The fifth spot was another tough choice. Jalen Brunson is the beating heart of a Knicks offense that has been a force this season and he could well be No. 5 on my board, but the defensive concerns and credit for that offense also going to Karl-Anthony Towns bumped Brunson down one spot in my book to sixth. By the end of the season, this may flip.

As the Thunder expand their win streak to 15 games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's NBA MVP resume grows even larger.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is new betting favorite to win MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is now the betting favorite to win the NBA's MVP award.

Nikola Jokić, averaging 31.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and shooting 55.4%, delivered back-to-back 40-point games against Victor Wembanyama, who is an MVP contender and Defensive Player of the Year favorite.

The Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to an easy 127-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The wire-to-wire win included a lead as high as 29 points. The Thunder opened with a 13-2 run before the Nets quickly called a timeout.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 points and 10 assists in three quarters, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Brooklyn Nets 127-101 on Sunday night. Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer,