"He can get anywhere on the court he wants to go. I don't think people realize how strong he is. His ability to break you down off the dribble, get wherever he wants to go, rise up and shoot that mid-range

The Denver Nuggets are in Oklahoma City for a baseball-style series against the Thunder. The top two MVP candidates are squaring off in two straight battles, which could be detrimental to how voters make their selection.

Telling reporters afterward that he's "playing the best basketball of my life," Denver star Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists, as his Nuggets defeated the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 140-127 on Monday night.