Most MVP voters would tell you, at least before the season, that a single game shouldn't impact their decision too much. There are, after all, 82 games to be considered. One game represents a bit more than 1% of a team's season and perhaps 2-3% of a player's overall body of work.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic currently sits behind Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2025 NBA MVP odds, but Kevin Durant does not want to hear Jokic referred to as an "underdog.