{"id":698855,"date":"2026-04-05T01:51:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T01:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/698855\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T01:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T01:51:19","slug":"mvp-debate-is-over-for-nuggets-nikola-jokic-victor-wembanyama-but-race-for-no-3-seed-is-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/698855\/","title":{"rendered":"MVP debate is over for Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, but race for No. 3 seed is not"},"content":{"rendered":"

The game was played in exclamation points.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Joker vs. The Alien. Boom! Pow! Splat! Block! Swish!<\/p>\n

While Nikola Jokic<\/a> appears destined to finish behind Victor Wembanyama<\/a> in the MVP voting, another race remains very much in doubt.\n<\/p>\n

The Nuggets, too hurt, too inconsistent, and too offensive for too long, can steal the Western Conference\u2019s No. 3 seed. The Lakers\u2019 Hollywood ending appears ready to dissolve like so many dreams on a casting couch with news that Luca Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) will miss the remainder of the regular season.\n<\/p>\n

Denver trails Los Angeles by a half game with four left. The Nuggets are on a heater, winners of eight straight, but must clear the Lakers because they own the tiebreaker.\n<\/p>\n

Everything seems possible after a nervy 136-134 overtime victory over San Antonio at rowdy Ball Arena.\n<\/p>\n

It became Jokic vs. Wemby. Everybody in a black-and-white jersey lost.<\/p>\n

And we all won.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would pay top dollar to watch these guys. It is good for sports,\u201d said coach David Adelman, his voice hoarse from screaming that resulted in a technical foul when defending contact on Jokic. \u201cThe way they both do it is completely different. At the same time, it is unique and awesome. You are not going to see two people like this in many generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given the time, place and stakes, it was the Nuggets\u2019 biggest win of the regular season. The Nuggets have a realistic chance to run the table, and with two more victories will post the first 10-game winning streak in Jokic\u2019s career.\n<\/p>\n

The schedule looks like this: Portland, Memphis, Oklahoma City and at San Antonio. It should only take three wins with the Lakers brought to their knees by injuries. And the Spurs might rest starters in the season finale with their No. 2 spot locked in.<\/p>\n

If you love movies that make you watch from the edge of your seat, you want the Nuggets to finish ahead of the Lakers.<\/p>\n

Three is not a lonely number. Lovely is more like it.<\/p>\n

Nuggets v. Spurs in the second round? Two weeks of Jokic against Wemby?<\/p>\n

Yes please.<\/p>\n

What we witnessed Saturday was not basketball. It was a recital in greatness.<\/p>\n

Jokic finished with 40 points, eight rebounds, 13 assists, three blocks and zero turnovers. Wembanyama countered with 34, 18, seven, five and one.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are both unreal players at the top of the league,\u201d said Nuggets guard Christian Braun, who hit a career-high five 3s. \u201cGetting to watch those guys, and seeing them compete is fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jokic never acknowledges it, painting every opponent as important, but it was clear he made up his mind that this matchup was special. He knows more than he lets on about conversations regarding personal awards, even if they don\u2019t motivate him.<\/p>\n

The latest ESPN straw poll has Wemby finishing second behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP voting, well ahead of Joker.\n<\/p>\n

Saturday will not change the order, but it provided a reminder that Jokic is racing for another title before \u201cThe Alien,\u201d Jokic\u2019s nickname for the Spurs center, takes over the world.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the first time I played against him, I told you guys that he was going to change the league. I still think that,\u201d Jokic said. \u201cHe has a chance to be the most unique player ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wembanyama\u2019s skill set required Jokic to become more creative, adding more arc to his shot and another set of eyes in the back of his head.<\/p>\n

Want a high IQ? With eight seconds left in regulation, Jokic came across the key in a beautifully designed inbounds play. He received the ball and drew defenders like paparazzi to a Kardashian. He fired a pass to Aaron Gordon for a wide-open dunk, forcing the extra period.\n<\/p>\n

The Spurs entered the afternoon 26-1 in Wemby\u2019s last 27 games. Snuffing them out demanded excellence.\n<\/p>\n

Want a clip for your social media feed?<\/p>\n

With one minute left, Jokic forced his hip into Wembanyama and took three left-handed dribbles.\n<\/p>\n

The options were sparse against the favorite for defensive player of the year honors. Try a traditional jumper and eat a basketball sandwich like Jonas Valanciunas did earlier in the game. Look for an open man with the clock winding down. Or show off the Sombor Shuffle with an 11-footer off the wrong foot.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI just let it fly,\u201d Jokic said, \u201cand enjoyed the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

With nine seconds left, Jokic finished off the Spurs, eschewing a chance for free throws, by draining a floater as Wemby closed quickly.<\/p>\n

It ended the game, but did not put anything to rest.<\/p>\n

Jokic, 31, is the greatest player in the world, as Adelman repeated before tip-off, but he is not this season after missing 16 games and going through a rare bout of inconsistency for a month that featured a rash of turnovers.\n<\/p>\n

Yes, Jokic is the best. But Wemby\u2019s got next.<\/p>\n

It does not require squinting to see the 22-year-old going on a run of MVPs starting next season. He changes every offensive possession. With his reach, he is a menace. Part pterodactyl, part air traffic controller.<\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t pass like Jokic \u2014 no one does \u2014 but he sees the floor well and creates favorable matchups for teammates. And if all else fails, they just lob him alley-oops that he finishes like a teenager on a Nerf hoop.<\/p>\n

Who doesn\u2019t want to see this matchup in primetime?<\/p>\n

The Nuggets, if they land the third seed, would likely have to eliminate playoff nemesis Minnesota. And the Spurs would have to beat someone without breaking a sweat.<\/p>\n

But NBA history tells us that San Antonio is a year away. That they need to experience the postseason difference \u2014 from the intensity to how fouls are called \u2014 before breaking through. Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.<\/p>\n

The Nuggets are capable of beating San Antonio. They don\u2019t flinch on the road, where they would have to swipe a game to take the series. And with Gordon, they have a player who does not shrink in Wemby\u2019s shadow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a really good ball club over there that plays really hard,\u201d Gordon said. \u201cSo they brought it out of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was marvelous. Or more appropriately, the stuff of Marvel Comics.<\/p>\n

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver\u2019s teams.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The game was played in exclamation points. The Joker vs. The Alien. Boom! Pow! Splat! Block! Swish! While…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":698856,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3797],"tags":[877,1013,2276,7,561,250,301,187,130,6890,165,152,6,11,253,302,969,474,4075,4074,66,198,534,3788,693,574],"class_list":{"0":"post-698855","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-antonio-spurs","8":"tag-aaron-gordon","9":"tag-austin-reaves","10":"tag-ball-arena","11":"tag-basketball","12":"tag-christian-braun","13":"tag-david-adelman","14":"tag-denver","15":"tag-denver-nuggets","16":"tag-espn","17":"tag-jonas-valanciunas","18":"tag-latest-headlines","19":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","20":"tag-nba","21":"tag-nba-playoffs","22":"tag-nikola-jokic","23":"tag-nuggets","24":"tag-san-antonio","25":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","26":"tag-sanantonio","27":"tag-sanantoniospurs","28":"tag-sports","29":"tag-sports-columnists","30":"tag-spurs","31":"tag-troy-renck","32":"tag-victor-wembanyama","33":"tag-western-conference"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116349598717040377","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=698855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/698856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}