Nikola Jokic in Jeopardy of Ruining Historic NBA MVP Streak

The Denver Nuggets picked up their second straight win to improve to 41-26 on the season by beating the San Antonio Spurs, and even though Victor Wembanyama did not play, he has managed to get a slight win over Nikola Jokic.

In NBA.com's latest MVP ladder, Shaun Powell ranked Wembanyama ahead of Jokic, dropping the Nuggets' superstar to third place. For the majority of the season, the MVP award has been viewed as a two-man race between Jokic and OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Wembanyama has rightfully etched his name in the conversation.

“He’s averaging 28 points and 11 rebounds with 4.2 blocks in March and is impacting games more intensely because his minutes have increased. The Spurs did their best to preserve Wembanyama for much of the season because of injuries and to keep him fresh for the stretch run. That… pic.twitter.com/FHjO4ToC4r
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2026

Gilgeous-Alexander, especially after his game-winner against Jokic and the Nuggets, seems to be running away with this year's MVP award. However, even if Gilgeous-Alexander wins the award, Jokic has the opportunity to make history.

By finishing in the top two in voting for this year's MVP, Jokic would become just the third player in NBA history to finish top two in six consecutive seasons, joining legends Bill Russell and Larry Bird.

With Wembanyama leapfrogging Jokic in the latest MVP ladder, though, his opportunity to reach that historic feat is in trouble.

Jokic's MVP chances are dwindling

Mar 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks over in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

This season, Jokic is averaging 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game, while shooting 57.3% from the field, 38.9% from three-point range, and 83.7% from the free-throw line. Solely by looking at numbers, Jokic seems like he should be the MVP frontrunner, but of course, there is more to it than that.

"He remains on pace to become the first player to lead the league in rebound and assist average in the same season; in addition, he’s a virtual lock to place among the top eight in scoring as well. Jokić is poised to average a triple-double for the season, a feat no other player can attempt to claim," Powell wrote.

🃏 A HISTORICAL NIGHT FOR JOKIĆ 🃏

31 PTS
20 REB
12 AST
3 STL
2 BLK

He passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (323) for most career games in the regular season with 20+ PTS, 10+ REB and 5+ AST in NBA history! pic.twitter.com/kKr22mVGYm
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2026

Jokic's month-long injury absence certainly did not help his MVP case, and his production has even taken a slight dip since returning. More importantly, the Nuggets have struggled as a team, losing ten of 18 games since the start of February. If the Nuggets were still fighting for the top spot in the West alongside the Thunder and Spurs, it would be a different story, but they are currently in fifth place after their recent struggles.

"He has two immediate goals to make a serious bid for his fourth MVP award: Maintain a high level of performance and somehow improve the Nuggets’ spot in the standings," Powell continued. "Their slippage is a point of contention, and it’s the advantage that Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama hold over Jokić, at least for now."

Sure, Jokic's MVP chances are dropping, but it would be great for him to at least finish in the top two in voting so that he can join the likes of Russell and Bird. Even though the Nuggets are not at the level of the Thunder and Spurs, Jokic has done everything to still be in the MVP conversation, although with Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic also climbing the ladder, there is a chance the Nuggets superstar falls out of the top three by the end of the season.