Last year was an MVP matchup for the ages with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić competing all year for the NBA's most prestigious individual regular-season award.

Early on in 2025-2026, it looked like Shai and the Joker were ready to run it back this season, but that looked like it might get derailed when Jokić went down with a knee injury vs the Heat, which was projected to sideline him for four to six weeks.

On Friday night, Jokić returned on the short end of that timeline in 4 weeks and looked every bit of his MVP self, putting up 31 points and 12 rebounds in only 25 minutes in a win vs the Clippers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the leader in the clubhouse for most of the season, but tomorrow we will get our first matchup between these two great players as the Thunder make their way to Denver to take on the Nuggets.

Jokić is on thin ice, needing to miss only one more game to meet the NBA's 65-game-played rule to be eligible for the award, but for now, it sure looks like we are once again in for another incredible MVP race between Shai and Jokić.