Regular-season NBA action returns from the All-Star break on Thursday. Teams have as few as 26 games left to secure a playoff seed or lottery position over the next weeks. With the championship field as open as any season in recent memory, here are eight storylines to watch down the stretch.
Milwaukee’s pursuit of history
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a heavy favorite to win his second straight MVP honor at age 25 and join the pantheon of consecutive Most Valuable Player winners: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, LeBron James and Stephen Curry.