Except for assists, Jokic improved his per-game averages in every key statistical category throughout the regular season. He ended with career-highs in points (27.1), rebounds (13.8), blocks (0.9), and steals (1.5) per game. Additionally, he made a career-high 58.3 percent of his field goals, and while he did not equal his career highs in free throw or 3-point percentage, he did establish career highs in total free throws (379) and 3-pointers (97) made.
The competition between Jokic, Embiid, and Antetokounmpo was intense. Embiid earned the scoring title with an average of 30.6 points per game. With a 51-31 record in the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks earned the top seed among the three teams. Despite having the identical record, Embiid’s 76ers finished fourth due to tiebreakers. The Golden State Warriors eliminated Jokic’s Nuggets in the first round despite the fact that they had won only three fewer games.
Jokic is the fifteenth player to win multiple MVP awards, joining Bob Pettit, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Spencer Haywood won an ABA MVP award while the team was known as the Denver Rockets.
