When Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Face Off With Nikola Jokic?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are poised to be the best team in basketball yet again. The Thunder have captured back to back No. 1 seeds in the Western Conference and are looking to make it a three peat. Oklahoma City rosters the 2025 NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who took the crown from Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.

Everyone is eager to see how Gilgeous-Alexander follows up his first MVP honor while the Thunder superstar and the three time MVP, Jokic, are set to be at the top of the NBA MVP ladder yet again this season.

These two divisional rivals will play four times this season and each game has to be circled on the calendar. Not only do these games matter for the Thunder's quest to defend its Northwest division banner –– if you're into that sort of thing –– but it is a battle of the top two teams in the Western Conference.

The Denver Nuggets roster is completely revamped from a busy offseason after the Nuggets pushed the Thunder to seven games in the second round of the NBA Playoffs last May. Denver shipping Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in favor of Cameron Johnson, inked sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr., key reserve Bruce Brown, and traded for the best backup big man to play behind Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas. This, on top of a roster that sees Da'Ron Holmes II return from injury, and the possibility of progression from the likes of Christian Braun and Julian Strawther under new head coach David Adelman.

Denver's top three of Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon went toe-to-toe with Oklahoma City's trio of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren a year ago. Mix in the roster additions in the Mile High City, the altitude, and two fanbases growing disdain for each other, and you get the best regular season games on the NBA's calendar.

When Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Face off with Nikola Jokic?

• Feb. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets, 8:30 PM CT, NBC/Peacock
• Feb. 27 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets, 8:30 PM CT, Local Broadcast
• March 9 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets, 6:30 PM CT, Local Broadcast
• April 10 Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets, 9:00 PM CT, Amazon Prime

All four games fall after the calendar flips to 2026 and people begin to speculate as to who should win MVP. This should lead to another fun season of debating Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Jokic before seeing the duo go head-to-head.

Two of the four games earn National TV billing, including on April 10, which is the Thunder's second-to-last game of the season. With how competitive the Western Conference is poised to be this season, this game could determine the playoff bracket at the top of the standings.