All articles tagged with #nikola jokic
Justin Termine, the sole voter to omit Victor Wembanyama from the All-NBA First Team, says he votes by position and believed Jokic had a better regular season at center; he frames his stance as defending basketball history, citing Patrick Ewing’s 1994 snub, even as Wembanyama shines in the playoffs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlines the 2025-26 All-NBA selections with Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham on the First Team; Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant and Jalen Brunson are on the Second Team; Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey and Jamal Murray compose the Third Team. Durant adds to his historic All-NBA résumé, while Dončić and Cunningham were granted eligibility under the NBA/NBA PA extraordinary circumstances provision after initially missing the 65-game threshold.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second consecutive NBA MVP award with 83 first-place votes, beating Nikola Jokic (10) as Victor Wembanyama finished third. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists on 38.6% from three, helping the Thunder to 60+ wins and the league's best record with a league-leading plus-minus of +788. He becomes one of a select few to win back-to-back MVPs and now eyes both another MVP title and NBA championship as an epic Western Conference Finals vs. Wembanyama’s Spurs looms.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA MVP for the second straight year with 83 first-place votes, guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to a league-best 64-18 even without Jalen Williams for most of the season; Victor Wembanyama finished second and Nikola Jokic third after another triple-double season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2025-26 NBA MVP, his second straight award and making him the 14th player to win back-to-back MVP honors. He averaged 31.1 points per game (second in the league behind Luka Dončić) and became the first guard ever to average 30+ points on 55% shooting in a season, finishing with 2,117 points. Jokic and Wembanyama were finalists. OKC remains in title contention as they eye a Western Conference finals showdown with San Antonio.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is reported to have won the 2025-26 NBA MVP, becoming the first back-to-back winner since Nikola Jokic, after guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to a league-best 64-18 record despite losing star forward Jalen Williams for much of the season. He averaged 31.1 points on a career-best 55.3% shooting, with eight 40-point games including a season-high 55 in a double-overtime win over the Pacers. Wembanyama finished second and earned Defensive Player of the Year as the Spurs went 62-20, while Jokic posted a near-triple-double and became the first player to lead the league in rebounds and assists. The Thunder now eye a championship run.
The first round of the NBA playoffs delivered drama and surprises: LeBron James carried a shorthanded Lakers to a series win, Joel Embiid returned from emergency appendectomy to fuel Philadelphia’s comeback over Boston, and two teams—Philadelphia and Detroit—pulled off dramatic 3–1 comebacks. Victor Wembanyama impressed in his playoff debut with the Spurs, while Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets were stunned in a surprising exit; Boston collapsed after holding a 3–1 lead, Durant’s Rockets were slowed by injuries, and Orlando’s Magic let a late opportunity slip away as Detroit advanced. With eight teams remaining, the second round should bring even more fireworks.
The piece explores how Nikola Jokic could move from the Nuggets to three teams—the Lakers, Bulls, and Hawks—potentially reshaping his legacy and each team's title outlook, with a hypothetical Jokic–Luka Dončić pairing for the Lakers, cap-space-driven Bulls interest, and a high-feel offensive upgrade for Atlanta that could make them Eastern Conference contenders, all while weighing the logistical challenges of such moves.
Denver’s season ended with a 110-98 Game 6 loss in Minnesota, as the Nuggets couldn’t sustain momentum and were outrebounded and outplayed down the stretch. Jaden McDaniels led the Wolves with 32 points and 10 rebounds, Nikola Jokic nearly posted a triple-double with 28-9-10, and Cam Johnson added 27, but Jamal Murray struggled (12 points on 4-for-17). The result capped a series the piece calls a flat-out failure, with questions about accountability and needed organizational changes looming as Denver confronts what went wrong and how to rebound.
Denver beat Minnesota 125-113 in Game 5, building a 27-point lead before fending off a late Wolves surge; Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 16 assists, while Spencer Jones and Cam Johnson supplied key scoring and Aaron Gordon returned to contribute. The Wolves were hampered by injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, and the series heads to Minneapolis for Game 6 with Denver aiming to close.
Denver trails 3-1 to Minnesota in the playoffs as Jokic struggles from the field and a late scuffle follows a decisive finish; Minnesota, though missing Edwards (knee) and DiVincenzo (Achilles) due to injuries, is buoyed by Ayo Dosunmu’s 43-point outburst in Game 4, while Game 5 airs on NBC/Peacock; separately, Connor Rogers grades the 2026 NFL draft, praising the Chiefs and Buccaneers for top picks.
Jokic was ejected after a scuffle with Timberwolves forward McDaniels in Game 2, as Minnesota defeated Denver 119-114 to take a 3-0 series lead; Jokic finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists, but Denver couldn’t close the gap, while Ayo Dosunmu poured in a career-high 43 for Minnesota. Nuggets coach David Adelman criticized McDaniels’ late layup and said that kind of conduct belongs in the past.
The Timberwolves trail 1-0 in the first‑round series and face a pivotal Game 2 in Denver, with Anthony Edwards’ knee issue casting doubt over his readiness. In Game 1 Minnesota blew a 12‑point lead as Denver, despite shooting just 27.8% from three, pulled away in the third quarter aided by a large free‑throw edge (Denver 30/33 to Minnesota 14/19). To avoid falling behind 0‑2, Edwards’ health must improve and Minnesota’s other scorers—Randle, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid—need to step up. Denver’s odds of repeating a cold night from deep aren’t high, but their recent Game 2 record (1‑4 in the last five) adds urgency for Minnesota in what could be a momentum‑swinging game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama headline the NBA MVP finalists, marking a tight three-way race as the league also announces finalists for all awards, with the honors to be awarded across the week.
Opening night of the 2026 NBA Playoffs delivered a slate of standout performances: LeBron James handed out 13 assists and Luke Kennard scored a playoff career-high 27 as the Lakers beat the Rockets 107-98; Nikola Jokic posted a 25-point triple-double with Jamal Murray adding 30 in the Nuggets’ 116-105 win over the Wolves; Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns fueled the Knicks past the Hawks 113-102; Donovan Mitchell poured in 32 in the Cavaliers’ 126-113 victory over the Raptors, extending his streak of 30+ point Game 1s; more playoff games and matchups were set for ABC and NBC/Peacock Sunday.