Westbrook still chasing Harden in MVP race
USA TODAY Sports’ top five candidates for the NBAMVP award ( Week 17, from Feb. 12 through Saturday; statistics through Saturday). Also receiving votes: Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas, Warriors’ Stephen Curry
5. KEVIN DURANT, WARRIORS ( 49- 9) Season statistics: 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 blocks, 53.9% shooting
Durant ( hand) missed his first game of the season Saturday — a 112- 95 win against the Nets. As for Golden State’s other three games during this All- Star break- extended week, he averaged 23.7 points ( on 60.9% shooting), 8.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists. His 53.9% from the field on the season is a career high and ranks second in the NBA among small forwards, behind LeBron James.
4. KAWHI LEONARD, SPURS ( 44- 13) Season statistics: 25.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 48.7% shooting
Leonard started off Week 17 with a bang, dropping 36 points ( on 13- for- 27 shooting), nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in a surprise loss to the Knicks. He followed that up with a 32- point, six- rebound, three- assist, fivesteal ( including one that sealed the game) outing the next night in a win against the Pacers.
3. LEBRON JAMES, CAVALIERS ( 40- 17) Season statistics: 25.7 points, 8.9 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 54% shooting
It was just another week at the office for James, who averaged 24.7 points ( on 69% shooting), 11 assists and 8.7 rebounds and went 6- for- 10 from beyond the arc. The highlight of his week came off the court, though, as the Cavs reached a deal with veteran point guard Deron Williams, who will take a lot of the burden — especially as a ballhandler — off James’ shoulders as the defending NBA champion Cavs gear up for the playoffs.
2. RUSSELL WESTBROOK, THUNDER ( 33- 25) Season statistics: 30.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 42% shooting
Westbrook ( 17 points on 5- for- 19 shooting) and the Thunder struggled to start Week 17 with a loss Feb. 13 to the Wizards, but the superstar point guard immediately bounced back. He dropped 38 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a win against the Knicks and 17 points, 18 rebounds and 17 assists in a win against the Lakers. Not to mention Westbrook’s 41- point, seven- assist, five- rebound outing that would have earned him his third consecutive All- Star Game MVP Award had Anthony Davis not stolen the show. On the season, Westbrook has 28 tripledoubles, and with Enes Kanter ( forearm) back in the lineup and the tradedeadline additions of Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, he has a lot more to work with moving forward.
1. JAMES HARDEN, ROCKETS ( 42- 18) Season statistics: 28.9 points, 11.3 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 43.9% shooting
Just like Westbrook, Harden and Houston fared well on the trade- deadline front, adding 2014- 15 Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams ( averaging 18.7 points per game) to a bench that already featured Eric Gordon ( 17.2 points per game) — not that the Rockets needed any more help scoring the ball or that Harden needed any more help tallying assists. He’s on pace to join Oscar Robertson as the only players to average 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists throughout an entire season.