The MVP battle between Jokic and SGA did not disappoint in Game 1 of the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder series. In the first half, OKC took a 60-50 lead, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s 15 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Nikola Jokic had a solid first half himself, putting up a statline of 16 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists. Which MVP candidate would get the upper hand?
TOP NEWS
Related: Kia MVP Race: Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Dethrone Nikola Jokic?
Both players kept playing at an MVP level, but the battle was won by Jokic. The Joker put up 42 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists in the game. He has shown everyone why, from a performance standpoint, he’s the deserving player for the award.
Gilgeous-Alexander, on the other hand, proved why he’s undoubtedly a contender to be named the 2025 winner of the Michael Jordan trophy.
SGA had a great game himself, scoring 33 while adding 10 boards and eight assists. These numbers might be slightly less impressive than Jokic’s, but the ultimate stat would be securing the win. Which player would lead their team?
The Thunder looked to be sailing for an easy Game 1 victory but then came the three-time MVP. Jokic scored 18 in the fourth, including seven straight for the Nuggets, cutting OKC’s lead to one point with 12.9 seconds remaining.
Thanks to a Gilgeous-Alexander dunk with 11.1 remaining, it gave the Thunder a three-point lead. The Nuggets weren’t ready to go away just yet. Aaron Gordon got fouled and calmly sank two free throws, cutting OKC’s lead to 119-118.
After Chet Holmgren missed two free throws, it set up Mr. Clutch himself, Aaron Gordon. Yes, Gordon did it again, another game-winner, this time a three-pointer.
Gordon’s three with 2.8 remaining gave the Nuggets the 121-119 victory in Game 1. The MVP battle was certainly exciting, but teams win championships when the “other” players step up.
No player has stepped up as big as Gordon has this postseason. Nuggets lead 1-0.
