ClutchPoints’ NBA MVP Mondays: Luka Doncic’s late-season surge turns heads

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ClutchPoints’ NBA MVP Mondays: Luka Doncic’s late-season surge turns heads

Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Mar 23, 2026 ·

8 min read

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ClutchPoints' NBA MVP Mondays: Luka Doncic's late-season surge turns heads appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

There are a ton of storylines entering the final few weeks of the 2025-26 NBA season, but none are bigger than the Los Angeles Lakers ' surge in the Western Conference. More importantly, all the talk in Hollywood is focused on Luka Doncic and his MVP campaign skyrocketing over the last few weeks.

Could Luka actually overtake Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the favorite for MVP over the final three weeks of the season?

It seems like the Oklahoma City Thunder star has been labeled as the MVP favorite since before the All-Star break, and Nikola Jokic was the clear second choice. But then Jokic suffered a knee injury, and the Denver Nuggets took a step back.

Of course, Victor Wembanyama and his success with the San Antonio Spurs have his place in the MVP rankings cemented, but no other player is doing what Doncic is right now.

Since the start of March, Doncic has averaged 36.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in 12 games while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor and 39.5 percent from 3-point range. Luka ranks first in points (442), shots made (150), shots attempted (350), 3-pointers made (62), 3-pointers attempted (157), and 30-point games (9) in this span.

On top of all of these individual stats, Luka's video-game-like numbers have directly led to success for the Lakers, who are 11-1 since the start of March and have won nine straight games. The last time the Lakers went on a nine-game win streak, they went on to capture their 17th championship.

Could history repeat itself with Doncic leading this version of the franchise?

Only time will tell on the championship front, but as far as MVP goes, Doncic has firmly put himself back in the mix. The only question is whether it is too late or not in the season for the Lakers' superstar to sway the minds of voters.

Well, I'm not voting for MVP this year, but as we head into the final weeks of ClutchPoints' MVP rankings, Doncic has firmly put himself back inside the top 3 and the discussion of this year's race.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder*

Previous ranking: #1

2025-26 season stats: 50 games, 31.6 points, 6.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 55.3 FG%, 39.0 3P%

*Can only miss a maximum of 5 more games to remain eligible.

Since breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record for consecutive games with 20-plus points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had two scares of scoring exactly 20 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Brooklyn Nets . Sandwiched between those games are two 40-point games.

The Thunder have won 11 straight games, the longest active winning streak in the league, and they now lead the Spurs by three games for the top spot in the NBA. Gilgeous-Alexander has had his fingerprints all over the Thunder's success this season, especially given all of their injury concerns.

Despite missing some time before and after the All-Star break himself, Shai has led the Thunder to another remarkable season without Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren consistently being on the court. That alone is another major reason why he will be winning back-to-back MVP awards.

2. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs*

Previous ranking: #3

2025-26 season stats: 56 games, 24.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 blocks, 50.4 FG%, 35.6 3P%

*Can only miss a maximum of 3 more games to remain eligible.

Victor Wembanyama is a man on a mission right now. If you don't believe me, just listen to the man himself:

"Right now, in my mind is taking great care of my body cause I also want to win the MVP and the DPOY," Wemby said recently about the remainder of the season. "So, I'm trying to press the gas from now until the end of the season. Really take care of my treatment, take care of my sleep, take care of my routine, and show up for my team."

Well, there you have it. Wembanyama wants to win the MVP award, and he's putting together just as compelling a case as Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic right now.

Aside from registering at least 20 points and eight rebounds in four of his last five games, Wembanyama has also recorded at least four blocks in three of his last five games. The Spurs' star looks like the best two-way player in the league right now, and with San Antonio still right behind Oklahoma City in the West standings, that is enough for Wemby to be No. 2 on the MVP rankings.

3. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers *

Previous ranking: #5

2025-26 season stats: 55 games, 32.8 points, 8.5 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 47.3 FG%, 36.5 3P%

*Can only miss a maximum of 5 more games to remain eligible.

There is no other word to describe what Luka Doncic is doing right now other than sensational .

He has not scored below 30 points in nine straight games , and in this span, Doncic has four games with at least 40 points, two with at least 50 points, and one 60-point performance.

At this point, we may wind up seeing Doncic come close to what Bam Adebayo just did when he scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards . Funny enough, Luka and the Lakers will see the Wizards on March 30, so who knows?

The Lakers are winning games, Doncic is putting up Wilt-like scoring numbers, and perhaps the most unrecognized area of growth for him over the last few weeks that the stats won't tell you is that Luka has really stepped up his intensity and physicality on defense.

Doncic has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for back-to-back weeks, and he leads the league with four Player of the Week awards this year. It won't be long until Luka wins the Western Conference Player of the Month award once March concludes.

4. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets*

Previous ranking: #2

2025-26 season stats: 56 games, 28.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 57.3 FG%, 38.5 3P%

*Can only miss a maximum of 1 more game to remain eligible.

Nikola Jokic has put together a masterful season. No matter what statistic you look at, he's right at the top of the league in it, and to average a triple-double for the year is no small feat.

Unfortunately, between his untimely knee injury and the Denver Nuggets' struggles as a result of injuries across the board, his MVP stock took a major hit entering the All-Star break and coming out of it for the final stretch run of the season.

While the MVP is an individual award and we've seen Jokic be a one-man team throughout his career at certain times, his turnover rate and overall efficiency have plummeted this last month compared to the likes of SGA, Wemby, and Doncic. Jokic had 10 turnovers against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, and he is averaging 4.8 turnovers per game in March.

That isn't the right recipe to win MVP, and neither is your team being well below all three players' teams above you in the MVP rankings.

5. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics

Previous ranking: #6

2025-26 season stats: 64 games, 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 47.7 FG%, 34.3 3P%

Jayson Tatum may be getting all the attention now that he is back on the court for the Boston Celtics, but Jaylen Brown has put together his best season in the NBA. Quite honestly, it's not an overstatement to call him the best two-way wing in basketball right now.

Brown has led the Celtics to being a top team in the Eastern Conference in what many thought would be a gap year, and he's averaged career highs in almost every major statistical category. As of late, Brown has been the main reason for Boston's success.

Over his last four games, where the Celtics have gone 3-1, Brown has averaged 33.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from 3-point range. He also scored 41 points on Mar. 16 against the Phoenix Suns , his sixth 40-point game of the season.

After ranking sixth last week, Brown has pulled ahead of Cade Cunningham in the MVP rankings, as the Detroit Pistons ' star suffered a collapsed lung and is expected to miss extended time, which would make him ineligible for the award.

Just missing the cut

6. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons [Ranked No. 4 last week]*

7. Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks [Ranked No. 10 last week]

8. Kevin Durant – Houston Rockets [Ranked No. 8 last week]

9. Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers [Ranked No. 9 last week]

10. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves [Ranked No. 7 last week]

*Signals player is in danger of meeting 65-game minimum threshold for awards/accolades.

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