Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic Named NBA Players of the Month for January

Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid and Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic were named the Players of the Month for January in the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively.

Embiid averaged 28.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks and shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc over 12 games. Over 16 appearances, Jokic averaged 27.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

Philadelphia and Denver both had identical 11-5 marks last month.

Embiid's best performance during that stretch came in a 137-134 win over the Miami Heat on Jan. 12. He went 16-of-23 for 45 points, adding 16 rebounds, five steals and four assists.

Jokic closed out January with a bang. Going up against Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz, he finished with 47 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the Nuggets won 128-117 on Sunday.

The Nuggets and Sixers crossed paths on Jan. 9, and Denver came away with a 115-103 victory. However, Embiid missed that game, denying fans the opportunity to see him match up against Jokic.

Somewhat surprisingly, Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal didn't even get nominated in the Eastern Conference. Beal averaged 36.7 points throughout January, but the Wizards' 4-7 record in that span might have hurt his Player of the Month candidacy.