The former MVP winner helped the hopeful MVP winner strengthen his case with the dagger outside shot. The Oklahoma City Thunder ran away with a 127-103 win over the Denver Nuggets. The front end of their highly anticipated back-to-back lived up to the billing as Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic duked it out in front of a national audience.

NBA analysts have renewed their comparisons following a rematch between the two likely MVP finals: Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Stats, team success, story arc, and defining moments determine an MVP season in the NBA. Many voters have admitted that the narrative surrounding a player and team impacts their votes. As a result, the deck may be stacked against Nuggets center Nikola Jokic,