OKLAHOMA CITY – Credit Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Felipe Eichenberger for making sure Monday’s sequel of the showdown between the top two teams in the Western Conference and top candidates for Most Valuable Player lived up to the hype.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he mentioned to Nikola Jokic after Sunday’s loss to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder that maybe it was a good idea for the three-time Most Valuable Player to take Monday night off to let his ankle and elbow injuries recover.

“This is not a rest game. This is this guy is beat up. We have 18 games to go,” Malone said. “What I love about Nikola, he was like ‘Hell no. C’mon, man. Coach, I’m playing.’ It’s not even conversation.”

Part of that decision, Malone thought, had to do with Jokic wanting to lead his team to a win. Jokic, who started Monday listed as questionable with a right elbow contusion sustained after a fall Sunday and left ankle impingement, did just that in a 140-127 victory Monday at Paycom Center. Another part of Jokic’s decision came down to what would’ve happened had he followed his coach’s lead.

“If I don’t play, then I’m going to work out with Felipe,” Jokic said. “And that’s much harder than playing.”

Eichenberger told the Denver Gazette that Jokic’s thought was accurate, though neither party disclosed what exactly that workout might have looked like.

Jokic once again made the game look easy despite going up against a Thunder squad that has the Association’s best defensive rating, 105.6, which is nearly four points better than the second-best rating. Jokic 35 points by making 15 of his 20 shots from the field. A day after going 2 of 10 from 3-point range, Jokic took just two triples Monday. He made one, while the other was another heave from well beyond half court. He admitted the elbow played a part in his shot selection.

“That’s why I didn’t shoot that much,” Jokic said. “It was everything around the rim.”

Jokic added 18 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block with just one turnover in 40 minutes of playing time. It was the type of performance that breathed new life into the Most Valuable Player debate after some prognosticators said Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40-point performance in Sunday’s win was enough to decide it.

“As we wind down this season, this whole MVP thing is really going to pick up. You understand that that’s a part of it. Obviously, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a great player. If he wins his first MVP, he’s deserving of that,” Malone said. “My thing is this, if you didn’t know that Nikola had won three MVPs, and I put Player A and Player B on paper and you have no idea that the guy is averaging a triple-double, the guy who is top three in the three major statistical categories – things that no one has ever done – he wins the MVP 10 times out of 10. If you don’t think so, I think you guys are all full of (crap).”

Oklahoma City’s star finished with 25 points, seven assists and three rebounds Monday. When asked about the debate, Jokic said he’s used to it all after the last three or four years.

“I cannot control it,” Jokic said.

“I will say that I think I’m playing the best basketball of my life. So, if that’s enough, it’s enough. If not, the guy deserves it. He’s really amazing.”

Nuggets 140, Thunder 127

What happened: Denver led by two after the first quarter but fell behind 73-67 at halftime. The Nuggets regained a two-point edge to start the fourth and pulled away late to split the two-game trip and move back into second place in the Western Conference standings at 42-23.

What went right: The Nuggets’ supposed non-shooters showed up. Peyton Watson went 4-4 from 3-point range, while Jalen Pickett (2-3), Russell Westbrook (3-5) and Christian Braun (2-5) also saw multiple go down.

What went wrong: A day after the Nuggets gave up 41 points in the fourth quarter, Denver gave up 41 points in the second quarter. Oklahoma City went 8 of 10 from 3-point range in the second quarter.

Highlight of the night: Michael Porter Jr. put Jalen Williams in the rim six minutes into the game. Porter sealed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and received a well-placed bounce pass from Christian Braun before dunking over Williams, whose help was a step late.

Up next: The Nuggets return to Denver for Wednesday’s game against Minnesota at Ball Arena.