If Jokić wins, he would join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain (four) and LeBron James (four) as the only players in NBA history with four MVP trophies.

In the third quarter of the Timberwolves’ Game 1 loss to Oklahoma City, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tried to drive right past his cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Shai fell down, and the official called a foul on Nickeil.

The Knicks are favored by 4.5 points at Madison Square Garden and are -150 to win the series. In the Western Conference, the championship-favorite Oklahoma City Thunder came alive in the second half Tuesday and rolled to a 114-88 win in Game 1 of their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The last time an American-born player walked away with the top honor was James Harden in 2018. The run of international players winning MVP -- Gilgeous-Alexander is from Canada -- speaks to the expanding global reach of the NBA and the increased number of talent outside of the United States.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had an elite regular season. Despite his Milwaukee Bucks dealing with a plethora of injuries throughout the season, Antetokounmpo stepped up, shouldering the majority of the load for his squad.

While Nikola Jokic missed out on the MVP award on Wednesday, he still made some NBA history. By finishing second in the voting, the Nuggets center became the first player since Celtics great Larry Bird to finish top two in the MVP voting for five consecutive seasons,