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The top five this week in the 2018-19 Kia Race to the MVP Ladder:

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1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

In a win Thursday against the Celtics, Giannis Antetokounmpo was a go-to guy.

Last week: No. 1

Season stats: 27.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks

With only 24 games left in the season, the Bucks have a finite amount of time to explore the possibilities with another giant floor-spacer (Nikola Mirotic) playing off Antetokounmpo. The All-Star Game -- the defense-free exhibition that it was – proved a great reminder of how devastating “The Greek Freak” can be with better shooters and talent on his side. Make no mistake: Antetokounmpo was a dominant force for most of that game despite not winning MVP honors. Mirotic offers that help in smaller increments while changing things for these Bucks. Budenholzer’s ability to design schemes that play to the supporting cast’s strengths will only serve to boost Antetokounmpo’s stock. And with Harden, Curry, Paul George and the rest of the field breathing down his neck, Antetokounmpo will need every possible edge he can get to crash the MVP party he’s been on the outside of the past two seasons.

2. James Harden, Houston Rockets

James Harden notched his 32nd straight game with 30 or more points.

Last week: No. 2

Season stats: 36.5 points, 7.7 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals

As much as Harden would no doubt love to win a second straight Kia MVP, the Rockets’ star has bigger issues to deal with in the stretch run. “I'm not worried about MVP,” he said. “I'm just excited for the second half of the season, getting a full, healthy roster and taking it from there.” Harden is trying to secure a top-four seed in a rugged Western Conference playoff chase. The side benefit for his MVP chances is that to obtain that playoff goal, he’ll most certainly have to continue playing at the level that rescued the Rockets after an 11-14 start. He has more help now, what with both Chris Paul and Clint Capela back in the mix. And what better motivation for a player who has everything (short of an NBA title) than to see if he can keep his 30-point scoring streak rolling, too? Harden doesn’t have to favor one priority over another … they’re all intertwined until the very end.

3. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder

Paul George is more than enjoying himself in his second season with OKC.

Last week: No. 3

Season stats: 28.7 points, 8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.3 steals

It’s a credit to George that the MVP chase is a legitimate three-player competition right now and not just an Antetokounmpo-vs.-Harden sprint to the finish. In terms of this season’s best two-way players, George is right there with Antetokounmpo. George’s improvement in that department from last season to this one is nothing short of amazing. He’s shooting an absurd 45.8 percent on 3-pointers over OKC’s last 13 games (in which it has gone 11-2). Toss in the fact that Russell Westbrook is a walking triple-double every night out and it’s easy to cast George in a new light. The challenge for George now is to hold onto this position as a pack of Kia MVP contenders like James, Curry, Durant, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving and, to a lesser extent, Westbrook, make a late-season charge.

4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry nailed 10 3-pointers to help spur the Warriors on to a win.

Last week: No. 4

Season stats: 28.8 points, 5.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals

Curry was the toast of his hometown during All-Star 2019 in Charlotte, even if his mom, Sonya Curry, made the biggest shot of the weekend. But now comes the real heavy lifting for Curry and the Warriors. They’ll have to work to keep the West’s No. 1 spot as Denver and Oklahoma City give chase, and strength of schedule will be a serious factor for each of those teams. But Curry and the Warriors have the strength of experience component over all comers, in the conference and beyond. A healthy roster, one refreshed from a week off for big men Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins, will certainly aid the cause. Curry’s advantage in things is that there will be so much pressure applied to the Warriors’ other stars that he may find his spots a little easier (and certainly as often) as he’d like. This season has made it clear how crucial Curry is to the Warriors operating at their peak. If a third straight title is in the plans, it has to come with Curry playing MVP-level ball on the road to the playoffs and beyond.

5. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid for at least another week.

Last week: No. 5

Season stats: 27.3 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 blocks

It’s unclear how the news of Embiid’s week of rest with a sore knee is going to affect the 76ers and their chances of trying to climb in the Eastern Conference standings. The “load management” for “The Process” is no doubt going to impact Embiid’s status here, where a player’s availability during the stretch run is perhaps the most critical trait for staying in the MVP conversation. That would be a shame, because Embiid was enjoying the finest stretch of his NBA career. Plus, no team needs time for their newly formed core group to develop chemistry than Philly does. The one side benefit of adding Tobias Harris at the trade deadline is that there is a natural pecking order in place for the Sixers while Embiid rests. Harris will get many more reps as a main option with Embiid out, which should pay dividends when the league’s most dominant center in unavailable. Embiid should have plenty of time to stay in/fight his way back into the top-tier mix here -- provided his load management period only lasts a week. Anything longer and it could end up costing him this perch.

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The Next Five

6. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

7. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

8. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

9. Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors

10. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics

And five more: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans; Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers; Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz; D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets; Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

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Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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