The NBA's top two contenders for the MVP award faced off on Sunday, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder went up against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

In the head-to-head matchup, Gilgeous-Alexander out-dueled Jokic by putting up 40 points, eight rebounds, and five assists to Jokic's 24 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists—but what was most important to Gilgeous-Alexander was the final score at the end of the game.

"To get a win," Gilgeous-Alexander said on ESPN. "That's what it's all about for me. I love MVPs, I love All-Stars, I love all the accolades that comes with it, none of it matters if you don't win and that's where I hang my hat. I'll be pleased with the outcome tonight because we won."

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's leader in scoring, came into this matchup as the leader in the MVP race, but Jokic appeared to tighten the margin by becoming the first player in NBA history with a 30-20-20 stat-line. Gilgeous-Alexander should resolidify his lead in the race with this 40-point performance against the Nuggets, barring what happens in the rematch between the Thunder and Nuggets on Monday. Gilgeous-Alexander has now outscored Jokic in all three of their head-to-head matchups this season.

The Thunder and Gilgeous-Alexander are looking to win their first NBA championship. At this point in the season, they are the clear leaders of the Western Conference with a 53-11 record and 12-game lead over the Lakers, who are second in the conference.

Since Gilgeous-Alexander joined the Thunder in 2019, the furthest the team has advanced is the conference semifinals last season, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks. This team is different though, and on track to win their most regular season games since Gilgeous-Alexander arrived. If they can continue on this track, and Gilgeous-Alexander can continue his ridiculous scoring pace, the Thunder should be true contenders this spring.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Had Perfect Fired-Up Message After Win Over Nuggets.