The Philadelphia 76ers made easy work of a LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers side on Thursday and unsurprisingly, Sixers superstar Joel Embiid was his usual dominant self. After the 105-87 win, Embiid spoke to Ernie Johnson and the TNT crew as the four-time All-Star addressed the MVP chatter that has surrounded his elite level of play all season long.

According to Embiid, he's focused on one thing right now — winning (h/t NBA on TNT on Twitter):

Embiid did not downplay the MVP talk. After all, why would he? On Thursday, the 27-year-old had another strong performance, dropping a team-high 26 points on 9-of-20 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and two blocks. The Lakers just had no answer for Embiid on the evening. The Sixers big man has been an absolute force all season long and it's no surprise that he's forced himself into the MVP conversation yet again.

That's now three straight wins for the Sixers, who are currently working their way up the Eastern Conference ladder. Following Thursday's win, Philly is now 29-19 and is currently tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the fourth spot out East.

Embiid and Co. return to action on Saturday to face off the Sacramento Kings at home and it will be another opportunity for JoJo to show off his MVP credentials.