The NBA's Most Valuable Player award is a season-long achievement. But when the numbers are as close as they have been between Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, narratives and statement games carry significant weight. The Philadelphia 76ers center made a bold statement on Tuesday as he pummeled the Boston Celtics en route to 52 points.

His MVP-caliber play prompted Sixers head coach Doc Rivers to call for an end to the debate. According to Rivers in his postgame press conference, Joel Embiid has won.

“There were so many things that we did wrong. But what we did right was Joel Embiid. The MVP race is over. Tonight, we couldn't make shots. The man just scored half our points in an NBA game. And I’m biased but the MVP race is over,” said Doc Rivers.

The debate on who has the edge in the MVP race has been hotly discussed this season more than most years past. All three of Jokic, Embiid, and Antetokounmpo have put up marvelous individual campaigns all worthy of an MVP. With the margins looking razor-thin, massive performances like Embiid's domination of the Sixers' East rival Celtics will surely leave an imprint on media members wielding an MVP ballot.

The Sixers are virtually locked into the third seed behind the Celtics and Bucks, barring any shocking developments to end the season. But if Joel Embiid plays at the level he did on Tuesday, there's no reason they can't outlast the rest of the conference in the postseason.