The NBA’s top two MVP frontrunners, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, faced off in a pair of matchups in Oklahoma City on Sunday and Monday, each securing a victory for their respective teams.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder dominated the first game with a 24-point win, while Jokic’s Nuggets bounced back the following night, claiming a 13-point victory in the second half of the back-to-back series.
Between those two showdowns, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reportedly suggested that Jokic, who has been managing elbow and ankle injuries, consider sitting out Monday’s game to recover.
According to Fred Katz and Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Serbian superstar had a blunt and emphatic response: “Hell no.”
Jokic’s determination paid off, as he delivered a commanding performance in Denver’s win, racking up 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 8 assists.
After the game, Malone made a strong case for Jokic’s MVP candidacy, arguing that statistical dominance should be the deciding factor in the race.
“Obviously, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a great player, and if he wins his first MVP, he’s deserving of that,” Malone said. “My thing is this: If you didn’t know that Nikola won three MVPs, and I put Player A and Player B on paper … the guy that was averaging a triple-double, the guy that is top-three in the three major statistical categories, things that no one has ever done, he wins the MVP 10 times out of 10. And if you don’t think so, I think you guys are all bullsh*ting.”
Western Notes: Jokic, SGA, Thunder, Zion, Doncic https://t.co/AxxSMqvqcP pic.twitter.com/B9OsLDJ1jV
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 12, 2025
