NBA MVP Power Rankings: Nikola Jokic remains atop the leaderboard after strong week

On Friday, the Mavericks headed to Boston to play the No. 1 team in the league, the Boston Celtics. After defeating the Toronto Raptors in relatively comfortable fashion, the Mavericks were looking to shock the world by beating the Celtics in Boston.

Unfortunately, the long-awaited matchup ended in blowout fashion in favor of the Celtics. The Celtics proved to be the better team on both ends of the floor and at the end of the third quarter they took the game which led to the 28-point defeat.

The Mavericks made numerous attempts to make the game close and even got within two points after a brigade of P.J. Washington 3-pointers. Superstar Luka Doncic contributed to the number of comeback attempts with his 37-point triple-double. Even after having an impressive game, Doncic proved to be not enough if you want to beat the Celtics.

Despite The Mavericks looking helpless at times, they could have given themselves a shot at winning had they fixed some glaring issues. For starters, Jason Kidd only played Daniel Gafford for a total of six minutes in the loss, which is simply not acceptable.

Additionally, Mavs fans were gifted with yet another stinker from Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway Jr. has had a rough go of it as of late but needs to dig himself out of this rut if he expects to keep his spot in the rotation. Hardaway Jr. has always had a long leash when it comes to his shot selection but lately, the eight-year vet has been hurting the Mavs with his reckless shot selections.

After a crushing defeat at the hands of the Celtics and another loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, how will Doncic's MVP status be affected? Let's take a look.

10. Anthony Davis

Last week's rank: N/A

Despite losing to the Nuggets last night, Anthony Davis will eclipse the top 10 for the first time in over two months after turning the Lakers season around.

9. Devin Booker

Last week's rank: 8

The Phoenix Suns are currently sitting at sixth in today's latest NBA standings. A large part of why the Suns have had so much success as of late has been because of their star guard, Devin Booker. If the Suns continue to win, expect Booker to rise in the coming weeks.

8. Kawhi Leonard

Last week's rank: 7

The LA Clippers have fallen to fourth in the Western Conference and have failed to stay within striking distance of the top three seeds. If the Clippers continue to drop, so may Kawhi Leonard in the MVP rankings.

7. Donovan Mitchell

Last week's rank: 9

Donovan Mitchell becomes our highest riser in this week's MVP Power Rankings after returning from injury. He hasn't just been dominant, but so have the Cavs as they try to remain in second place.

6. Domantas Sabonis

Last week's rank: 6

Domantas Sabonis once again remains just outside of the top five in this week's latest MVP rankings. If the Kings can widen the gap between them and the play-in race, expect Sabonis to rise.

5. Jayson Tatum

Last week's rank: 5

Unfortunately for Celtics fans, Jayson Tatum won't rise in this week's MVP rankings despite winning 10 games in a row. Tatum has been excellent in these last ten games but has failed to be better than the four names who are above him.

In the primetime win over the Mavericks, Tatum proved to be one of the reasons why the Celtics ran away with the lead down the stretch. Tatum finished with an efficient 32 points and constantly led teammates to open shots.

It also helped that the Celtics didn't miss. They shot nearly 50 percent from down the stretch and constantly made tough shots down the stretch. Boston center Kristaps Porzingis became a lethal part of the Celtics' offense as he was always open on pick-and-pop opportunities.

Against Dallas, Tatum proved to have one of the best second halves out of any player. The majority of his 32 points came in the second half and he constantly knocked down tough contested mid-range shots. Tatum also finished 5-9 from behind the 3-point arc due to the amount of open looks he and his teammates were getting.

Having four other players on the floor who can knock down outside shots has become one of the main reasons the Celtics host a top-two offense in the NBA. On any given night, Tatum doesn't have to be your primary option for scoring because you have four other players on the floor who can take the game over whenever needed.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Last week's rank: 4

The Milwaukee Bucks looked to have turned their season around. They are currently sitting at third in the Eastern Conference, but a recent five-game winning streak has got them back within striking distance of finishing as a top-two seed.

This time last week, the Bucks were free-falling down the Eastern Conference rankings. Today, they are currently sitting in third and tied for second place with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Down the stretch, the Bucks will need to win their key games if they wish to finish as the second seed.

