Jaylen Brown may be running out of time to gain ground in the NBA's MVP race.
Brown has garnered some MVP buzz by leading the Boston Celtics to a 46-23 record with 28.5 points per game. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is surging ahead as a heavy favorite to defend his crown.
NBA.com's Shaun Powell dropped Brown from fifth to seventh in last week's Kia MVP Ladder. Brown at least inched closer to the top five in Friday's update, moving back ahead of Donovan Mitchell at No. 6.
Gilgeous-Alexander maintained the top spot after setting an NBA record by scoring at least 20 points in his 127th straight game during last week's 104-102 win over the Celtics. Luka Doncic jumped two spots to No. 2 after recording 60 points on Thursday in the Los Angeles Lakers' eighth straight victory.
Western Conference big men Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic each slipped one spot to third and fourth, respectively. Cade Cunningham remained at No. 5, but the Detroit Pistons star could miss the 65-game eligibility requirement after suffering a collapsed lung.
That may allow Brown to finish the season as the Eastern Conference's top MVP candidate. Still, he may not catch up to SGA and Co. over the closing weeks.
Wednesday night's rematch with Oklahoma City is among Boston's 13 remaining regular-season games. The Celtics will first play the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night and host the Minnesota Timberwolves on NBC's "Sunday Night Basketball."
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