| 1,118 | Points | 1,463 |
| 522 | Rebounds | 648 |
| 136 | Assists | 361 |
| 39 | Steals | 58 |
| 75 | Blocks | 45 |
| 173 | Turnovers | 166 |
| 1,607 | Minutes | 2,026 |
Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic: Playoff advanced stats
Jokic is consistently an advanced stats darling in the regular season, and he continues to set a high bar when he shifts into playoff mode. He lands in the top five on the all-time lists for career playoff PER and Box Plus/Minus.
| Embiid | Advanced | Jokic |
| 21.8 | Player Efficiency Rating | 28.2 |
| 2.3 | Value Over Replacement | 5.9 |
| 3.7 | Box Plus/Minus | 9.6 |
| 4.9 | Win Shares | 9.1 |
| 58.3 | True Shooting % | 60.2 |
| 30.8 | Usage % | 30.4 |
Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic: Playoff career highs
Joel Embiid
Embiid scored a playoff career-high 40 points in a 118-102 win over the Hawks on June 8, 2021. He also grabbed 13 rebounds in that game.
- Points: 40
- Rebounds: 21
- Assists: 8
- Steals: 3
- Blocks: 6
Nikola Jokic
Jokic recently tied his career high with 43 points in a 114-108 victory over the Timberwolves on April 23. He previously had 43 points in a 120-103 loss to the Spurs on April 25, 2019.
- Points: 43
- Rebounds: 22
- Assists: 14
- Steals: 4
- Blocks: 4
Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic: Playoff history
Joel Embiid
Embiid has never advanced beyond the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He has lost in Game 7 of that round twice (2019 and 2021).
- 2018: Won first round vs. Heat (4-1), Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Celtics (4-1)
- 2019: Won first round vs. Nets (4-1), Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Raptors (4-3)
- 2020: Lost first round vs. Celtics (4-0)
- 2021: Won first round vs. Wizards (4-1), Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Hawks (4-3)
- 2022: Won first round vs. Raptors (4-2), Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Heat (4-2)
- 2023: Won first round vs. Nets (4-0)
Nikola Jokic
Jokic made his deepest playoff run in the NBA's Florida "bubble," falling to the Lakers in the 2020 Western Conference Finals.
- 2019: Won first round vs. Spurs (4-3), Lost Western Conference Semifinals vs. Trail Blazers (4-3)
- 2020: Won first round vs. Jazz (4-3), Won Western Conference Semifinals vs. Clippers (4-3), Lost Western Conference Finals vs. Lakers (4-1)
- 2021: Won first round vs. Trail Blazers (4-2), Lost Western Conference Semifinals vs. Suns (4-0)
- 2022: Lost first round vs. Warriors (4-1)
- 2023: Won first round vs. Timberwolves (4-1)
