Luka Dončić Is Changing the MVP Race | The Rachel Nichols Show

The Lakers played the Heat last night, but I also want to talk about the game they played a few days ago against Toronto. Luka scored 45 points, his third 40-point game in his previous four. But the numbers that mattered the most to me were on the other end. 15 rebounds, every one of them on the defensive glass. Five steals, three charges. No one's had five steals and three charges in a game since the league started tracking those plays over a decade ago. That matters for not just the Lakers season, but the MVP conversation. Because last spring, that one end of the floor was a major factor in keeping him off the top of ballots, my ballot included. Going into the Heat game, Luka was leading the league in points per game, averaging around two steals, and blocking shots at a higher rate than at any point in his career. Personally, I'm just excited to see the player I've always so admired in May now showing up in the fall. If that's what we get for the rest of the season, But not only does he have a very good chance to finally win the NBA's highest individual honor, but the Lakers have a good chance to win some hardware of their own.