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The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid has been named the NBA’s most valuable player for the 2022-23 season.<\/span><\/p>\n The 29-year-old Cameroonian centre picked up 73 first-place votes, with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets second with 19.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third.<\/span><\/p>\n Embiid won his second consecutive NBA scoring title in the regular season, with a career-high season average of 33.1 points per game.<\/span><\/p>\n The six-time All Star has missed the Sixers’ last two games with a knee ligament sprain, including <\/span>Monday’s win over the Boston Celtics<\/span><\/a> in the first game of their Eastern Conference semi-final.<\/span><\/p>\n Embiid is only the second African player to be crowned MVP, after Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1993-94 season, while it is the fifth consecutive season an international player has won the MVP trophy, which in December was <\/span>renamed the Michael Jordan Trophy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n On Tuesday night, the <\/span>Los Angeles Lakers<\/strong> beat the <\/span>Golden State Warriors<\/strong> 117-112 in the opening game of their Western Conference semi-final.<\/span><\/p>\n Anthony Davis led the 17-time champions with 30 points and 23 rebounds, with LeBron James also recording a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.<\/span><\/p>\n The Lakers had opened a 14-point lead with less than six minutes remaining of the fourth quarter but were forced to hold off a late surge by the Warriors, with a flurry of three-pointers seeing them draw level at 112-112 with little more than a minute and a half to go.<\/span><\/p>\n But a D’Angelo Russell lay-up and James free throw edged the Lakers back ahead, before two further free throws from Dennis Schroder wrapped up the away win.<\/span><\/p>\n Game two of the best-of-seven series is on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n “We know this team – they’re the defending champions,” said Davis. “No lead is safe against them, they can get hot at any moment.<\/span><\/p>\n “But this is just a mindset for our team, knowing we can beat this team, it’s a confidence booster for us. <\/span><\/p>\n “We’ve been able to get this one in game one, but we haven’t done anything yet.”<\/span><\/p>\n In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the <\/span>New York Knicks<\/strong> levelled their series with the <\/span>Miami Heat<\/strong> at 1-1 with a 111-105 win in game two.<\/span><\/p>\n Jalen Brunson scored 30 points for the Knicks, while team-mate Julius Randle made 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on his return to the squad after missing the series opener with a sprained ankle.<\/span><\/p>\nLakers win semi-final opener<\/h3>\n