The clash seemed like one in the decade. Every second felt like a minute, every minute an hour! The ‘mediocre’ Wolves locked horns with the ‘Better’ Nuggets on paper! And breathe! The Ball Arena was blessed last night! We can finally take our eyes off arguably the best game of the season. The Timberwolves and the Nuggets played off a ripper that went into double-OT as Minnesota won the game by a solitary point. And despite Nikola Jokic breaking his nth record with a 61-point triple-double, the heat of the situation is deflected to Russell Westbrook for throwing the game away in the dying moments.

Denver was up by 1 with 13 seconds left on the clock. Christian Bruan passed the ball to Westbrook. Westbrook charged towards the bucket. Oh, he missed the layup. Peace, patience, it is still theirs. The Mile High Club is still in the lead with seconds to go. Oh, hell, he conceded a foul and gave Nickeil Alexander-Walker two unguarded attempts at the bucket with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. As predicted, he sinks them in, giving the Wolves a 1-point lead. Even despite Jokic’s half-arsed attempt at buzzer-beater, the Wolves won the brawl.

That wasn’t according to the script. Westbrook might be old, but his talent and work ethic are still like his Thunder days. He’s still the ‘Beastbrook’ of yesteryears. But that also works against him in a way. Stephen A. Smith pointed out that the talent side of his was never a question, but his decision-making. Westbrook was understandably under fire. But for Stephen A., this wasn’t much of a shock.

“We know his talent for how great he’s been throughout his career and stuff like that. But the decision making, when it’s questionable- that’s not a surprise. That’s something that’s been religiously associated with him… that has been a question mark about Russell Westbrook. Not his talent, his work ethic, his tenacity- nobody would every question that about Russell Westbrook, which is why he’s a hall of famer. Having said that, because it’s not that big of a surprise, as unfortunate as it is,” said Smith on First Take.

He’s a future Hall of Famer for sure. Smith nailed that argument. But he also mentioned something that requires more attention from the masses.“That was a fantastic game last night, no doubt about it. The story is Nikola Jokic. I mean, a 61-point triple-double, and you gonna bring up Westbrook?” It might be just another day in the office for the Joker, but that’s what makes his legacy unmatched. And still, Shai pips him for the MVP race. Unfair? That’s life.

Nikola Jokic second to SGA in MVP standings despite record-breaking performance

That 61/10/10 outing was the most points ever recorded in a triple-double showing. In NBA history. Not even LeBron, Hakeem, Kareem, Steph, Michael — no one has ever done this before. There are already talks of Jokic being a top-15 player. This season has been like no other for him. But according to ESPN’s NBA straw poll, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just edges out the first spot by 162 points.

The public is clear on their favorite: they know Jokic deserves to win it. Yes, he’s won it multiple times, unlike SGA. But if a season like such doesn’t win you the MVP, then does it not render the whole award pointless? No player in NBA history has ever been Top-10 in PPG, APG, and SPG in a single season. Nikola Jokic in the 2024-2025 season is in the Top-3 in all three categories. The Association’s official social media handles put up graphics for all stat-toppers every week. You’ll have to swipe past at least 7 slides before Jokic doesn’t show up in the top 5 of any of the big stat categories.

But all this hype around Nikola just understates Shai’s unbelievable season. Call him a stat padder, call him a free-throw merchant. He’s still the spearhead in a young Thunder squad looking to make history. They’re out to do something they couldn’t even do with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in the squad a decade ago — bring a ring to Oklahoma City for the first time in 46 years. So it won’t be fully undeserved if Shai does manage to win it. Just a little harsh on the Joker, after he’s outdone himself yet again.

Stephen A. Smith couldn’t be more right about his comments. Russell Westbrook did drop the ball at the one-yard line, but the night belonged to Nikola Jokic. His historic 61-point triple-double will live forever in the record books. But this raises the question: What more does he have to do to win the MVP, as if the Nuggets don’t look to be of championship quality this season?