{"id":137942,"date":"2025-05-22T11:35:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=137942"},"modified":"2025-05-22T11:42:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:42:41","slug":"who-won-the-battle-of-the-mvps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/22\/who-won-the-battle-of-the-mvps\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Won the Battle of the MVPs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nuggets fans probably weren\u2019t the only ones celebrating after Denver\u2019s Game 7 win over the Clippers in the first round, allowing them to face their division rival, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the Western Conference semifinals. While neither the Thunder nor the Nuggets are among the NBA\u2019s most followed franchises, this second-round series was able to give us the most high-profile clash of individuals the National Basketball Association currently has to offer, a battle of the two MVP frontrunners between Nikola Jokic<\/a> and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>. Not only that, it was a battle between a veteran championship-winning team against the youngest team in this year’s playoffs, looking to finally prove themselves in the postseason. This series promised so much before it started that it basically could only disappoint. But in the end, not only did it meet expectations, it even surpassed them.<\/p>\n

Who Won the Battle of the MVPs?<\/h2>\n

Although the MVP race was settled well before the Nuggets-Thunder series began, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rightfully poised to claim the award<\/a>, the debate over who truly holds the title of the league\u2019s best player remains very much alive. That conversation is fueled in part by the contrast in their playing styles. SGA dominates by attacking defenders off the dribble, using surgical drives and a lethal midrange jumper to score at will. Jokic, on the other hand, dictates the flow of the game through his unmatched passing and elite basketball IQ, often setting up teammates before seeking his own shot.<\/p>\n

Defensively, SGA had the clear edge throughout the regular season, consistently disrupting passing lanes and defending at a high level. But Joki\u0107 has elevated his defense in the playoffs, especially in terms of positioning, anticipation, physicality, and especially effort. That evolution could have flipped the narrative on who is the more complete two-way force in this matchup.<\/p>\n

This direct clash also provided the perfect opportunity to show which style is more effective and if it were possible to neutralize the opposing MVP candidate to some extent.<\/p>\n

A MVP Battle that Lived Up to the Hype<\/h3>\n

Both teams had several schemes they could throw at the opposition’s superstar that were obvious before the series. The Thunder could try to bother Joki\u0107 with a twin-tower lineup of Chet Holmgren<\/a> and Isaiah Hartenstein.<\/a> Or they could have gone small, swarming him with athletic wings like the Clippers did at times, with players like Luguentz Dort<\/a> and Alex Caruso<\/a> being able to bother Jokic with their quick hands and toughness, respectively.<\/p>\n

On the other side, the Nuggets hoped to contain SGA with their perimeter stoppers\u2014Christian Braun<\/a>, Aaron Gordon<\/a>, and Peyton Watson<\/a>\u2014would this work as well as it did against Kawhi Leonard<\/a> and James Harden<\/a> in the first round, or is the Canadian simply unguardable?<\/p>\n

In the end, this series not only gave us answers to many of those questions, it also introduced a lot of unexpected schemes and defensive adjustments, especially from the rookie coach David Adelman. This led to a lot of variance in the performances from both MVP candidates, forcing them to adjust on the fly from game to game.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
May 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first quarter in game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hartenstein and the Thunder’s Activity Making Jokic Uncomfortable<\/h3>\n

Both MVPs made a significant impact on the series. Joki\u0107 dominated Games 1 and 5, and while his Game 4 stats didn\u2019t jump off the page, his performance ranked among the most complete two-way efforts of his career. In the first round, Ivica Zubac<\/a> drew praise for his defense against the Serbian, but Hartenstein has proven to be even more effective. He consistently shut off Joki\u0107\u2019s right hand and held his ground physically, preventing the Serbian from scoring easily. This resulted in one of Jokic\u2019s most inefficient stretches in recent memory.<\/p>\n

The contrast became glaring whenever Jokic found himself matched up with Holmgren\u2014he attacked the youngster relentlessly in the post, turning every switch into an easy scoring opportunity. In addition to the scoring difficulty, the Thunder also disrupted Jokic\u2019s playmaking through aggressive help defense and staying active in the passing lanes. Caruso, Dort, Cason Wallace<\/a>, and SGA played key roles in creating turnovers, while Jaylin Williams<\/a> provided valuable bench minutes, defending Jokic with unexpected success.<\/p>\n

Most notably, in Game 7, Caruso and Dort\u2019s relentless denial of entry passes made it hard for Denver to even get the ball to the Serbian, resulting in several costly turnovers that helped fuel OKC\u2019s blowout win.<\/p>\n

