The expected became official Sunday afternoon.

Nikola Jokic is officially a finalist for Most Valuable Player. He’s in the running to win his fourth MVP award in the last five seasons.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Michael Jordan (5), Bill Russell (5), LeBron James (4) and Wilt Chamberlain (4) are the only players who have won four or more MVP awards. Russell and James are the only players who have won it in four of five years.

Jokic became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a regular season. He averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists across 70 games this season. Then, he dropped 29 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, three steals and a block in Denver’s first playoff game Saturday.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were announced as the other MVP finalists on TNT prior to Sunday’s game between the Cavaliers and Heat.

Jokic is also a finalist for Clutch Player of the Year. He’s the only Nuggets player who was named a finalist for an individual award.

The Nuggets’ players and coaches lobbied for Christian Braun to be a candidate for Most Improved Player in the last few weeks, but the finalists are Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels and Clippers center Ivica Zubac, Jokic’s opposition in the first round.

Adelman talks Porter – again

A day after deciding to close Game 1 with Russell Westbrook instead of Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets interim coach David Adelman addressed the 6-foot-10 sharpshooter in the room once again.

“I talked to Mike. Mike’s fine,” Adelman said Sunday before reiterating his message since taking over with three games left in the regular season.

“This is the reality of it: we’re going to play guys that are going to play well in that game. Believe me, there were multiple times when they changed their defense – I’m not stupid – I was like, ‘I cannot believe I don’t have Michael Porter in the game right now, standing in the corner,’ but you have to go off feel. I thought our defensive intensity and energy is what won us the game. It felt like those five guys, it just felt like the right answer. Maybe it was; maybe it wasn’t. I just know we won the game. I’ll have the same thing tomorrow. I’ll look at it the best I can and make the most unselfish decision I can make for the group to try to score more points than the Clippers in Game 2.”

Porter didn’t do much to help the Nuggets beat the Clippers after making Denver’s first shot of Game 1, but he still possesses a valuable skillset against a Los Angeles defense that swarmed Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic’s two-man game. Fortunately for Adelman and the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Russell Westbrook stepped up and hit timely 3s, while Porter watched from the sideline.

“Mike definitely could be out there tomorrow,” Adelman said. “If they want to rotate that way, and he’s standing in the corner, it’s a different story.”

Adelman unofficially adds to staff

There are few basketball minds Denver’s interim coach trusts more than Gene Potter.

The name might ring out in NBA circles, but it means quite a bit to Adelman.

“He’s a really good friend, understands the game,” Adelman said Sunday. “Seven state championships, 600 wins, 25 league championships, I don’t mind having that person around.”

Potter coach Adelman to one of those state championships during his days at Portland’s Jesuit High School. After high school, Adelman joined Potter’s staff before going out on his own. They’ve been reunited in Denver this week. Potter was at a couple of the Nuggets’ practices last week and planned on attending Games 1 and 2 in Denver.

“He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever been around,” Adelman said. “This whole NBA thing is cool, but he knows a lot more than the majority of people coaching in this league. That’s the main reason.”