![\"Nikola](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MixCollage-21-Jan-2026-08-46-PM-8667.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is a three-time NBA MVP.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that Nikola Jokic is going to land in the NBA<\/a> MVP finalist conversation once again for the 2025-2026 NBA season.<\/p>\n Despite missing a large chunk of time during the season due to a knee injury, Jokic is on pace to make the 65-game requirement. However, sportsbooks and the ESPN straw poll haven\u2019t been favoring Jokic as the winner lately.<\/p>\n That\u2019s something that the legendary Paul Pierce doesn\u2019t agree with.<\/p>\n Paul Pierce Makes The Case For Nikola Jokic To Win NBA MVP GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA \u2013 MARCH 24: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets<\/a> walks onto the court during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 24, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Nuggets defeated the Suns<\/a> 125-123. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Last weekend, the Nuggets faced the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> in an overtime thriller.<\/p>\n Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are some of the biggest names in basketball and happen to play the same position. With all eyes on them, Jokic outdueled the Spurs center. That was enough for Pierce to want to give Jokic his hypothetical vote this week.<\/p>\n \u201cThat performance mattered to me. That San Antonio performance\u2014you have to have signature performances throughout the season\u2014that was the biggest signature moment what I saw,\u201d Pierce said on No Fouls Given<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe influenced that game against the best defensive team in the league and gave them 40 piece. That was ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n In 43 minutes of action, Jokic shot 52.0% from the field. Although he struggled from three, his 13 buckets and 13 free throws generated 40 points on the night. He racked up the double-double with 13 assists and came down with eight rebounds.<\/p>\n Jokic and the Nuggets defeated the Spurs with a score of 136-134.<\/p>\n Since then, Jokic has had a 35-point triple-double and a 14-10-16 game to secure a 10th-straight win for the Nuggets. That marked the first time in Jokic\u2019s career that the Nuggets won 10 games in a row.<\/p>\n Who Is The MVP Favorite? GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK \u2013 MARCH 18: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> in action during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 18, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Thunder won 121-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n A handful of names have been tossed out there over time.<\/p>\n Jokic is a frequent mention, along with Victor Wembanyama and Jaylen Brown. However, the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, seems to be the expected winner at this stage of the season.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s the case, Paul Pierce would disagree.<\/p>\n This year, Nikola Jokic has produced 27.8 points per game, while shooting 56.9% from the field and 37.9% from three. He is producing a triple-double with 12.9 rebounds and 10.9 assists per game.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tJustin Grasso<\/a> Justin Grasso is an NBA reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Nuggets\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is a three-time NBA MVP. It\u2019s no secret that Nikola Jokic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":551233,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3781],"tags":[7,301,187,3943,6,302],"class_list":{"0":"post-708152","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-denver-nuggets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-denver","10":"tag-denver-nuggets","11":"tag-denvernuggets","12":"tag-nba","13":"tag-nuggets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116386051088435556","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708152","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=708152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/551233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=708152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=708152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=708152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n![\"Nikola](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775910083_500_GettyImages-2268336874-e1775653053387.jpg\")
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\n![\"Shai](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2267416405.jpg\")
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