If NBA fans were looking for a resolution regarding who would be the MVP at the end of the season, Sunday and Monday’s back-to-back games disappointed them.
They came out happy if they were looking for high-level basketball with the NBA’s two best players trading blows.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder went 1-1 in two matchups with Nikola Jokic.
OKC came out victorious Sunday night, taking down Denver 127-103 in a game that was tightly contested through three quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander staked his claim for MVP on a national stage, scoring 40 points, highlighted by a dagger 3-pointer over former Thunder star Russell Westbrook in the closing minutes.
Denver got off to a fast start, but its momentum halted when starting forward Aaron Gordon left with a calf injury that would cause him to miss Monday’s game.
Jokic also took a hard fall in the first where he appeared to hurt his elbow. From that point on his shot seemed to be a little bit off.
Despite the absence of a key starter, Denver and the injured Jokic hung around until OKC exploded in the fourth quarter behind an offensive onslaught from Gilgeous-Alexander midway through the fourth quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams ended the game with clutch 3-pointers down the stretch.
A little more than a day later, Denver returned the favor.
Jokic shrugged off what was a poor game by his standards, scoring 35 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and dishing out eight assists en route to a 140-127 Denver win.
Denver controlled Gilgeous-Alexander on the second day, holding the MVP frontrunner to 25 points and seven assists.
OKC, similarly to Denver, was in the game until the final quarter, but after Williams left at halftime with a hip injury and never returned, OKC’s second unit was outmatched during Gilgeous-Alexander’s stint on the bench to start the fourth quarter.
Denver took full advantage of Williams’ absence, catching fire from the field and taking control of the game. By the time Gilgeous-Alexander returned with a little over eight minutes left in the game, Denver couldn’t miss and the deficit was already ten.
In the end, the lack of an offensive co-star hurt Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to shake loose and Denver easily closed out OKC without the game ever being in doubt.
A 1-1 split is probably how this back-to-back should’ve gone.
Unless you buy into the Lakers, which many do, these are the two best teams in the Western Conference.
Both teams showed their strengths over the two games.
Whether it was OKC holding Denver to 103 points in the first game or the Nuggets racking up 140 on OKC’s league-leading defense in the second, it was clear that both teams have matchups that the other can take advantage of. It was also clear that both teams need to be near 100% if they want to look their best, especially during this particular matchup.
The games painted an incomplete picture on the court, and the MVP race remains as muddied as ever.
Those who argue for Gilgeous-Alexander will point to his ultra-efficient 40-point outburst on Sunday. Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into the best pure scorer in the NBA, all while being a difference-maker on the best defense in the league.
Jokic made his case on Monday. He is an offense in himself. When he is playing at his best, he is the best player on the floor in every single offensive facet of the game. Whether it be his outside shooting, his dominance on the glass or his ridiculous vision, Jokic is the full package.
Anyone who has made up their mind on the MVP debate needs to take a step back.
The reality is that the NBA is in the midst of one of the most legitimate MVP battles in the history of the league.
Gilgeous-Alexander has a real case. He is an offensive flamethrower who contributes to all fazes of the game on both sides of the court. In his own right, Jokic may be in the middle of the best offensive peak in the history of the sport and is dragging a poorly constructed roster to title contention.
Anyone is well within their right if they have already decided who they think the MVP is, but everyone should buckle up, because this is far from over.
