Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the MVP favorite due to Nikola Jokic’s injury
on monday, Oklahoma City Thunder picked up another win with a 140-129 victory via the Atlanta Hawks. It was another standout game for Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderwho scored 39 points with six rebounds and six assists in the win.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Shems Charania announced that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will be out of the lineup for the next four weeks due to knee injury held against the Miami Heat on Monday, meaning he will likely be ineligible for the 65-game threshold required for various awards, including the NBA MVP, which he has won on three separate occasions.
Last year, of course, that honor went to Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the Thunder to a record season and NBA championship, and along the way won the scoring title.
This year, the NBA discussion has quickly solidified as a race between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic. Amid the Thunder’s dreadful 24-1 start to the year, many assumed Gilgeous-Alexander would be in the driver’s seat for the prize as the team looked to break the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors record of 73 wins.
However, the Thunder have cooled off in recent weeks, losing on three separate occasions to the San Antonio Spurs, and before the injury, Jokic took his game to another level, putting up a monster triple-double of 56 points on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves in front of a national TV audience.
However, due to his unfortunate injury and Gilgeous-Alexander’s continued brilliance, the MVP now appears to be the Thunder Stars’ prize for losing again.
He could have some possible competition in the form of Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic, but as long as the Thunder continue to win at anything close to their current pace, it looks like the MVP trophy will once again be in Oklahoma City.
2025-12-30 17:37:00
