Nikola Jokic stays at the top while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stays hot on his heels.
Nikola Jokic stays at the top while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stays hot on his heels.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic put on a masterful performance in a showdown with the Celtics.
Setting the stage this week, Giannis Antetokounmpo
The matchup features a pair of teams desperate for wins for different reasons.
In Los Angeles’ case, it’s all about survival. A 130-120 loss to Sacramento on Wednesday pushed the Lakers to 10th in the Western Conference and gifted the Kings the season-series win and an edge in tiebreak scenarios.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, ranks second in the East, a half-game ahead of Cleveland and 7 1/2 games behind the Boston Celtics. The Bucks need to establish more chemistry on the floor in big games like this with the new regime featuring new schemes from coach Doc Rivers, who is 9-8 since his January hiring.
Complicating that endeavor, however, is the absence of three-time All-Star Khris Middleton, who still hasn’t played since suffering a left ankle sprain on Feb. 6 in a loss at Phoenix.
He’ll need to ramp up conditioning for a return to the floor.
One stat to know: 27.7 — That’s Antetokounmpo’s career scoring average against the Lakers, his highest against any opponent. He’s also shooting 61.3% against the Lakers, which ranks as his highest field goal percentage against any opponent in his career.
What they’re saying: “The calvary ain’t coming. We’ve got 18 [games] left. We’ve just got to buckle down and try to do a better job. We watch it on film: the way we need to play. We’ve got to be able to sustain that.” — Lakers coach Darvin Ham after Wednesday’s 130-120 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Keep track of how our MVP rankings continue to evolve throughout the season.
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets 
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
The Next Five:
6. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings (Last week: No. 6)
7. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers (Last week: No. 9)
8. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (Last week: No. 8)
9. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns (Last week: No. 10)
10. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (Last week: No. 7)
