Caitlin Clark’s vast praise of Nikola Jokic’s abilities came true against the Warriors. The Joker didn’t have to pop out on the stat sheet. But he did everything necessary for the Nuggets to climb their way back from a 13-point deficit. Clark wouldn’t be surprised. She hails the three-time MVP as the best player in the world. But Jokic doesn’t feel that praise was genuine.

Jokic pointed to the one reason Clark made her claims. “We have the same agent. That’s why she said that,” Nikola Jokic joked after the game.

That is indeed true. Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Jokic are both represented by Excel Sports Management. The WNBA superstar could be endorsing somebody from her team with the MVP race heating up. But her praise was all genuine. She lauded the Joker for his court-mapping and high IQ. Furthermore, Clark also commended Nikola Jokic for averaging a triple-double for a second consecutive season.

Nikola Jokic even managed to honor her praise against the Golden State Warriors. The three-time MVP added 25 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists, leading Denver’s comeback charge in the second half. His influence was splattered all over the Nuggets’ third quarter, where they scored a game-high 40 points.

Jokic contributed with 10 points and four assists while playing the entire quarter. The Nuggets outscored the Warriors by 16 points with Nikola Jokic on the floor. Likewise, Caitlin Clark doesn’t need anything else to justify her admiration for the Joker. He manages to prove the same on a nightly basis.

And just as it has been for the past five years, Jokic is once again among the favorites to win MVP.

Nikola Jokic heats up the MVP race even more

Each team has played over 70 games in the regular season. The MVP race generally settles down by this time. However, that’s not the case this year. Four stars from the West are all competing to add the finishing touches to their glittering resumes. Nikola Jokic is right in the mix of things, creating greater confusion for voters.

From an offensive standpoint, the Joker is having another marvelous season. He’s averaging almost 27.9 points per game while leading the league in rebounds and assists. The Nuggets are also running the most prolific offense in the NBA. They average 121.3 points per game. The Joker’s fingerprints are all over those outrageous numbers.

Nikola Jokic has multiple arguments to claim his fourth MVP this year. He’s one of the most efficient scorers, putting up even better numbers than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Nuggets are 8.3 points better with Jokic on the floor. Without him, the Nuggets have yet to record a positive net differential for the season. They have been outscored by 150 points in the minutes without their talisman.

Such influence isn’t something he shares in common with his MVP competitors. Depth is one of the primary reasons the Spurs and Thunder have been so successful this season. They manage to shine even without Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, respectively. But the Nuggets depend entirely on how great Nikola Jokic plays on a particular night.

That makes for a solid case. But the choice isn’t as easy. SGA, Wemby, and Luka Doncic are having phenomenal individual seasons. And they have a better record compared to Jokic and the Nuggets. For voters, the race comes down to the very end of the regular season. This final push could determine the fine margins.

However, what can be said for certain is that the list won’t be complete without Nikola Jokic being among the top picks.