Victor Wembanyama may be the future of the NBA, but Nikola Jokić made it clear on Friday night that he is still very much its present.

In a thrilling 136–134 overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs, Jokić delivered one of the most authoritative performances of his season for the Dener Nuggets and did so against one of the few young stars already being discussed as his peer. 

The Denver center finished with 40 points, eight rebounds, 13 assists, three blocks, and zero turnovers, outdueling Wembanyama, who was brilliant in his own right with 34 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, five blocks, and just one turnover.

Jokić’s biggest moments came late as he sealed the win in overtime.

With Denver holding a narrow lead, he drilled a tough turnaround fadeaway jumper–belovedly known as the Sombor Shuffle–over Wembanyama’s outstretched arms to give the Nuggets a 133–129 cushion with one minute left. It was the kind of shot Jokić has turned into his signature over the years—a devastatingly effective weapon that he has turned to when stakes are at their highest. He followed that with a floater with 10 seconds left to push Denver ahead by four once again, 135–131, effectively sealing the win.

Those two clutch shots not only secured them the victory, they also helped preserve Denver’s hopes of climbing up the Western Conference standings.

The Nuggets improved to 50–28 with the win and moved to just a half-game behind the injury-hit Los Angeles Lakers for third place. Meanwhile, San Antonio came into the night riding an 11-game winning streak and was already locked into the second seed at 59–19–still within mathematical striking distance of the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Beating the Spurs with Jokić at the center of everything and the playoffs right around the corner felt like a message that resonated beyond the team standings too.

This year’s NBA MVP race has been tightly contested, with Jokić, Wembanyama, and reigning winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all building strong cases. A performance like this, on this stage, against no less than Wembanyama, will only strengthen Jokić’s argument.

There is also a growing personal edge in favor of Jokic in these matchups. Jokić has now won five of his seven career meetings with Wembanyama, and while the younger star’s rise feels inevitable, nights like this are a reminder that he still has much room for growth.

While Wembanyama’s time may be fast approaching, Jokić remains arguably the league’s best player for now. Their win over the Spurs was a reminder that this is still very much his era—until Wembanyama proves otherwise.