"I don’t think he wins it. At the No.8 seed, I just don’t see how that works"- Damian Lillard rules Stephen Curry out of NBA MVP race

Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers had a regular season filled with ups and downs but eventually ended up qualifying for the postseason. They finished the season in fifth place, setting up an enticing first-round playoff series with last season's Western Conference finalists, the Denver Nuggets.

Damian Lillard explains why Nikola Jokic and not Stephen Curry should walk away with this season's NBA MVP award

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers hits a floater against the Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers' mercurial point guard Damian Lillard recently sat down to have a conversation with 'The Athletic'. During the interaction, Lillard pointed out why Nikola Jokic deserves to win the 2020-21 season NBA MVP award.

"He’s played more games than everybody. He’s been in every game, and he’s performed. Jamal Murray got hurt. Will Barton got hurt. And they [Denver Nuggets] kept rolling," said the Blazers star.

Nikola Jokic indeed featured in all 72 regular season games in the shortened 2020-21 NBA campaign, putting up an exemplary stat line of 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists on shooting splits of 56-38-86. He also did his due diligence on the defensive side of the ball, registering 1.3 steals per contest.

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets finishes at the rim against the Portland Trail Blazers

Jokic's closest competitors for the prize are Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who has won the accolade twice, in 2015 and 2016. Curry recently also got an endorsement from LA Lakers superstar and 4xMVP LeBron James.

However, Damian Lillard believes that the Warriors' status in the standings rules Curry out of the race for the 2021 NBA MVP title.

"I think Steph has had a great season. Obviously, there has to be a conversation about him being in the conversation. But I don’t think he wins it. At the eight seed, I just don’t see how that works," said Damian Lillard.

Both Lillard and Curry are considered among the best point guards in the league, and have shared a healthy rivalry over the years. Lillard himself received MVP shouts this year, which were triggered by his ability to carry the team in the absence of Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum, as the duo missed a large chunk of the season.

If @Dame_Lillard had an MVP vote, he'd cast it for Nikola Jokic."I don't see how you don't give it to (Jokic) or Embiid. And I would give it to him over Embiid just because Embiid missed games."📚 https://t.co/UViSsAMIYN pic.twitter.com/TVitqtWMCa

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 20, 2021

Damian Lillard and co. will now take on a relatively shorthanded Denver Nuggets side. Michael Malone's team will be without the services of Jamal Murray, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Swingman Will Barton's participation is also in doubt, tilting the matchup in the Portland Trail Blazers' favor.

Nikola Jokic is the only All-Star to play the full schedule this season.He would be the first MVP not to miss a single game since Kobe Bryant in 2007-08.

— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) May 17, 2021

However, a major talking point will be the battle between Damian Lillard and Nikola Jokic, as both stars have been instrumental in their teams making the postseason.

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