NBA Cup's High Stakes Adding Intensity to Kia MVP Ladder Race

There's a unique vibe at the Kia Race to the MVP this weekend. The focus is all on the Cup - what's the scoop?

As in — two of the top five players on the MVP ladder are in Las Vegas for the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals.

So the tournament site will serve as an MVP checkpoint for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder punching their ticket to the Cup’s final four. If those players win their games Saturday and meet in Tuesday’s championship, the “M-V-P” chants will ring loud … and for good reason.

They’ve both enjoyed a solid season thus far, peppered with MVP-like performances in several games and consistent efforts in others. Gilgeous-Alexander has had OKC near or at the top of the West for much of the season, while Antetokounmpo has triggered a reversal for the Bucks after their slow start.

To borrow a common word in Sin City, the odds for both players to finish high in the Kia MVP chase look promising.

But right now? Here in the belly of December? They’re both staring up at the favorite.

Setting the stage this week: Antetokounmpo meets the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday for the right to play for the Cup title (4:30 p.m. ET, TNT). Gilgeous-Alexander will face the Houston Rockets the same day (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). All eyes will be on those two players because, with the Cup’s final days in session, the rest of the NBA will take the night off and watch.

The stat to know: Gilgeous-Alexander outscored Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving 39-33 in the Thunder’s 118-104 win against the Dallas Mavericks to earn a trip to Vegas (shout out to Lu Dort and Cason Wallace for their defensive help on the Dallas duo).

What they are saying: “He’s a great scorer. Gets his teammates involved, just a lot of times it’s hard to stop him. I think at some point, you gotta send two, three players. It’s amazing to play against a guy like this. The battles. It’s fun. He’s an amazing player.” — Dončić on Gilgeous-Alexander.

1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Last Ladder: No. 1
Season stats: 32.3 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 10.2 apg

His case: Not only is he on a historic start to a season, but his last two games were legendary. On back-to-back nights he totaled 104 points, 30 rebounds and 16 assists. Oh, and don’t forget the 74 total minutes played flying from one city to another — no nights off here.

And that’s what you want in your MVP, someone who shows up both physically and productively. There’s nothing not to like about “The Joker” right now. The pole position for this award belongs to him as we begin the home stretch to Christmas. That’s not up for debate.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last Ladder: No. 2
Season stats: 32.7 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 6 apg

His case: Antetokounmpo is a case study in bucket efficiency and this season is shaping up as one of his best. He’s shooting 61.2% overall this season, which reflects how devastating he is when running downhill and charging the rim. The flip side — when he gets fouled his free throws are, shall we say, a bit trickier.

That and the recent rise in turnovers are the only blemishes. Otherwise, Antetokounmpo is simply doing work at both ends.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last Ladder: No. 4
Season stats: 30.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.3 apg

His case: He showed out in the biggest (we use that word carefully pre-Christmas) game of the season when he torched the Mavericks to punch OKC’s ticket to Vegas. And that’s what you look for in MVP candidates — do they rise to the occasion along with the stakes?

He has 30 points in eight of his last 10 games and while he lives for the mid-range and trips to the free-throw line, his five 3-pointers vs. the Mavericks were the most 3-pointers he’s made in a game this season.

4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last Ladder: No. 3
Season stats: 28.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.2 spg

His case: As deep as the Celtics are, Tatum is the team leader in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. He has always been a tremendous rebounder for a small forward and his average is a career best.

He had a pair of uncharacteristic lapses in scoring over the last week, failing to reach 20 points twice in three games. But those occasional dips are expected throughout a season and in no way reflect his consistent high-level production — that’s why he’s top five on this list.

5. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Last Ladder: No. 5
Season stats: 24.9 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 3.2 apg

His case: Towns was extremely impressive during and especially in the clutch in the Knicks’ recent win in Toronto when he put the Raptors to sleep with a massive 3-pointer.

He’ll miss out on all the fun in Vegas despite coming shy of a 20-20 against the Hawks by a rebound and a point. theless, Towns, who is shooting 44% from deep, is not only making a strong case for an All-Star nod but also, an All-NBA spot if this keeps up.

The next five:

6. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
7. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
9. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
10. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

And five more (listed alphabetically): Jaylen Brown, Celtics; Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies; LeBron James, Lakers; Franz Wagner, Magic; Alperen Sengun, Rockets

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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