Nikola Jokic opened up on the MVP race and said Dallas Mavericks’ guard Luka Doncic should be awarded the trophy after Dallas’ 107-105 win over the Denver Nuggets.

“I think he deserves the MVP 100 percent. But it’s not my decision, to be honest.”

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off a 107-105 win over the Denver Nuggets in a Sunday classic where Kyrie Irving sealed the win with a buzzer-beater over Jokic. Doncic hit an incredible game-tying three with 25 seconds left which put Kyrie in a position to seal the win in the final play. Luka ended the night with 37 points and 10 rebounds.

Jokic was thoroughly outplayed by Luka, as the Mavericks overall defensive scheme held up really well in a tough clash. Jokic finished the game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and a loss that puts the Nuggets half a game behind the OKC Thunder in the race to the No. 1 seed.

The MVP race has been hotly contested all season long, but is amping up for the final stretch of games. The two leading contenders seem to be Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder. Jokic is averaging 25.9 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 9.1 assists with his impact on Denver’s success unquestionable.

Shai is averaging 30.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, leading a young Thunder squad as one of the best stories in the league this season.

Whichever player propels their club to the top seed will probably win MVP. Denver can catch up to the Thunder’s 47-20 record, but their chances were somewhat harmed by their loss to Dallas tonight.

Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the two outside contenders. Giannis’ case appears implausible considering that the Bucks, who are presently 9.5 games ahead of the Celtics, have little chance of catching them for the first spot. Notwithstanding internal strife the entire season, he’s been averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists to keep Milwaukee in the hunt.

Doncic is averaging 9.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 34.4 points. He is leading the team in scoring this season by over four points and may have the best overall stats. Doncic should win the trophy since the Mavericks are too lowly as a seven seed, but it’s difficult to refute the fact that Doncic isn’t the best individual player in the NBA at the moment without mentioning his team’s difficulties.

Luka will have a chance if Dallas can manage to move up the standings through the end of the season and become a 50+ win team, but this season probably won’t result in his ascent to the top. Luka will not be the MVP until the Mavericks finish the season with a 15-game winning streak.