DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 12: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets speaks with media after a 94-89 ... [+]
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic beat out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks to win his third NBA MVP Award in four seasons.
Jokic finished with 926 points, including 79 first-place votes, while SGA tallied 640 points and 15 first-place votes. Donic finished with 566 points and four first-place votes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks finished fourth and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks fifth.
“I don't like to rain on people's parade, but I'm not happy with this one. ...I felt Shai deserved it,” Shaquille O’Neal said on the NBA on TNT.
The nine-year NBA veteran from Serbia is the ninth player to win three or more MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain (four), LeBron James (four), Larry Bird (three), Magic Johnson (three) and Moses Malone (three).
In the 2023-24 regular season, Jokić ranked 10th in the NBA in points, fourth in rebounds and third in assists per game. He became the second player in NBA history to have at least 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 700 assists in a season, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62).
Jokić finished second in the NBA in both double-doubles (68) and triple-doubles (25). He shot 58.3% from the field, the 10th-highest mark in the league.
Behind Jokić, the Nuggets (57-25) matched the franchise high for victories in a season and tied for the best record in the Western Conference.
Denver trails the Minnesota Timberwolves 0-2 in the Western Conference playoffs entering Game 3 Friday night in Minnesota.
