PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid is having the best season for a Philadelphia 76ers’ big man since Moses Malone 38 years ago and he has his team atop the Eastern Conference standings headed into the second half of the season. Healthy, hungry and smarter on the court, Embiid has emerged as a front-runner for NBA MVP. The Philly fans call the campaign MVBiid. His 30.2 points are behind only Washington’s Bradley Beal. Embiid has five games of 40-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in 30 games. Embiid has overtaken Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James as the favorite to win MVP.
