Don't Count out Giannis Antetokounmpo for NBA MVP

The NBA MVP race is closing in epic fashion.

After ESPN reported a straw poll of media members that had Nikola Jokic considerably ahead of the competition to win back-to-back MVP awards, Giannis Antetokounmpo has reopened the conversation with back-to-back heroic performances.

On the heels of consecutive 40-point outings and game winning plays, the reigning Finals MVP has made this a heated award race heading into the final week of the regular season.

Here are the updated odds from WynnBET Sportsbook:

NBA MVP Odds

• Nikola Jokic: -215
• Joel Embiid: +175
• Giannis Antetokounmpo: +550

After Tim Bontemps' straw poll of 100 media members showed Jokic ahead of the then-favorite Joel Embiid, with Giannis in the mix as well, the two big men flipped places on the oddsboard.

Bomtemps' results indicated that Jokic finished with 860 total points, with Embiid following behind at 719. Giannis Anteokounmpo finished with 593 points, as well as nine votes to finish first in NBA MVP.

However, since then, the voters may be compelled to change their minds after Antetokounmpo's incredible play. First, he had 40 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, highlighted by the game winning block on fellow MVP candidate Embiid.

He followed it up with a 44-14-6 outing against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, hitting the game tying shot to force overtime and the game winning free throws with a few seconds left in the extra session.

Jokic is still the rightful favorite as of this writing, especially since we know where many voters heads are at during this process. But, Antetokounmpo is putting on a serious push to come in and swipe the award from the Nuggets big man. It would certainly help if he can catch LeBron James to take home the scoring title as well.

Embiid's candidacy is dwindling as the Sixers sputter down the stretch, and Antetokounmpo is catching Jokic quickly as Milwaukee sits a half-game out of the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed, setting up for a fascinating end to the regular season.