Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s triumphant comeback against Nikola Jokic puts him back on top

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokictwo players who have he was fighting for a position at the top of the NBA MVP rankings all season, they played two games against each other this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder and SGA won the first match, setting up the highly anticipated matchup on Friday between these two foes.

Once again the Thunder won Denver Nuggetswinning 127-121 in overtime. Although Jokic had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists in the game for his league-leading 22nd triple-double of the season, the spotlight was on Gilgeous-Alexander’s 36 points in his first game back since suffering an abdominal strain before the All-Star break.

This was a big game for Gilgeous-Alexander to get back into action, but this back-to-back matchup against the three-time MVP was definitely important for the defending MVP. Aside from this being a chance for the Thunder to extend their lead in the Western Conference standings, it was an opportunity for Gilgeous-Alexander to prove that he should win back-to-back MVP awards.

Well, after another strong performance against Jokic and the Nuggets, the Oklahoma City star is back atop the NBA MVP rankings with six weeks left in the regular season.

There are still two matchups left against these two MVP candidates, and these battles will undoubtedly carry equal weight in determining this year’s MVP. However, there is still a chance for others to steal the first place vote.

Cade Cunningham he had a great season and only increased the lead of the Detroit Pistons for the first seed in the East. Jaylen Brown led the Boston Celtics to the second-best record in the East without Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic leads the league in scoring for the Los Angeles Lakers.

And then there is Victor Vembanyamawho continues to lead the San Antonio Spurs, who are just three games behind Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in the West, and have dominated Oklahoma City this season.

Could any of these other MVP candidates step up above Jokic or Gilgeous-Alexander in the next few weeks? Here’s where the MVP rankings currently stand now that SGA is back on top.

Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Sunday 18 | Sunday 17 | 16th week | 15th week | Sunday 14 | 13th week | Sunday the 12th | Sunday 11 | 10th week | 9th week | 8th week | week 7 | 6th week | 5th week | 4th week | 3rd week | 2nd week | 1st week

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder*

Previous rank: #2

2025-26 Stats: 51 games, 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 55.1 FG%, 38.1 3P%

*You can miss a maximum of 6 more games to remain eligible.

Gilgeous-Alexander missed nine straight games before returning Friday night against Jokic and the Nuggets, meaning he is allowed to miss six more games until the end of the season to be eligible for season-ending honors and awards such as MVP.

At no point did Gilgeous-Alexander look rusty in this game, as he shot 12-of-29 from the floor to score 36 points and dish out nine assists. He followed up this performance with another 30 points on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks, leading Oklahoma City to two straight wins.

The Thunder now lead the Spurs by three games for the top seed in the Western Conference, and Gilgeous-Alexander inched closer to history with his two big goals since returning from injury.

Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored at least 20 points in 123 straight games, three games away from tying Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 consecutive games with 20 plus points.

2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets*

Previous rank: #1

2025-26 Stats: 45 games, 28.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 1.4 steals, 57.0 FG%, 40.1 3P%

*You can miss a maximum of 1 more game to remain eligible.

As good as Jokic’s numbers look, he hasn’t looked like himself since returning from his hyperextended left knee.

In Jokic’s 13 games since returning from a knee injury, the Nuggets star averaged 26.8 points, 13.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Obviously, these are MVP-like stats, but what stands out is his 4.1 turnovers per game during this span.

Jokic’s efficiency is down, his turnovers are down, and the turnovers are worrisome. Not to mention, Denver as a whole has not played well and has now fallen to the 5 seed in the Western Conference.

These are the main reasons why Jokic fell behind Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP race.

3. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons

Previous rank: #3

2025-26 Stats: 53 games, 25.5 points, 9.8 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 46.0 FG%, 33.2 3P%

Aside from Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, if there’s one player who wants to vote for MVP this season, it would have to be Cade Cunningham. Aside from being a feel-good story with the Detroit Pistons, Cunningham has arguably been the best all-around guard in the league this season, making a bigger two-way impact than Gilgeous-Alexander.

Only Jokic has averaged more assists this year than Cunningham, and what the Pistons star has done to lead his team to the top of the Eastern Conference standings is remarkable. Not only does he do it with his scoring, but Cade has set a solid standard for how the Pistons will play every night.

He did not back down from any opponent, and Cunningham led the fight against the opposition for the entire 48 minutes, putting all the pressure of the game on them. It’s what allowed Jalen Duren to have a breakout All-Star campaign, and it’s what allowed this young Pistons team to suddenly be the favorite to make the NBA Finals from the East.

Between not missing a single game and being a member of the team with the best winning percentage in the entire NBA, Cunningham is certainly right up there with SGA and Jokic in the MVP race. Honestly, if you look at the MVP race through the lens of a player who has exceeded expectations at the top of the league, Cunningham is MVP. If you ask JB Bickerstaffhe would be inclined to agree.

4. Victor Vembanyama – San Antonio Spurs*

Previous rank: #4

2025-26 stats: 46 games, 23.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 50.1 FG%, 34.1 3P%

*You can miss a maximum of 4 more games to remain eligible.

Since the All-Star break, Victor Wembanyama has averaged 19.2 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor. His plus-minus stats over the last six games are among the best in the league, but Wemby’s MVP case unfortunately comes down to where the San Antonio Spurs finish in the Western standings.

If the Spurs pass on Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, it would be hard to deny Wembey the MVP award simply because he would have the numbers and the best record in the NBA to back it up.

However, as of now, what Gilgeous-Alexander did with the best record in the West supersedes Vembanyama’s success. While many would argue that this is an individual award that should be given to the league’s best player throughout the season, team success always plays a role in this race for the award each year.

This season is no different, and while Wemby can increase his MVP chances by continuing to raise his playdown throughout the season, the Spurs will still need to pass the Thunder in the standings for him to win the MVP.

5. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers*

Previous rank: #5

2025-26 Stats: 48 games, 32.5 points, 8.6 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 47.3 FG%, 36.0 3P%

*You can miss a maximum of 5 more games to remain eligible.

The only MVP case that can be made for Luka Doncic at this point is that he leads the league in scoring, and his near triple-double numbers are the best of his career. While those two things may be true, there isn’t much of an argument that Doncic is above any of the other four players ahead of him on the MVP rankings.

Not only does Dončić fall short of the level of play that Gilgeous-Aleksandar and Jokić were at throughout the season, but the expectations that Cunningham and Vembanje surpassed mean more in this race as well. Also, the Los Angeles Lakers have not been playing well lately and are in danger of falling into the play-in region in the Western standings.

Very few players won the MVP award because their team was nowhere near the top of the league, and those who were had historic seasons that will forever be remembered in NBA history. That is not the case this year with Doncic.

It’s just missing the cut

6. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics (No. 6 last week)

7. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 8 last week)

8. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (seventh last week)

9. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks (No. 9 last week)

10. Kevin Durant – Houston Rockets (10th place)

*Signals player is in danger of reaching the minimum threshold of 65 games for awards/recognition.