MVP Marvel Mega-Match: The Sequel.

No Surrender in Denver. The Joker vs. The Process.

Joel and Jokic spar at The Jar in the duel of the dynamical duo.

But, then, does 76ers’ 70-point interstellar superstar Joel Embiid show up for the showcase showdown Saturday afternoon (with a 3:30 blastoff) against Nikola Jokic, who recently was told he is the No. 1 player in the world … by Embiid?

Apparently Embiid will play in Denver for the first time since Nov. 8, 2019, and for only the third game in his career. He might be a late scratch again, however. Embiid has been injured, inactive and incognito before.

Let us give a warm welcome to the NBA’s defending regular-season Most Valuable Player trophy recipient. He certainly will be serenaded by the “MVP” chants of the SRO crowd at the arena directed at the league’s defending Finals MVP and back-to-back regular-season MVP in 2021-22.

Who will win this season?

Embiid currently is first in the chase again. And Jokic is second again.

As it should be. Joel is ahead in scoring average at 36.1 points per game – and obviously improved on that statistic with his club-record 70-point production against the Spurs, the Western Conference’s worst team. He has been an offensive automaton when healthy. Embiid is averaging 11.2 rebounds and an impressive 5.9 assists, and Philadelphia is third in the Eastern Conference with a 29-13 record (a .690 winning percentage that compares to 31-14 and .689 by the Nuggets). He is hitting .539 from the field in 32 games.

Therein lies the rub about the MVP. The league passed a new rule in the off-season that requires candidates to play in 70 percent of the 81 games. Embiid already has missed 10 and cannot sit out seven more for injuries, load lounging in the locker room or disinterest in playing at altitude if he is to repeat.

Meanwhile, Jokic has played in 44 games, being held out for just one, and is averaging 26.2 points, 12 rebounds and 9.1 assists. He needs about a dozen 10-assist games for the trifecta. The Joker is on a shooting tear and now is converting .63.5 percent on two-pointers. Both players have been accurate on 36 percent of three-pointers.

Although Embiid has been the preeminent player Jokic is doing the same sensational stuff as usual – sinking 25-footers to win games, being No. 1 in triple doubles and leading the Nuggets to three consecutive victories on the present Eastern tour, five of the past six and 14 of 18 and 18 overall in January.

After becoming the first team to shock the Celtics at their home, then dusting off the Wizards and the Pacers, the Nuggets virtually were tied for first Wednesday morning with the Timberwolves in the West. Yet, the five-game trip isn’t over until the Thursday night game in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have developed into a quality team, especially with the recent addition of OG Anunoby. And they are trying to trade for former Nuggets’ major contributor Bruce Brown. Come back, Bruce. Shane didn’t.

Next the Nuggets have the 76ers, the Bucks (who have fired rookie head coach Adrian Griffin and replaced him with Doc Rivers, late of the 76ers) and the Thunder before February is somewhat friendlier.

But the road has resulted in one bad blip – the game in Philly. The Nuggets played admirably until the last seven minutes and were level with the Sixers, then Our Friend Embiid went off for 10 points in a row and, for the second successive season there, dominated the Nuggets, outplayed Jokic and held onto first up for the MVP.

In Denver the Nuggets must impede Embiid somehow, and Jokic must dictate – even though the Big Men in their Big Games rarely defend each other one-on-one. In the Big Picture both are concerned about the championship. The Joker has his, but not Joel, who annually has been considered The Choker in the playoffs.

The NBA will be fixated on Denver on Saturday and will not be opposite the NFL.

The Jokic-Embiid rivalry could resonate reminiscences of Hakeem Olajuwon-Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal-David Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-Moses Malone and Bill Russell-Wilt Chamberlain.

If both Best Bigs get to the Finals.