The match was inconsequential for Denver in terms of the standings, so coach David Adelman rested all the top players, and next to Jokić's name before the game, it was noted that his participation was questionable due to a left wrist injury.
However, Jokić appeared during warm-ups, and it was clear he would play to remain eligible for the MVP award and other individual honors.
Specifically, heading into the game, Jokić had played 64 games this season, and to be eligible for awards, each player must participate in a minimum of 65 games.
But Jokić couldn't just step onto the court and exit after the first stoppage.
In addition to playing 65 games, the NBA requires players contending for awards to spend at least 20 minutes on the court in each game, with the exception of two games where playing 15 minutes is sufficient.
Out of his 64 games so far, Jokić had played more than 20 minutes in 63 of them, only logging 19 minutes against Miami, making it clear that in the final game against San Antonio, he needed to play at least 15 minutes.
Against the Spurs, he only appeared in the first half and played a total of 18 minutes, but even in that time, he dominated and led his team to a 128-118 victory with 23 points and 8 rebounds.
Thus, Jokić finished the season with 65 games played, averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists, achieving a feat never before seen in NBA history.
Specifically, he became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and assists per game in the same season.
Whether this will be enough for Jokić to win the MVP award for the fourth time in his career, we will soon find out. His main competitors are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.1-4.3-6.6), Victor Wembanyama (25.0-11.5-3.1), and Luka Dončić (33.5-7.7-8.3).