In the last five games, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dominant. In Milwaukee's latest win over the Chicago Bulls, Giannis finished with an efficient 46 points. Additionally, the former MVP snagged 16 rebounds en route to beating the Bulls 113-97.

Defensively, the Bucks have flipped the script on their season. Before Doc Rivers took over coaching duties, the Bucks ranked as one of the last teams in the defensive rating. Today, the Bucks rank fifth in defensive rating while also keeping their offense hot.

Giannis has been a vital piece on both ends of the floor for Milwaukee. The former MVP has not only had one of the best scoring seasons in his career but has also had one of his better defensive seasons as well.

If Milwaukee can continue to win games, Giannis will likely rise in the rankings. The Bucks will look to stretch their win streak to six in a row against the LA Clippers.

3. Luka Doncic

Last week's rank: 2

After Dallas won seven in a row, which was the longest win streak for the Mavs in over a decade, the Mavs have now lost three of their last four games. Their recent four-game road trip did not end well either, as they got blown out on national TV against the Boston Celtics.

In Boston, the Mavericks were dominated and looked like the lesser team compared to the Celtics. The Celtics would often spread the floor and capitalize on the fact that they have so many offensive weapons. It also didn't help that former Mav Kristaps Porzingis opened the game by making multiple triples off the pick-and-pop.

Despite losing in Boston, the Mavericks have now lost four of their last five after yet another loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. In the game, Doncic struggled with decision-making, and on the defensive end of the floor, Doncic struggled to get back after arguing multiple times with referees.

Doncic has struggled all year long with arguing with refs and receiving technical fouls. Sunday's game against the Sixers was no different as Doncic received his 14th technical foul on the season and is now just two away from receiving a one-game suspension.

Doncic has now put his team's future in jeopardy if he receives any more technical fouls. The Mavs will look to get back in the win column with Tuesday's game against the Indiana Pacers.

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Last week's rank: 3

The OKC Thunder were on a roll before losing in blowout fashion to the San Antonio Spurs. Losing to a team that previously only had 11 wins is never easy. But before losing to the Spurs, the Thunder were on a four-game winning streak, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a huge reason why.

Shai has arguably been one of the most consistent players in the NBA this season. He has quietly been averaging 31 points per game, and In his last five games, Shai has scored 31 points three of the five times, which only proves how consistent the Canadian has been.

Shai has not only been consistent, but he has also been one of the best teammates in the NBA. Similar to Jayson Tatum, Shai doesn't have to be the primary creator on his team if they want to win. Having multiple other offensive weapons on the floor at the same time has only made Shai a better player.

Despite averaging 31 points per game this season, Shai is quietly one of the better facilitators for his team as well. He's currently averaging 6.5 assists per outing, and a large part of those assists has come via drives and kicks.

The Thunder will play the Suns on ESPN, where they will look to avoid losing two straight games.

1. Nikola Jokic

Last week's rank: 1

Nikola Jokic has been nothing short of dominant in the Nuggets last six games. Denver is currently on a six-game winning streak, and a large reason almost every game has been a blowout victory has been because of their former MVP.

Throughout Denver's recent six-game winning streak, they have beaten several good teams. One of which was the Sacramento Kings, where Denver would blow them out 117-96. Against the Kings, Jokic dominated on both ends of the floor while only scoring 14 points. Jokic probably had the most impressive 14-point game this season due to his triple-double and three steals.

Recently, the Nuggets took on the Los Angeles Lakers in a Western Conference Finals rematch. Denver didn't hold back once again and similar to how they beat them in the playoffs, Denver would go on to blow them out 124-114.

Against the Lakers, Jokic had yet another great game. He finished with 35 points and 10 rebounds. For Nuggets fans, this isn't anything new, they are used to seeing their superstar dominate on the big stage, and that's exactly what Jokic did against the Lakers.

During this six-game winning streak, Jokic has looked the way he did against the Lakers. He has scored 30 points only twice in this six-game run but has had four triple-doubles during this stretch.

The Nuggets will look to win seven in a row in their next game against the Phoenix Suns. For more updates on the MVP race and Dallas Mavericks basketball, stay plugged in.