USA TODAY International Edition
Spurs’ Leonard back in top five in MVP race
USA TODAY Sports’ top five candidates for the 2016- 17 NBA MVP award ( for Week 12, from Jan. 15 through Saturday; stats and records reflected through Saturday’s games). Also receiving votes: Boston Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas and New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis 5. Kawhi Leonard, San An
tonio Spurs: Leonard, who has scored 30- plus points in each of his last six games, re- enters our top five for the first time in a couple of weeks after putting on his best performance of the season in a 118- 115 overtime win against the Cavaliers on Saturday, dropping a career- high 41 points ( on 15for- 30 shooting) to go along with six rebounds and five assists. The sixth- year forward is averaging a career- best 25.5 points and 3.2 assists this season as he paces the Spurs toward a second consecutive 65- win campaign. 4. LeBron James, Cleveland
Cavaliers: James struggled from the field ( 6- for- 18, 20 points) during the 35- point rout at the hands of the Golden State Warriors but bounced back with a 21- point ( 8for- 12 shooting), 15- assist, ninerebound outing in a win against the Phoenix Suns and a 29- point ( 11- for- 16), seven- assist, six- rebound performance in a loss to the Spurs. On the season, the four- time MVP is averaging 25.6 points ( most since 2013- 14), 8.3 assists ( most since 2009- 10) and 7.7 rebounds ( most since 2012- 13) for the 30- 12 Cavaliers, who sat 21⁄ games ahead of the Toronto 2 Raptors for first place in the Eastern Conference. 3. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors: Durant torched his former team for the second time in two tries, pouring in a season- high 40 points on 13for- 16 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. He followed that up by dropping 32 points on 12- for- 19 shooting in a win against the Houston Rockets. On the season, Durant has been efficient as ever, posting a careerhigh 116.1 offensive rating for the Warriors, who are on pace to become the third team in NBA history to reach 70 wins, joining themselves and the 1995- 96 Bulls. 2. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder: Westbrook had two triple- doubles in three games last week — his 20th and 21st of the season — but the real headline came off the court. Westbrook was left out of the Western Conference’s starting five for the All- Star Game despite the fact that, through 44 games, he was on pace to become the second player in NBA history to average a triple- double through-
out an entire season, with averages of 30.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists. Now ask him how much he cares. 1. James Harden, Houston
Rockets: Harden averaged 29.2 points, 10 assists and 8.6 rebounds and shot 48.4% from the floor in five games for the Rockets last week, continuing his campaign to bring the first MVP award to Houston since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993- 94. He was incredibly efficient in a 119- 95 win against the Grizzlies, scoring 29 points on 7- for- 9 shooting ( 4for- 6 on three- point shots) to go along with 10 assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. With 28.7- point, 11.6- assist and 8.2- rebound averages on the season, Harden is chasing some history of his own, as he’s on pace to join Oscar Robertson as the only players to average at least 28, 11 and eight.