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Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becomes clear MVP favorite amid Nikola Jokic’s injury
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- Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becomes clear MVP favorite amid Nikola Jokic’s injury
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On Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder picked up another win with a 140-129 victory over the Atlanta Hawks . It was another outstanding game for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , who scored 39 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists in the win.
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On Tuesday, it was announced by ESPN's Shams Charania that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic would be out of the lineup for the next four weeks due to a knee injury sustained against the Miami Heat on Monday, meaning he will most likely be ineligible for the 65-game threshold required to be eligible for various awards, including the NBA MVP, which he has won on three different occasions.
Last year, of course, that honor was received by Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the Thunder to a record-breaking season and an NBA championship, and won the scoring title along the way.
This year, the NBA discussion was quickly solidified as a two-man race between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic. Amid the Thunder's blistering 24-1 start to the year, many assumed that Gilgeous-Alexander would be in the driver's seat for the award, as the team looked to break the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors ' record of 73 wins.
However, the Thunder have cooled off in recent weeks, losing on three different occasions to the San Antonio Spurs , and prior to his injury, Jokic had taken his game to yet another level, putting up a monster 56-point triple double on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves in front of a national TV audience.
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However, due to his unfortunate injury, and Gilgeous-Alexander's continued excellence, it seems that the MVP is now once again the Thunder star's award to lose.
He could have some possible competition in the form of Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic , but as long as the Thunder continue to win at a pace somewhat close to their current rate, it's looking likely that the MVP trophy will once again reside in Oklahoma City .
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