Midseason NBA MVP race: Kawhi Leonard back in top five
USA TODAY Sports' top five candidates for the 2016-17 NBA MVP award (from Sunday, Jan. 15 through Saturday, Jan. 21).
► Power rankings: Jazz nearing top five, Bucks falling
► Rookie of the Year race: Embiid continues to shine
Also receiving votes: Boston Celtics' Isaiah Thomas, New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis
5. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Leonard, who has scored 30-plus points in each of his last six games, re-enters our top five for the first time in a couple of weeks after putting on his best performance of the season in a 118-115 overtime win over the Cavaliers on Saturday night, dropping a career-high 41 points (on 15-of-30 shooting) to go along with six rebounds and five assists. The sixth-year forward is averaging a career-best 25.5 points and 3.2 assists this season as he paces the Spurs toward a second consecutive 65-win campaign.
4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
James struggled from the field (6-of-18, 20 points) during Monday's 35-point rout at the hands of the Warriors, but bounced back with a 21-point (8-of-12 shooting), 15-assist, nine-rebound outing in a win over Phoenix and a 29-point (11-of-16), seven-assist, six-rebound performance in a loss to the Spurs. On the season, the four-time MVP is averaging 25.6 points (most since 2013-14), 8.3 assists (most since 2009-10) and 7.7 rebounds (most since 2012-13) for the 30-12 Cavaliers, who still sit 2 1/2 games ahead of the Raptors for first place in the East.
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3. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
Durant torched his former team for the second time in as many tries on Wednesday night, pouring in a season-high 40 points on 13-for-16 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. He followed that up by dropping 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a win over the Rockets on Friday. On the season, Durant has been efficient as ever, posting a career-high 116.1 offensive rating for the Warriors, who are on pace to become just the third team in NBA history to reach 70 wins, joining themselves and the 1995-96 Bulls.
2. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Westbrook had two triple-doubles in three games this week — his 20th and 21st of the season — but the real headline came off the court, as he was left out of the Western Conference's starting five for the All-Star Game despite the fact that, through 44 games, he is still on pace to become the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double throughout an entire season, with averages of 30.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists. Now ask him how much he cares.
1. James Harden, Houston Rockets
Harden averaged 29.2 points, 10 assists, 8.6 rebounds and shot 48.4% from the floor in five games for the Rockets this week, continuing his campaign to bring the first MVP award to Houston since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993-94. He was incredibly efficient in a 119-95 win over the Grizzlies on Saturday, scoring 29 points on 7-of-9 shooting (4-for-6 from three) to go along with 10 assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. With 28.7-point, 11.6-assist, 8.2-rebound averages on the season, Harden is chasing some history of his own, as he's on pace to join Oscar Robertson as the only players to average at least 28, 11 and eight.
List of voters: USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt, Sam Amick, Kevin Spain, AJ Neuharth-Keusch and Michael Singer; The Arizona Republic's Doug Haller; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery; Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis; Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Charles Gardner; The (Bergen) Record's Steve Popper; HoopsHype.com's Jorge Sierra and Raul Barrigon; USA TODAY Sports Weekly's Howard Megdal.