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Two months ago, the NBA's Most Valuable Player award was Joel Embiid's to lose.
Oddsmakers gave the Philadelphia 76ers' superstar center and the league's reigning MVP a commanding edge to repeat, while Embiid dominated the first round of ESPN's MVP straw poll behind a third straight season of league-leading scoring -- this season in the wake of guard James Harden's chaotic departure from the franchise.
But when Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga dove for a loose ball and fell on Embiid's leg during a game last month, it upended the MVP race in a way the league hasn't seen.