NBA MVP Power Rankings: New No. 1 emerges after spectacular week

The Dallas Mavericks are fresh off a 125-107 blowout victory over their in-state rival Houston Rockets. The Rockets had previously won 11 games in a row and positioned themselves for a potential Play-In berth before playing the Mavericks. The Mavericks not only ended the Rockets' 11-game streak, but they dominated all 48 minutes of their Sunday matchup.

Throughout the Mavericks' 11-1 stretch, it has become clear to fans and media that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving could be one of the most feared duos in the league. Against the Rockets, the two combined for 71 points and made 13 threes in the winning effort. It finally feels like the two are playing with one another instead of taking turns handling the ball and scoring.

During Sunday's match, Irving became the perfect co-star alongside Doncic and constantly played as the decoy while Doncic shredded the Rockets' defense.

NBA MVP Power Rankings: New No. 1 emerges after spectacular week

If the Mavericks can continue playing this level of basketball for the remaining eight games on the schedule, then they could position themselves for a late postseason run. The Mavericks are currently half a game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

One major reason the Mavericks have become so dominant over the last month has been because of Irving and his leadership abilities. He has consistently been one of the leading voices in the locker room and even helped Tim Hardaway Jr. regain confidence after a concerning shooting slump.

While the regular season narrows down and the MVP race tightens up, let's take a look at this week's NBA MVP Power Rankings and see what's shaken up over the last two weeks.

10. Anthony Davis

Last rank: 10

Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers continue to inch closer to the eighth seed. After the Kings' recent struggles, the eight seed could finally be in reach for Davis and the Lake show.

9. Kawhi Leonard

Last rank: 7

After having a scary streak of losing multiple games in a row, Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers are back on track and have jumped out to a two-game cushion for homecourt advantage. If the Clippers continue rolling, expect Leonard's name to be in All-NBA conversations.

8. Kevin Durant

Last rank: 9

Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns are finally looking like the powerhouse they were meant to be in October. The Suns find themselves within striking distance of the sixth seed after dominating the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.

7. Devin Booker

Last rank: 8

Devin Booker jumps past his fellow teammate in the MVP rankings after a dominant 52-point game and leading the Suns to a critical win over the Pelicans. The Suns have strung together multiple wins in a row and even beat the defending champs in their recent stretch.

6. Domantas Sabonis

Last rank: 5

Despite dropping back-to-back triple-doubles in the losses to Dallas, Domantas Sabonis will drop after multiple underwhelming performances in primetime games. Sabonis and the Kings will need to get back on the right track after their recent two-game skid to the Mavericks.

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5. Jayson Tatum

Last rank: 6

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics have contined to steamroll over opponents despite losing two of their last four games. The Celtics now rival the Mavericks and the Rockets for the hottest stretches during March after winning 11 of their last 13 games.

Tatum has become a big piece of why the Celtics have clinched the first seed in the Eastern Conference and likely another run at competing for the NBA Championship. In the Eastern Conference, there has yet to be a team that can rival the Boston Celtics for dominance, which is why their route to the Finals could be easier than fans realize.

The Celtics rely heavily on what Tatum can bring to the floor, and over this past month, it seems as though Tatum's usage rate has skyrocketed. The Celtics have relied heavily on both his creation and playmaking when running their offense, which is why they currently rank first in offensive rating.

Over March, Tatum averaged a season-high in points with 28.1 and even converted his 3-point shot at a 45.9 percent rate, which would rank him among the league's best shooters over the calendar month.

Although Tatum's MVP case has largely dissolved, he has played some of the best basketball of the season over the last few weeks. The Celtics are well on their way to competing for yet another championship, but the big question has yet to be answered. Can Tatum lead the Celtics to a Larry O'Brien Trophy?

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Last rank: 4

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have continued to ride the rollercoaster that is the Doc Rivers era. Once it seems like the Bucks have found their groove and won multiple games in a row, they drop their next two or lose a critical game in embarrassing fashion, which is what happened on Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Bucks were dominating the whole second half and even jumped out to a 20-plus lead before Anthony Davis and the Lakers started hounding the boards and creating second-chance opportunities with their relentless rebounding.

The Lakers forced the game to go into overtime and even pushed the game into a second overtime with some last-second shot creation. Ultimately, the Bucks would lose, and this would not only go down as one of the most embarrassing losses of the season, but for the Lakers, it has become a turning point in their playoff push.

