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Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif
It was announced and now it’s official: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP. He won by a wide margin against the monster Nikola Jokic, who was averaging a triple-double. He spoke out on the subject during an appearance on TNT.
Usually, the NBA names its MVP during the second round of the playoffs, which can add a certain amount of pressure if he’s still in the running. But this season, Adam Silver and his teams decided to wait a little longer. In the conference semi-finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, the two favorites, faced off in a legendary series.
Imagine the bad buzz if the Canadian received his trophy before being taken out in Game 7 by the Joker. So as not to take any chances with APG’s credibility and legitimacy, the trophy was presented to him on Wednesday, as he leads 1-0 in the conference final. He’s in the form of his life, the Thunder look like the best team in the league, all is well in Oklahoma.
SGA looks back on its MVP loss to Jokic
And then, waiting for the end of such a tense series allowed SGA to enjoy the moment to the full. He was the star of a major press conference, before being invited to appear on “Inside The NBA”. An opportunity for him to look back on his career, but also on the races he has lost to Nikola Jokic in recent years.
I used not being MVP last season as motivation. There are voters every year, that’s never going to change. If I wasn’t elected, it’s because a majority thought I didn’t deserve it. I wanted to change that image and I think I’ve done a good job.
Last season, Shaquille O’Neal and others were already calling for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win his first MVP award. Unfortunately for him and his fans, Nikola Jokic was still favored by the jury. The point guard therefore worked hard to reverse the trend and make his coronation undeniable. A motivation that could have positive consequences for the Thunder.
What was supposed to be one of the tightest races in history wasn’t so tight after all, as APG accumulated 913 points and 71 first places with the voters, compared with 787 points and 29 first places for the Joker. To conclude this season in perfect fashion, the leader and his team still need to win 7 games and a title.
