Nikola Jokić is the best basketball player on the planet, and he was also, importantly, the NBA's best player this season. But he is also almost certainly going to fall short in MVP voting to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for reasons that were on full display in Game 5.

May, and we still do not yet (officially) know who the 2025 NBA MVP is. The likely winner is Oklahoma City Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who helped pace the Thunder to a stellar 68-win regular season campaign.

The Denver Nuggets came into the Western Conference semis with big expectations — and for good reason. They’ve got Nikola Jokić, a three-time MVP, leading the way. But as the series against the Thunder has gone on,

Not even an astounding performance from Nikola Jokić was enough to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

After a monster Game 1 performance, Jokić hasn't quite figured out OKC. For Denver's sake, it's vital that he does.