March 20, 2026, 9:29 p.m. PT
Luka Doncic has been playing fantastic basketball all season long, but lately, he has stepped things up and risen to an even higher level of play. In recent weeks, there has been talk that he may not be getting enough consideration for this season’s NBA MVP award, especially considering the gigantic numbers he has been putting up.
On the season, he’s averaging a league-high 33.4 points, as well as 7.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.6 steals a game. During the Los Angeles Lakers‘ current eight-game winning streak, he’s at 40.9 points a game on 50.2% field-goal shooting and 42.2% 3-point shooting. He is starting to consistently deliver in crunch time, and his defense, which has always been a bone of contention, has gotten noticeably better.
It seems almost certain that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will end up winning the MVP for the second year in a row. But Doncic has moved up two spots in just a week on NBA.com’s MVP ladder to No. 2, right behind Gilgeous-Alexander.
“These last two scorching weeks by Dončić can compare with the best two weeks this season of anyone on the list,” wrote Shaun Powell. “And his might be better if you apply the context — against quality teams ([New York] Knicks, [Denver] Nuggets, [Minnesota] Timberwolves, [Miami] Heat, [Houston] Rockets twice) and as the Lakers attempt to lock in a top-four seed and home-court advantage for the playoffs. In that span he has a 60-pointer, a 50-pointer, a 41-pointer, 31- and 30-point triple-doubles and big shots to help the Lakers win 11 of their last 12 games.
“Oh — and defense! Dončić has leveled up on that side of the floor. They don’t have this late success without him sprucing that part of his game. This combination is contributing to his generous leap on the ladder.”
With Doncic working his magic at seemingly something close to a peak level, the Lakers have risen from sixth place to third place in the Western Conference with a 45-25 record.
It is unclear what it would take for Doncic to actually win the MVP award this season, especially since the definition and criteria of the NBA MVP seem to be subjective and vary from voter to voter. But he may have a chance to convince those who cast their ballots that he deserves the honor when the Lakers face the Thunder on April 2 and April 7. As unlikely as it sounds, twin victories over the defending world champions could give the Slovenian something of a realistic shot at his first Michael Jordan Trophy.