CNN —
In a battle of this NBA season’s two leading MVP candidates, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got one up on Nikola Jokić with a huge 40-point performance to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a dominant 127-103 win over the Denver Nuggets.
The Thunder took a narrow three-point lead into the fourth quarter but pulled away down the stretch with an impressive scoring outburst, plus key defensive stops, to add some gloss to the scoreline.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was met with “M-V-P” chants from the home crowd at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City almost every time he went to the free-throw line, finished with 40 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks to perhaps edge himself ahead in the two-horse MVP race.
Three-time league MVP Jokić no doubt heard those chants and cut a frustrated figure in the fourth quarter, often not able to assert his will on the game when faced by the Thunder’s two giants, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
“We have that luxury, we were able to throw different guys on him,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said, per the NBA. “It was a team effort by our defense.”
However, the Serbian star still finished with a near triple-double, recording 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to go with a steal and three blocks, an otherwise absurd stat line on what would be considered a quieter night for the reigning MVP.
Jokić, coming off the first 30-20-20 game in NBA history, landed on his elbow in the first quarter after a foul by Hartenstein, but said after the game: “It’s sore, but it’s fine.”
He also praised Gilgeous-Alexander for his performance, adding: “He doesn’t complicate things. He knows what he needs to do. He’s leading the team and he’s really good for them.”
This was also a matchup between what were the top two teams in the Western Conference, but the now 12-game advantage OKC holds over both the Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers at the top was evident on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the 53-11 Thunder were helped by a big night from the ascendant Jalen Williams, who finished the night with 26 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block.
For the Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points and 15 rebounds, but it was a tough night for Jokić’s running mate Jamal Murray, who made just six of his 17 shots to finish with 17 points.
The teams run it back for an enticing rematch on Monday night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers remain the only team in the NBA with a better record than OKC this season after extending their winning streak to 14 games with a 112-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Max Strus scored a team-high 17 points for the Cavaliers on a night that showcased the team’s strength in depth, with all five starters hitting double figures and three players scoring nine each off the bench.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points to break into the top 50 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The Cavaliers are now only the second team in NBA history after the 1986 Boston Celtics to win 14 straight games while scoring at least 110 points in each, per the Associated Press.
In a further good omen for Cleveland, the Celtics went on to win the title that year.
For the Bucks, however, it will be a serious concern ahead of the playoffs that the team has failed to beat any of the Eastern Conference’s top three seeds – the Cavs, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks – across nine games this season.
Now the No. 4 seed in the East, the Bucks have certainly improved after a rocky start to the season but doubts linger about the team’s ability to make a deep playoff run.
Away @ home (winner in bold)
Denver Nuggets 103-127 Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns 125-116 Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies 107-104 New Orleans Pelicans
Utah Jazz 122-126 Philadelphia 76ers
San Antonio Spurs 124-141 Minnesota Timberwolves
Cleveland Cavaliers 112-100 Milwaukee Bucks
Detroit Pistons 119-112 Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings 110-111 Los Angeles Clippers
