Latest Denver Nuggets News Impacts OKC Thunder

Currently sitting at 31-15, with a 7-3 record in their last ten games, the Denver Nuggets deserve a lot of credit for how they have played without superstar Nikola Jokic. The three time NBA MVP has been in street clothes since Dec. 31 as he deals with a hyperextension in his knee. The Nuggets have more than treaded water without this one of a kind player who is hard to play without but have thrived better than anyone could have expected.

Jokic's initial time table was set to see him be re-evaluated in four weeks, on Tuesday the Nuggets ruled him out for their affair with the Detroit Pistons which will make his 15th straight missed contest. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Denver will expect to miss Jokic for another week as he ramps up his return to play protocol.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to battle the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 1 during the first NBC marquee Sunday Night Basketball date on the calendar as football season comes to a close. Many circled this as a game that Jokic would be back for but Charania's latest intel reveals that is no sure thing as the Nuggets brace for another week without their superstar.

This is a big deal for Oklahoma City who is also dealing with their share of injuries down All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams, Starting big man Isaiah Hartenstein, bench table setter Ajay Mitchell, Defensive-Ace Alex Caruso and even Cason Wallace still tabbed as questionable.

However, this news goes beyond this weeks game. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is attempting to win back-to-back NBA MVP honors after winning the award over Jokic a year ago. The Nuggets superstar remains Gilgeous-Alexander's only and biggest threat for the award.

With another week of Jokic on the bench, that would effectively end the NBA MVP race with the Denver Nuggets star not meeting the 65 games played threshold to be eligible for the NBA's award season.

In that case, Gilgeous-Alexander would be a runaway for back-to-back NBA MVP honors and should garner every first place vote for the award as he still leads the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best record in the NBA while averaging 32 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks a night while shooting 56% shooting from the floor, 39% from beyond the arc and 89% from the charity stripe in 45 games so far this season.

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