The Kia NBA MVP chase is going down to the wire. With multiple players still in the mix for the award, keep track of the most recent performances from the top candidates before the next Kia MVP Ladder update on Friday.
Latest performances from top Kia MVP candidates:
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Latest MVP Ladder ranking: No. 1
Nikola Jokic becomes the 1st player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season and says the milestone is 'cool' amid MVP chants.
• Season stats | Video box scores
Latest performance: Nikola Jokic racked up 35 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block for the Nuggets in a comprehensive 122-109 victory over the Grizzlies. Along the way, the reigning Kia MVP helped clinch a playoff spot outside of the Play-In Tournament while becoming the first player in NBA history to post a 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound, 500-assist season.
Nikola Jokic Tonight
🏀 35 PTS
🏀 16 REB
🏀 6 AST
🏀 5 STL
🏀 @nuggets clinch a spot in the NBA Playoffs presented by Google PixelNikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to record 2K points, 1K rebounds, and 500 assists in a season. pic.twitter.com/dZO56tPBXk
— NBA (@NBA) April 8, 2022
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Latest MVP Ladder ranking: No. 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo hangs 30 on the Pistons as he pursues a scoring title.
• Season stats | Video box scores
Latest performance: Giannis Antetokounmpo racked up 30 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and two steals as the Bucks easily handled the Detroit Pistons in a 131-101 victory. The win leaves them a game up on Boston in the race for the East’s No. 2 seed, with one to play. The Bucks have ruled out Antetokounmpo (knee soreness) for Milwaukee’s final game of the season vs. the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Giannis posted his 21st 30/10/5 game of the season.
🎰 @paysbig pic.twitter.com/x4ClZqrT8X
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 9, 2022
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Latest MVP Ladder ranking: No. 3
Embiid pours in 41 points to virtually lock up scoring title
• Season stats | Video box scores
Latest performance: Thanks to a massive showing Saturday afternoon, Joel Embiid has virtually locked up his first scoring title — the first by an international player (Embiid hails from Cameroon) and first for a center since Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000. Embiid scored 41 points on 14-for-17 shooting to lead Philly to a 133-120 win over the Pacers in its penultimate game of the season. This was Embiid’s 40th 30-point game of the season, which leads the NBA (Giannis has 35, while Jokic has 22). Embiid also grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds — the seventh game with 20-plus boards in his career — while tallying a pair of steals in 37 minutes of action. With the win, the Sixers assured themselves of at least the 4th seed in the East, and locked Toronto into the 5th seed.
🔥 Joel Embiid Today 🔥
🔥 41 PTS (14-17 FGM)
🔥 20 REB *season-high*
🔥 2 STL🔔 @sixers win 🔔 pic.twitter.com/BQufPLCytH
— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2022
