Week 15 NBA MVP race: James Harden holds steady at the top USA TODAY Sports’ top five candidates for the 2016-17 NBA MVP award Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2kCrAlZ Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden reacts during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. USA TODAY Sports’ top five candidates for the 2016-17 NBA MVP award .