The MVP race will not be decided on a Sunday afternoon in March. The title of the West Conference is not either.
However, Shai Gilgeous-Aalexander and Oklahoma City Thunder marked out their assertion on Sunday that these two things should belong to them-SGA lost 40 on the Denver Nuggets during a 127-103 victory.
No MVP voter should base his vote on the outcome of a match (or even having his vote influenced as much of 1 out of 82), but any player who will win needs moments of signature and impressive statistics. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has this.
Oklahoma City resumed this match and moved away in the fourth quarter, winning it 41-20. The Thunder only committed five reversals in the night, a great boost to their offense.
Aaron Gordon only played seven minutes because of waterproofing in his right calf and has not returned to the match. His status for the Revenge match on Monday between these teams is in the air.
Nikola Jokic has set up figures – 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists – but seemed disturbed both by the 7 feet of the Thunder (Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein) and by an elbow injury suffered in the first half when Jokic fell back from Hartenstein. After the match, Jokic had his elbow wrapped in ice and admitted that it bored him a little – he pulled 4 out of 11 for nine points in the second period – but added that he was fine. The status of Jokic for Monday’s revenge match is unknown.
Jalen Williams added 26 points for the Thunder. Michael Porter Jr. joined Jokic with 24 points for Denver.
