SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt and AJ Neuharth-Keusch discuss how LeBron James is gunning for a fifth MVP title. USA TODAY Sports
Two years ago, many would have laughed had we said LeBron James vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo would so soon be a marquee matchup between two of the NBA's top three MVP candidates. Not the James aspect of it, of course, but the fact that Antetokounmpo could rise from a potential superstar to a full-blown one in such a short amount of time.
Tuesday night was no laughing matter.
The showdown made for must-see TV — Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks held off James' Cleveland Cavaliers, 119-116 — with both players making big plays down the stretch, further cementing their already set-in-stone spots in our weekly MVP rankings.
Those rankings are below, as voted on by USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick, Jeff Zillgitt, Michael Singer and AJ Neuharth-Keusch.
T-4. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
Last week's ranking: No. 5
Season stats: 26.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.2 blocks, 51.5% shooting
Durant, doing his best Kobe Bryant impression shortly after both of the Laker legend's jerseys were retired Monday, shook off his cold shooting night by sinking all four of his shots in overtime — including the game-winning jumper in the final seconds — to lead Golden State to victory. Durant is averaging a league-best 34.2 points in the five games since Stephen Curry went down, as well as 10.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and three blocks.
T-4. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
Last week's ranking: No. 4
Season stats: 24.4 points, 4.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 49.3% shooting
Irving sank two three-pointers in the final 30 seconds of Boston's thrilling win over Indiana on Monday — shots that pushed his total clutch points scored on the season to 87, the second-best mark in the NBA. During those clutch moments (when the game is within five points in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime) Irving is also shooting 56.1% from the field, No. 2 among players who have attempted at least 30 such shots.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Last week's ranking: No. 3
Season stats: 29.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 steals, 54.5% shooting
Antetokounmpo finished Tuesday night's showdown with 27 points (on 14 shots), 14 rebounds, eight assists and two steals — the second of which was against James and led to an and-one layup to seal the deal.
“You’ve got to go get it. It’s who wants it more," Antetokounmpo said. "You’ve got to get get that ball. Especially at a time down the stretch like that you’ve got to dive for the ball, you’ve got to get that ball. There’s no way you can just leave that ball on the floor.”
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Last week's ranking: No. 2
Season stats: 28.2 points, 9.3 assists, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 57.2% shooting
James — y'know, the guy who, according to early-career narratives, can't shoot threes and lacks the clutch gene — is the only player in the NBA (attempting at least 10 shots per game) shooting at least 57% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc, both career-high marks. He also leads the league in clutch points scored (94 total), rebounds (28) and assists (15).
1. James Harden, Houston Rockets
Last week's ranking: No. 1
Season stats: 31.3 points, 9.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 45.0% shooting
Your absurd Harden stat of the day: He has scored 20 or more points in every game this season (29), which ties Moses Malone's franchise record. The Rockets, meanwhile, are on pace to become the third team in NBA history to reach the 70-win mark for a season. Need we say more?
Follow USA TODAY Sports' AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK
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