While the Nuggets ultimately fell short, Jokic\u2019s brilliance still pushed the Thunder to the brink. His performance was so impactful that this series will likely stand as OKC\u2019s by far toughest test of the postseason.<\/p>\n

Christian Braun and the Zone Giving SGA Headaches<\/h3>\n

On the flip side, SGA has absolutely held his own with a string of strong performances. However, the Nuggets managed to slow the Canadian down at times, largely thanks to Christian Braun and the implementation of the zone defense. Braun has continued his postseason rise after a strong Clippers series, proving capable of defending even the league\u2019s most dangerous perimeter scorer one-on-one. This allowed Denver to avoid over-helping, limiting SGA\u2019s playmaking opportunities, and forcing more of that responsibility onto Jalen Williams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most impressive of all was coach David Adelman\u2019s unwavering commitment to the zone defense. After OKC shredded it in Games 1 and 2, many\u2014myself included\u2014would\u2019ve abandoned the approach. But Adelman stuck with it, and starting in Game 3, it clearly disrupted the Thunder\u2019s usually explosive offense. OKC didn\u2019t consistently crack the scheme until Game 7, and even then, Denver\u2019s biggest problems were self-inflicted, as they allowed tons of transition points off live-ball turnovers.<\/p>\n

These adjustments helped mask Jokic\u2019s defensive limitations and allowed him to thrive in a more defined role, similar to how SGA functions in OKC\u2019s system, where their quick hands and defensive IQ are valuable assets. Adelman\u2019s zone also exposed offensive weaknesses in the Thunder\u2019s supporting cast. Holmgren and Jalen Williams struggled with inconsistent shooting, while Hartenstein lost touch with his usually reliable floater.<\/p>\n

SGA remained the only consistent offensive weapon despite some of his inefficient games. No scheme can truly shut him down, and he capitalized on nearly every defensive mistake Denver made. Like Jokic, when he got the matchup he wanted\u2014often Jamal Murray<\/a>\u2014he consistently exploited it, dominating his fellow Canadian.<\/p>\n

The Last Word on the Battle of the MVPs<\/h3>\n

In the end, there\u2019s no objectively correct answer to who\u2019s been the better player this series. Jokic put up historic numbers in Game 1, but I felt SGA outplayed him in that game, thanks to his far superior defensive impact. Add in Jokic\u2019s disastrous Game 3 performance, and the Canadian had the clear edge in the first half of the series.<\/p>\n

However, the tide shifted. Jokic adjusted to the Thunder\u2019s defense, returned to form offensively, and outplayed SGA in the latter games, culminating in his absolutely masterful game 5 performance. What separates them most is Jokic\u2019s ability to impact the game through more avenues, especially as a playmaker. SGA had stretches where he contributed little beyond scoring, while Jokic consistently orchestrated the Nuggets\u2019 entire offense. Defensively, the once-glaring gap between them has closed this postseason.<\/p>\n

In the end, the Thunder won because they had the deeper, more complete team, especially with Michael Porter Jr.<\/a>, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon battling injuries and illness throughout the series. While OKC could afford to give SGA extended rest at times, Denver had no such luxury. The Nuggets simply rely too heavily on Jokic to ever take him off the floor for extended periods.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, while SGA has been brilliant and is fully deserving of the MVP award, I believe Jokic has been the superior player in this series. That said, it\u2019s worth noting that SGA\u2019s outstanding performances in Games 2 and 7 may be overshadowed by the Thunder\u2019s overall dominance in those contests. But one thing is certain: the battle of the MVPs more than lived up to the hype.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nuggets fans probably weren\u2019t the only ones celebrating after Denver\u2019s Game 7 win over the Clippers in the first round, allowing them to face their division rival, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the Western Conference semifinals. While neither the Thunder nor the Nuggets are among the NBA\u2019s most followed franchises, this second-round series was able […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5490,"featured_media":140869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,20,62],"tags":[2037,4292,4524,49164,4609,109,4049,948,72,1489],"class_list":["post-137942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nuggets","category-nba","tag-alex-caruso","tag-chet-holmgren","tag-christian-braun","tag-david-adelman","tag-jalen-williams","tag-jamal-murray","tag-jaylin-williams","tag-luguentz-dort","tag-nikola-jokic","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5490"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137942"}],"version-history":[{"count":45,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140882,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137942\/revisions\/140882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}