Field Level Media
25 Jan 2023, 17:40 GMT+10
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic own the last four MVP trophies, with both winning in consecutive years while bolstering the reputation of foreign-born players in the NBA.
Both are having MVP-worthy seasons this year, and they will have a chance to state their cases when Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks host Jokic's Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Not only is the game a clash of MVPs, but it also is a matchup of two of the best teams in the NBA. Milwaukee is third in the Eastern Conference, four games behind the Boston Celtics for the top spot, while Jokic has led Denver to the best record in the Western Conference.
The Bucks are coming off a 150-point performance in a win at Detroit on Monday night. Milwaukee got Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton back in the lineup, and the duo supercharged the offense.
Antetokounmpo had missed five games with a lingering knee issue, and Middleton had not played since Dec. 15.
Middleton missed the first 20 games of the season after undergoing wrist surgery in the offseason, then was shut down after seven games in December due to knee soreness. He played 15 minutes in the win over the Pistons, amassing eight points and four assists.
"The band is back together," Antetokounmpo said. "It's good to see him out there, run up and down, connect with him, play with him. It's been a long time. He was doing rehab and going through the battle by himself.
"The healthier we are, the more chance we have to play our best basketball late in the season."
Jokic missed two games because of left hamstring tightness before returning Tuesday in a 99-98 win at New Orleans on Tuesday night. Jokic had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth straight triple-double and his 15th this season.
He also saved the Nuggets from losing a game they led by 19 in the third quarter, hitting a jumper in the lane with 16.9 seconds to go.
Denver was still without Michael Porter Jr., who missed his second game in a row due to personal reasons, and Bones Hyland, sidelined due to a finger sprain.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone rejoined the team after missing four games while in health and safety protocol. Denver went 3-1 under acting coach David Adelman, but its nine-game winning streak and run of 16 straight home victories came to an end against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
"You miss the camaraderie, but you also miss the ebbs and flows of a game, the emotions of a game," Malone said after the Tuesday game. "It was great to be back, and more importantly, it was great for this team to get another win and start this road trip off on a positive note."
The Nuggets have been playing the best basketball in the NBA since early December. They lost at home to Dallas on Dec. 6 to fall to 14-10 but since then have won 20 of 24 to move within a half-game of Boston for the best record in the NBA.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Baton Rouge Post news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Baton Rouge Post.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks extended their rally on Friday despite remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russia's trade in oil with India, one of the most lucrative oil trade routes since the imposition of ...
LONDON - Health experts and tobacco campaigners have strongly criticized New Zealand's decision to repeal laws that aimed to ban ...
NEW YORK, New York - The Dow Jones index was the standout on U.S. financial markets on Thursday with a ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty, major discounts during the Thanksgiving weekend enticed U.S. shoppers, who spent some US$38 ...
BANGKOK, Thailand: This week, Thailand's Deputy Finance Minister Krisada Chinavicharana said after a weaker-than-expected third quarter, the country will downgrade ...
VERMONT, USA - An Irish-Palestinian-U.S. citizen was among three university students of Palestinian descent injured in a shooting on Saturday ...
DUBAI, UAE: On November 24, countries participating in a five-day conference hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization in Dubai ...
A Russian court on Friday ordered American Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to remain in custody until February 5.The editor for ...
united nations - Israel has told the United Nations that it will not renew the visa of its resident and ...
London - Finland has closed its entire 1,340 kilometer-long border with Russia after accusing Moscow of 'instrumentalizing' asylum-seekers by sending ...
Kiev's refusal to negotiate with Moscow has only caused the country heavy battlefield casualties, Aleksey Arestovich saysUkraine has lost up ...