The MVP battle between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes NBA history after 41 years.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were head and shoulders above the rest of the Western Conference during the 2024-25 regular season.
However, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have pushed the OKC Thunder to their limits in the second round.
The Thunder entered Game 6 with a 3-2 lead, but the Nuggets once again erased it as they leveled the series at 3-3 following a 119-107 win.
Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver PostGame 7 between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recreates unseen battle since 1984
Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went head-to-head throughout the season to win the 2025 NBA regular season MVP.
The two superstars have continued their battle in the Western Conference Semifinals. With a Game 7 now in place, the NBA will likely make the announcement following that contest.
But how rare is it to see the top two NBA MVP candidates battle it out until a Game 7 in the playoffs? It turns out it’s very rare.
This hasn’t happened in the league since the 1984 postseason, when Larry Bird and Bernard King were the top two MVP candidates.
Bird’s Boston Celtics and King’s New York Knicks engaged in a seven-game series during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Bird ended up winning the matchup, the MVP, and the 1984 NBA Championship that season. So, could Jokic or Gilgeous-Alexander do that? Only time will tell.
Jokic vs Gilgeous-Alexander head-to-head
According to data provided by Sofascore, both Jokic and Shai have had phenomenal seasons. But when their regular season + playoff numbers are compared, there appears to be one clear winner.
Let’s start with Jokic, who has played 83 games so far, averaging 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game. In addition, the Joker has shot 56.2% from the field and 41.1% from the three-point line.
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On the other hand, Shai has played 87 games in the regular season and playoffs. In those contests, he has averaged 32.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. The Thunder star has shot 51.1% from the field and 35.9% from deep.
Lastly, Jokic has had 70 double-doubles as compared to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 8. To be honest, Jokic looks like a clear winner here, but fans shouldn’t forget that the MVP honor is a regular-season award.
Often, the team’s regular-season record is taken into consideration. In that department, Shai gets the upper hand as his team finished with a 68-14 record while the Nuggets were 50-32.