Luka Dončić enters the Knockout Rounds having scored 33 or more points in 5 consecutive games.

There is suddenly a sense of urgency in the Emirates NBA Cup because there’s no margin for error anymore. From here, it’s either win or no Bellagio fountains, no Strip, no Sphere and certainly no T-Mobile Arena, the Las Vegas site of the last four teams standing. 

The Knockout Rounds bring that level of drama and in these do-or-die situations, certain players elevate their game to the next level as well. We’ve seen that through the Group Play where a handful of usual suspects, plus a few others who found an extra gear, willed their teams into the quarterfinal round. 

Meaningful games invite meaningful performances and 10 players in particular were good enough to land spots on, yes, the NBA Cup MVP Ladder. 

This is the other MVP race where established stars merely confirm their existence and rising stars get a chance to announce their arrival. A few years ago, Tyrese Haliburton defined the latter when he pulled the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Cup title game, then last summer went to the NBA Finals. 

Group Play is over and the first team to three wins will take the Cup next month. But who will take the MVP in Vegas? Maybe the players listed below will drop some clues. 

Setting the stage for the knockout round: Toronto, Oklahoma City, the L.A. Lakers and Orlando Magic all emerged unscratched from Group Play. None will match up in the quarters, but Knicks-Raptors will be intriguing with a pair of top-five Cup MVP contenders, Jalen Brunson and Brandon Ingram. Both were big contributors to their teams in Group Play, especially in the close-out games that clinched a trip to the knockout round. 

The stat to know: In the best performances over the course his NBA Cup career, Luka Dončić has games of 44, 44 and 43 points. 

What they are saying: “When you look at Luka and the way he’s playing, he’s one of the best players in the world. If you show one pitch and show it too many times, he’s going to be able to take advantage of that … he’s seen everything. He’s playing the game at a very high level.” — Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd on one of his former players, Luka Dončić. 

1. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers

His case: He wrapped up a consistently solid string of Group Play games with 35 points and 11 assists against the Dallas Mavericks, of all teams, in a revenge game against his former team. The Lakers had already clinched a trip to the quarters before tipoff, but Luka had motivation to play 40 minutes, if only to show that his conditioning is officially not an issue anymore. He opened Group Play with 44 against the Grizzlies. Should the Lakers make it to Vegas and a chance to reach the title game for the second time in three years, they’ll arrive with a new centerpiece this time. It’s his team. 

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

His case: He had to play the fourth quarter, but no matter; Shai delivered Friday when necessary even if it meant extended work by his standards. He had 15 of his 37 points in the fourth, and added eight assists. That was good enough to fend off the uprising Suns and send OKC a step further to returning to Vegas. The Thunder lost the Cup title game last year — Shai had an uncharacteristically so-so performance — but he and the Thunder took off and claimed everything else after that lone slip last season. 

3. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

His case: He missed one Cup night — that’s when Landry Shamet had the game of his life with 36 points vs. Miami — but otherwise sparkled for the Knicks in Group Play. Brunson is transitioning from one coach to another and is slowly warming up to Mike Brown’s system. Brunson was easily the best player on the floor Friday with 37 points against the Bucks when the Knicks punched their ticket to the knockout round. 

4. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

His case: If not for Luka, the conversation around the Lakers would be laser focused on Reaves, whose Cup play has been sterling, to say the least. He shot 12-for-15 for 38 points Friday against the Mavericks to close out Group play that saw him score 31 (on 11-for-16 shooting) against the Clippers and 31 with seven assists against the Pelicans. Reaves is having his breakout season, is making a serious bid for All-NBA honors in this short sample size and is now a primary option on the Lakers as they attempt to make another run to Vegas. 

5. Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors

His case: The Raptors became the first team to advance from Group Play and went undefeated, which was somewhat of a surprise. Nonetheless, this was in part due to Ingram, who scored 20-plus points in four straight Cup games. Ingram has actually been consistent throughout the season so far and is putting himself in the All-Star mix. Along with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, Ingram has the Raptors sitting in second place in the East, in addition to the quarterfinals of the Cup. In that sense, the season has progressed better than expected for Ingram and Toronto. 

The next 5:  

6. Norman Powell, Miami Heat
7. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
8. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
9. De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs
10. Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns

And five more (listed alphabetically): Desmond Bane, Orlando Magic; Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns; Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder; Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder; Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs. 

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.