Has Luka Doncic Caught Up To Celtics Star Jayson Tatum In MVP Race?
It's likely to be a tough pick for voters
Luka Doncic put on a historic performance Tuesday night, and it has some NBA fans believing the Mavericks star should be the league MVP.
Dallas beat the New York Knicks, 126-121, in overtime at Americans Airlines Center behind its fifth-year guard's remarkable stat line. Doncic scored 60 points, grabbed 21 rebounds and dished out 10 assists.
It was the first 60-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in NBA history. Doncic became the second Mavericks player to have over 50 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Dirk Nowitzki did it back in 2004. The 23-year-old became the seventh player and the youngest player to notch a 50-point triple-double. Furthermore, Doncic became the third player with 50 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game. (All milestones according to ESPN Stats and Info.)
Oddsmakers responded to the three-time All-Star's historic night.
Doncic went from 6-to-1 to 4-to-1 to win MVP after Tuesday at BetMGM, according to Action Network. The Mavericks star had 5-to-1 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, according to Bleacher Reporter, and it shortened to +440 as of Wednesday. This means a $100 bet would pay out $500 or $540 at BetMGM and FanDuel, respectively.
These odds are still behind favorite Jayson Tatum, who has +275 odds at BetMGM, and Doncic is tied with two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic at BetMGM and behind Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has +360 odds to win the award for a third time.
The Celtics believe they have two MVP candidates in Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but voters will have to decide if the former is worthy of the award if Boston continues to be the top team in the NBA.
