In a thrilling showdown on Monday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder delivered a performance for the ages against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Many are already buzzing about the possibility of him securing his second consecutive NBA MVP award.
However, Stephen A. Smith isn't ready to hand over the trophy just yet. He believes that one more standout performance could be the clincher, and the upcoming matchup against the Boston Celtics might be the stage for it.
On a recent episode of First Take, Smith highlighted that the MVP race has narrowed down to Gilgeous-Alexander and Boston's Jaylen Brown. Conveniently, the two stars will face off this Thursday, and as Smith emphatically noted, "all of us are watching."
Smith remarked, "If it's nip-and-tuck, we're going to have a nip-and-tuck MVP race. If [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] goes out there and busts Boston's you know what, that's a problem. If Jaylen Brown goes out there with Boston and busts Shai and Oklahoma City's you know what, we're going to be like, 'Oh damn, we've got to pause and look at this because it's a different day.'"
Currently, the league's MVP ladder places Gilgeous-Alexander comfortably at the top, with Brown holding the fifth spot. With about a month left in the regular season and the "65-game rule" potentially impacting players like Victor Wembanyama and Jokic, there's plenty of room for movement. Brown could very well make a push to challenge Gilgeous-Alexander’s lead.
For Stephen A., a stellar performance and a win for Boston on Thursday could significantly boost Brown's MVP bid. Conversely, a victory for the Thunder might cement SGA's status as the 15th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVPs.
The narrative surrounding these superstars, combined with the fact that both teams are recent champions, makes this matchup a must-watch. The game tips off at 9:30 pm (ET) at the Paycom Center and will be broadcast on Prime Video.