After the game, head coach Michael Malone made headlines with his passionate defense of Jokic’s MVP credentials. His words cut through the hype that players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are getting about winning the MVP.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic remains a frontrunner in this season’s MVP race, and he didn’t shy away from addressing the possibility of winning the award once again. One of the biggest stars in the NBA today is Nikola Jokic.

I don't know, I cannot control it," Jokić told reporters following Denver's 140-127 win in Oklahoma City on Monday. "I will say that I think I'm playing the best basketball of my life, so if that's enough,

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,