By Mark Kiszla [email protected],

9 hours ago

The real MVP will stand up in Game 7.

Don’t bet against Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Never bet against the Joker.

With the NBA overdue to hand Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the Most Valuable Player trophy, I’m afraid the league might have to ship the hardware to his home, after Jokic eliminates the Thunder from the playoffs.

“Our group in there has hung a banner,” Denver coach David Adelman said, after his Nuggets lived to play another day by beating Oklahoma City 119-107 at Ball Arena in Game 6 of a best-of-seven series being taken to the limit.

The lone time in the past four years that voters were stupid enough to snub him for the MVP award, Joker led Denver to a championship.

And I hate to bring up this little piece of hoops history, SGA.

But the lone time Gilgeous-Alexander has played alongside the Thunder in a Game 7 during his seven-year professional career, he got beat by Russell Westbrook, of all people, falling to the Houston Rockets way back in the NBA bubble.

"It's do or die," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the Thunder with 32 points. "It's what you live for. It's what you've worked your whole life for."

While SGA and Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards might have next as the league’s rising superstars, the biggest man in the basketball universe during the here and now is Jokic.

He scored 29 points when Denver needed him most, none of them more important than a 3-point shot from beyond the top of the circle that made a beautiful splash and extended the Nuggets’ lead to 100-88 with 6 minutes, 43 seconds, remaining in the fourth quarter.

After blowing fourth-quarter leads to Oklahoma City in two consecutive games, Denver finally dug in and made a stand when failure was not an option.

It was a testimonial to the resiliency of a champion. To what do the Nuggets owe their stubbornness?

“From being down all the time,” cracked guard Jamal Murray, who woke up feeling ill, then gave a sick performance, scoring 25 points.

While Murray insisted there was no doubt in his mind he would play in Game 6, Adelman wasn’t certain until the final team meeting 30 minutes before tipoff.

Murray looked like a man who would rather be under the covers. But under the bright lights of the arena, he led Denver to its hottest 10-minute stretch of offensive basketball since the playoffs began at the outset of Game 6.

A sudden 11 points by Mal de Tete led Denver to a 30-20 lead, with the Nuggets making 12 of their 19 field goal attempts to open the first quarter.

And then the mile high magic disappeared for a long and troubling spell. For a period of 12 minutes, 54 seconds, in the opening half, Denver couldn’t throw the ball in Chatfield Reservoir.

The Nuggets missed 15 of 20 shots in that stretch, allowing Oklahoma City to go on a 38-16 blitz that threatened to blow the home team out of Ball Arena.

Gilgeous-Alexander, however, gave the Nuggets a reprieve by picking up his fourth foul before halftime. With him forced to take a seat on the OKC bench, a late second-period rally, led by Christian Braun flexing his brawn on the glass and a soft touch from beyond the 3-point arc, kept Denver within striking range, 61-58 at intermission.

"They want to push the pace," Jokic said. "And we kind of want a little slower game."

The maligned and mistrusted Denver bench made a positive impact for a refreshing change.

A 116-second stretch at the end of the third quarter was the payoff for the countless hours that Julian Strawther spent in Colorado last summer working on his game. Strawther scored eight points in those memorable 116 seconds, using a pair of 3-point buckets and a layup, to stake Denver to a 90-82 lead heading into the final period.

Refusing to fold, the Nuggets are headed back to the Sooner state.

Adelman acknowledged his team was delighted with extending the series, but insisted the Nuggets were even happier about having two days rest before Game 7 on Sunday.

Through his illness, what motivated Murray?

“That mindset of wanting to go back to OKC, which is crazy,” Murray cracked.

His joke reminded me of an old song.

Well, the Nuggets have never been to heaven.

But they’re going back to Oklahoma.

The Nuggets and Thunder have played 10 times this season.

Five victories claimed by each side.

The rubber match awaits.

"It's going to be a close one," Jokic said.

One more time, with more feeling and meaning than ever, it’s SGA vs. Joker.

"Either your dream continues," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Or your dream ends."

Riddle me this: What would you rather take home from Game 7?

The MVP award?

Or a victory?

I say: Let Gilgeous-Alexander have his trophy as a consolation prize.