Since losing to the Lakers, Milwaukee has lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and beat the Atlanta Hawks. At this stage in the season, wins have become needed rather than a commodity due to the Eastern Conference's tight race for second place. The Bucks only find themselves 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers with two weeks left in the season.

Antetokounmpo is having an amazing season and will surely finish the season inside the top five of voters for MVP, but it has yet to be seen where his team will land in the playoffs.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Last rank: 2

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to win games, but it hasn't attributed to full-time success on the court for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This has been the first stretch in that fans can visibly see Gilgeous-Alexander struggling when it matters most.

The Thunder are 2-1 in their last three games, and they are fresh off a huge win over the New York Knicks. Against the Knicks, the Thunder won by only one point but had to rely on other players not named Gilgeous-Alexander to steal the spotlight.

Gilgeous Alexander finished the night with a measly 19 points and only attributed three assists in the winning effort. Had Gilgeous-Alexander been on his "A game," the result could have been different, but at this stage in the season, wins are wins.

The All-Star guard will need to pick up his play before the playoffs begin. However, fans shouldn't worry. Gilgeous-Alexander has still found ways to push through this mini-slump and has even found success offensively when not scoring the ball.

For opposing teams, Gilgeous-Alexander poses a huge threat to score whenever which is why they have to constantly keep a man on him. While it doesn't show up on the stat sheets, Gilgeous-Alexander's presence alone has created many opportunities for the Thunder to score and succeed without their franchise player scoring.

The Thunder find themselves in solo position of first place just half a game ahead of the Denver Nuggets. If they wish to clinch the first seed in the Western Conference, they will need all the help they can get from their star player.

2. Nikola Jokic

Last rank: 1

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have been rolling over the last few weeks. However, the Nuggets still can't jump out to a comfortable lead for the first seed in the Western Conference. As of Monday morning, the Nuggets find themselves half a game back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first seed.

Despite dominating in virtually every game since the loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Jokic will drop in this week's latest MVP Power Rankings. Jokic finished March averaging just two rebounds shy of a triple-double but recorded his best defensive month since the beginning of the season.

Jokic's 1.5 steals per game during March became a common stat that voters circled when labeling the Serbian as this year's MVP. Despite dominating, it's clear the MVP race has gotten much tighter than fans expected, with just under two weeks left in the NBA regular season.

In the Nuggets' latest game, Jokic dominated the Cavaliers with a 26-point, 18-rebound, and 16-assist triple-double. This display of mastery from Jokic in just three quarters is the reason Denver beat the Cavs by 29 points at home.

Jokic earned the right to win the 2024 MVP award, but it has become increasingly close with Luka Doncic's recent surge. If Jokic wishes to win his third MVP award, the Nuggets will need to continue winning games and likely clinch first in the Western Conference.

1. Luka Doncic

Last rank: 3

The Dallas Mavericks have been rolling since the beginning of March. The team is 11-1 in their last 12 games, and it's in large part due to their MVP candidate Luka Doncic.

Doncic recently won Western Conference Player Of The Week (subscription required) honors on Monday and averaged a sweet 32.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 9.5 assists throughout the week. Additionally, he led the Mavericks to a perfect 4-0 record and even broke the Rockets' recent 11-game winning streak.

Against the Rockets, Doncic saved his best game for last and dropped 47 points and 12 rebounds en route to a blowout victory. Doncic not only dismantled his in-state rival, but he did this all in three quarters and couldn't be stopped.

Even while draped by two defenders, Doncic still found a way to score. On one possession, Houston forward Jabari Smith Jr. played some of his best defense of the night while face-guarding Doncic, but it wasn't enough as Doncic hoisted a circus scoop shot and watched the ball roll in the hoop.

Doncic has led the Mavericks to an unlikely spot in the Western Conference as Dallas currently finds themselves in solo possession of fifth place. If he and the Mavs can keep this up, there shouldn't be much of a debate when it comes to the MVP conversation. Even Nikola Jokic thinks Doncic should win the MVP.

Doncic would be a surprise winner at this point and he has proven many people wrong throughout this season. For more updates on the MVP race, Luka Doncic, and Dallas Mavericks basketball, stay plugged in.