Nikola Jokic: ‘I think I’m playing the best basketball of my life,’ but not stressed about MVP race

The MVP race was never going to be decided by two games in March, but if fans and voters hoped to come out of the Denver vs. Oklahoma City back-to-back with some clarity on whether Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins the award, they are out of luck.

After scoring 35 points and sparking the Nuggets to put up 140 on the Thunder Monday — the most points OKC has surrendered all season — Jokic was asked about the MVP race and sounded like a guy who has been there and done that, so his focus is elsewhere, with quotes via Fred Katz and Tony Jones at The Athletic.

“This is my third or fourth year in a row, so I’m really — I don’t know. I cannot control it,” Jokić said. “Obviously, I think I’m playing the best basketball of my life. So if that’s enough, it’s enough. If not, the guy deserves it. He’s really amazing.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone was happy to step up and make the case for his guy.

“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 bulls******.”

The case between Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander is a coin flip right now, one that will be decided over the final five weeks of the season (the way Russell Westbrook’s strong play over the final month of the season in 2017, including strong clutch play, lifted him past James Harden in a close race). This back-to-back provided no clarity as the teams split the games and both players had a monster night. Through the two games against each other:

Jokic: 59 points on 58.1% shooting (3-of-13 from 3), with 31 rebounds, 17 assists, four blocks and two steals.
Gilgeous-Alexander: 65 points on 50% shooting (5-of-18 from 3) with 11 rebounds, 12 assists, five blocks and two steals.

SGA is the better defender and will likely win over some voters with the “best player on the best team” argument—the Thunder are 11 games ahead of the Nuggets. Jokic’s ability to lift up the Denver offense was on display Monday, showing why this team is a playoff threat to OKC.

Expect five more weeks of debate about the MVP race until the voters have to cast their ballots — and then complaints from one side after that voting is announced. We’ll see if anyone’s play over the final weeks separates them, because right now these two are neck-and-neck heading down the stretch.