OKLAHOMA CITY — Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic finished third in Most Valuable Player voting behind the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Doncic, 24, scored a total of 566 points and received four first-place votes, testament to his impressive season. He averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds in 70 games while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor, 38.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.6 percent from free throws.
Nikola Jokic came out on top with 926 points and 79 first-place votes, followed by Gilgeous-Alexander with 640 points and 15 first-place votes. Doncic finished third with 566 points and four first-place votes, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 192 points and one first-place vote, and Jalen Brunson with 142 points.
The Slovenian quickly became one of the most dominant forces in the league and led the Mavericks to a successful season. His scoring, passing, and rebounding abilities are a threat to any team, and his leadership qualities make him a natural fit as the Mavericks' franchise player.
Jokic joins an elite group of players that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Bill Russell to win his third MVP award in four seasons. Jokic's impressive statistics and leadership qualities made him a dominant force in the league and led the Nuggets to a successful season.
Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists during the regular season, shooting 58.3% from the floor and 35.9% from 3-point range. He led the Nuggets to an impressive 57-25 record, which placed them in second place in the Western Conference behind the Thunder on a tiebreaker.
Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander remain in the Western Conference semifinal matchup, with the Thunder winning Game 1 by a landslide.
read more: Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder to victory over Mavs in Game 1
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read more: Mavs aim to overcome Doncic's knee sprain after leaving Game 1 against Thunder
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