The three finalists are Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has won the award twice, the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, who won it last year and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who led the NBA in scoring.
Other names who were being talked about as candidates were Luka Doncic, Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum.
On Sunday, with Khris Middleton sidelined due to a sprained MCL, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a surprising 101-89 win over Tatum’s Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.