Last week: 6

After a white-hot scoring stretch, Durant has shown his age more often lately. The forward has three games below 20 points in his last six and has taken a backseat to a more prominent Suns teammate during Phoenix’s late-season push.

Last week: 8

At the time of this writing, the Lakers are seven games above .500 — the most they’ve ever been during Austin Reaves’ career. James and his usual efficiency are the leading catalysts here, as he guided L.A. on a three-game winning streak last week that should help solidify the Lakers’ still-long playoff odds.

Last week: 7

Look, around these parts, we take losses to the Washington Wizards in a playoff push very seriously. Sabonis deserves credit for keeping the Kings alive in a very competitive race for the Western Conference’s bottom seeds all year. But he had one of his more forgettable all-around games against the second-worst team in the NBA — a matchup Sacramento couldn’t afford to lose. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.

Last week: 10

Phoenix is 7-3 in its last 10 games and is slowly encroaching upon the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the West. The Suns can thank Booker for that, the team’s defacto point guard, as he had two 30-point games while averaging seven assists during a recent winning streak.

Last week: 9

Without running mate Karl-Anthony Towns in the fold, Edwards has been marvelous. The young guard has buoyed the Minnesota offense by himself amid a feverish three-horse race at the top of the Western Conference. Whether this is sustainable for the long term, especially in the playoffs, is a different question. But Edwards leveling up when his team needs it most deserves a lot of credit.

Last week: 5

With the Celtics firmly entrenched as the No. 1 overall seed, they’ve started taking a patient approach to the postseason. This manifests in Tatum sitting out two of his last four March games with an ankle ailment that he’d likely play through if it was a playoff series. At least Boston has its eye on the real prize.

Last week: 4

At this point, an MVP season is probably out of the question for Doncic. Still, he’s averaging a near 30-point triple-double (!) on the year. It’s a shame that all-time performance is coming for the somewhat struggling Mavericks.

Last week: 3

Where Antetokounmpo has taken a measured step back on defense, the difference is palpable in his all-around game. The superstar is averaging over 30 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists on the season. He is by far the biggest reason that the bizarre Bucks have finally solidified themselves as the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed — where most thought they would be at the start of the season.

Last week: 2

At a time when each of the West’s three superpowers has converged on the No. 1 seed, Gilgeous-Alexander has started to taper off. By his high standards, Gilgeous-Alexander’s failure to eclipse at least 30 points in four of his last 10 games is a disappointment. Perhaps more alarmingly, Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficiency has dropped off, too. He has similarly shot below 45 percent in four of his last 10 games. Oklahoma City has a brutal stretch of games coming up this week. How Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder fare will likely be his final best (or worst) case of locking up the MVP.

Last week: 1

The betting market’s current favorable odds on a third Jokic MVP honor paint the picture of inevitability. Why? Because the Serbian all-timer is within reach of only the second 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound, and 500-assist season in league history. (The first was Jokic during his second MVP season.) Also, because the reigning champion Nuggets have been firing on all cylinders since the All-Star break, playing and winning like they expect to win back-to-back titles this upcoming postseason.

All around, the Nuggets have so clearly been galvanized by their listed 6-foot-11, 284-pound leader and MVP in the middle.