After Sunday’s 147-136 overtime win over the Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks close out the regular season in one week.
Luka Doncic is still in the hunt for the 2024 NBA MVP. Doncic scored 37 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out 12 assists in the Sunday win, and his case for this prestigious award is as strong as it has ever been.
His path isn’t going to be easy, but there are ways he can shock everyone and win the award.
Luka Doncic’s only way to win MVP this season is clear
The first step in Doncic having a much better shot at winning the NBA MVP is through the Mavs winning out.
The Mavericks sit at the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 48-30 record with four games remaining:
Tuesday- @ Hornets
Wednesday- @ Heat
Friday- vs Pistons
Sunday- @ Thunder
Closing out the season with three road games isn’t easy for a late push in the season. But, this is the challenge for the Mavs. Sure, the Hornets and Pistons are eliminated from the playoffs, but the Heat are battling for a top-six seed and the Thunder are battling for better positioning in the Western Conference.
If Doncic can lead the Mavs to four wins in a row to close out the year, that is one step for his late MVP case. Since March 7, the Mavs are 14-2 and lead the Southwest Division.
While closing out the season with over 50 wins is crucial, outshining his co-star Kyrie Irving and outscoring him in every remaining game could also help his case for MVP.
Irving led the Mavs with 48 points in the Sunday win. However, Doncic’s numbers for the season are remarkable as he is averaging 33.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game. Doncic leads the NBA in scoring this season.
If Doncic can lead the Mavs in scoring in the final four games and capture the scoring title, that will be helpful for him. Since 2014, five of the NBA MVP winners have led the league in scoring.
Doncic’s scoring has been outstanding all year, and it would be bonkers if the Mavs can secure a top-four seed in the playoffs.
Two candidates that have an advantage over Doncic (in terms of team records) are Nikola Jokic on the Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Thunder due to their teams being a top-four seed and having home-court advantage.
The Mavs trail the Clippers by two games for the fourth seed and don’t own the tie breaker. The Clippers won 120-118 in overtime on Sunday against the Cavaliers.
The Clippers’ remaining schedule:
Tuesday- @ Suns
Wednesday- vs Suns
Friday- vs Jazz
Sunday- vs Rockets
The Clippers would have to lose three of the four games and the Mavs would have to win out for home court advantage in round one.
Being a top-four seed would be a helpful case for Doncic to win MVP this season. Doncic’s late surge with the Mavs winning 14 of their last 16 games has helped his case for MVP, but home-court advantage in round one would give an even bigger boost.
Regardless of if Dallas can grab the No. 4 seed over LA, all signs are pointing to them playing in the playoffs this season. This would be a tough matchup for the Mavs, but fans are begging to see another rematch with the Clippers.
For more of the latest on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.
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