It’s very difficult to do anything but split a “home-and-home” set between two NBA teams.

The Denver Nuggets eventually got their in the end, but the last 24+ hours have been anything but straightforward for each team. The Nuggets defeated the Spurs 122-111 in overtime tonight in a major bounce back performance, saving what could have been two unfortunate losses in the clutch.

Nikola Jokic had 46 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds tonight, his second straight Sombor Double. Whereas last night was a relatively even matchup with Victor Wembanyama, tonight was Jokic’s night. The Serbian center shot 19-of-35 from the field, went 3-of-8 from three, had two steals and two blocks, and simply was the pillar for the Nuggets tonight. Through three quarters, they counted on him for about as much as could be expected of any one player.

Jokic had a couple chances to win the game in the fourth quarter, but a mid-range jumper rimmed out at the buzzer. Instead, Jokic dominated overtime on both ends of the floor by logging And-1’s and forcing turnovers. He was given so much attention late that Jamal Murray waltzed to the lane for an easy layup in the closing minutes because Wemby was unwilling to leave Jokic.

The Nuggets allowed just three points in overtime, their defense finally locking in with both teams looking extremely tired on the back-to-back. Jokic’s defense stood out, but so did the Nuggets perimeter rotations. Peyton Watson deserves major credit for closing this game on Wembanyama. He wasn’t the only player to guard Wemby, but he made some important hustle plays and forced difficult shots for the sensational center.

However, this game isn’t a game if Michael Porter Jr. doesn’t show out in the second half.

Porter had just four points at halftime but finished the game with 28 points, keeping the Nuggets attached toward the end of the third quarter. Then in the fourth quarter without Jokic, the Nuggets actually closed the gap a bit because of Porter’s shotmaking. The Nuggets went back to more two-man game actions in the late fourth and overtime, but Porter hit a late dagger three for the exclamation point on what was an impressive comeback.

There were plays across the board that helped the Nuggets stay in this one. A clutch three-pointer by Russell Westbrook. A crazy fallaway two-pointer by Murray over Wemby in the fourth. A Watson block on Wemby in the final minute of regulation.

Ultimately, Denver kept it together tonight and executed well down the stretch in a difficult situation. The previous night, they didn’t make the right plays in the closing minutes. Tonight, they did. That’s a ton of resilience, veteran savvy, and all the other adjectives needed to describe a 7-0 record on the second night of back-to-backs.

Joker’s MVP Case

He isn’t playing perfect basketball. He isn’t the best defender in the world.

But to say anyone other than Jokic has had more impact in the NBA this season would be wild.

The last two games have shown Jokic’s value in amassing responsibility. The Nuggets haven’t played great basketball in these moments, and the offense has truly bogged down. So many of Denver’s offensive possessions end up passing the ball to Jokic multiple times in the hope that he can do something.

The Nuggets superstar is now averaging 31.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game. After the last two games, Jokic is now averaging the second most shot attempts in the NBA at 21.7 per game. The efficiency remains intact with a 64.2 True Shooting %, though it’s dropped due to some extra missed shots around the rim lately. With as much attention as Jokic commands, it’s understandable to see the efficiency drop a bit. The fact that he’s still making plays for himself and others at such a high level is astounding.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an extremely worthy MVP candidate as well. His numbers are ridiculous, and with a +17.0 Net Rating for the 29-5 Thunder, it’s clear he’s the lynchpin of the best team in the West. Both SGA and Jokic should have about 50-50 odds right now to win the award in my mind.

If Jokic keeps up this level of statistical dominance and the Nuggets find their way to 50+ wins, he has a very strong case. If the Nuggets can’t get to 50, it’s probably SGA’s award to lose. Denver’s seventh in the NBA in win percentage right now and are on just a 48-win pace. That has to improve if Jokic wants to win his fourth MVP in five years.

For that to happen, Aaron Gordon has to get healthy, and Jamal Murray simply has to be more consistent. Two straight games shooting 6-of-17 isn’t going to cut it for the Nuggets starting point guard.

Final Rotations