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- Sainz success shows his class as Ferrari rise above the radar
- Verstappen, Norris set for another duel
- Michelle Obama admits fear over vote result, slams Trump
- Sainz takes pole for Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen
- Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps defend Skate Canada pairs title
- Lille score twice in stoppage-time to beat Lens after 'extraordinary' week
- Barca in 'flow' state after thrashing Madrid: Flick
- Curfew extended in French Caribbean territory amid power blackout
- Ruling party set to win Georgia election amid opposition protests
- Lille score twice deep in stoppage-time to beat Lens, Brest win
- NASA astronaut released from hospital after return from ISS
- Lewandowski double as Barca shred Madrid in La Liga Clasico
- Floods hit Saint-Tropez as rains lash south of France
- Japan votes with new PM on shaky ground
- Herve Renard completes surprise return as Saudi coach
- Di Lorenzo fires Napoli five points clear, Atalanta hit Verona for six
- Van Graan has 'utmost respect' for Du Toit as Bath go top of Premiership
- Report details fossil fuel threat to 'Amazon of the seas'
- Michelle Obama to boost Harris, as Trump rages against migrants
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- World champion Malinin grabs men's lead at Skate Canada
- Farrell 'sorry' for second Top 14 yellow in Racing win
- Ruling party set to win Georgian elections
- Piastri, Norris set Mexico practice pace as Verstappen struggles
- Lewis century gifts West Indies consolation victory in Sri Lanka
- Guardiola vows to learn from rock-bottom Southampton after tight win
- Rooney 'angry' despite stunning Plymouth fightback in Preston draw
- Opposition, ruling party both shown ahead in Georgia elections
- Venezuelan prosecutor accuses Lula of faking injury as tensions with Brazil rise
- Draper into Vienna ATP final, ensures career-high ranking
- Farrell opens Top 14 try account in Racing victory, ends game in sin-bin
- Opposition tipped to win narrow majority in Georgia election: exit poll
- Haaland fires Man City to top of Premier League, Villa held
- West Indies set 195 to win rain-hit Sri Lanka ODI
- Leipzig beat Freiburg to go top, Dortmund lose away again
- Shelton downs friend Fils to reach Basel final
- Di Lorenzo fires Napoli past Lecce and five points clear
- Hussain says Pakistan have found 'kryptonite to Bazball' with England series win
- Seven dead in overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine
- Tehran presses on, uneasy after Israeli strikes
- Masood says Pakistan need stability after famous England win
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- Santner heroics seal historic New Zealand Test series win in India
- Brignone wins ski World Cup opener as Shiffrin flops
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- Israel hits Iran military sites in retaliatory strikes
- Santner heroics seal New Zealand's first Test series win in India
Jokic, Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander finalists for NBA MVP award
Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the three finalists for the NBA Most Valuable Player award, the league said Sunday.
The league unveiled three finalists for each of its individual awards for the 2023-24 regular season.
Serbia's Jokic is an MVP finalist for the fourth straight season while France's Victor Wembanyama is in the running for both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Jokic, who led the Nuggets to the title in 2023, won the MVP in 2021 and 2022 and finished runner-up in voting behind Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
This season Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists for Denver, which finished tied atop the Western Conference with Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder but are seeded second in the playoffs as the Thunder own the tiebreaker.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.0 steals this season. Doncic led the league in scoring, averaging 33.9 points, to go along with 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the Mavs.
Gilgeous-Alexander's teammate Chet Holmgren and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller joined San Antonio's sensational Wembanyama in the battle for Rookie of the Year.
Wembanyama set a slew of records in his first NBA season, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals, while Holmgren averaged 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds for Oklahoma City after missing the 2022-23 season with a foot injury.
Miller averaged 17.4 points and made 184 three-pointers this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, is again among the finalists for the award alongside French compatriot Wembanyama and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.
Gobert led Minnesota to the league's best defensive rating and averaged 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. Adebayo, one of the league's most versatile big men, averaged 10.4 rebounds plus a steal and a block per game, while Wembanyama became a block and steal machine as a rookie, especially after shifting to center full-time midway through the season.
The field for Most Improved Player includes 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, Chicago Bulls guard Coby White and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.
Mark Daigneault of Oklahoma City, the Timberwolves' Chris Finch and the Orlando Magic's Jamahl Mosley are the nominees for Coach of the Year.
The winners of the awards, elected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, will be announced during the playoffs, starting on Tuesday.
J.Oliveira--AMWN