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Kia MVP Ladder: The main event is the matchup between Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic.
A thrilling Kia MVP duel in Boston kicks off March, and Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets keep winning in the West.

The TD Garden clash on Friday (7:30 ET, ESPN) between the Boston Celtics headed by Jayson Tatum and the Dallas Mavericks, who are probably the two most divisive contenders for MVP this season, sets the tone for the week.

In a series that is deadlocked 5-5, this encounter marks the stars’ tenth meeting overall.

It also gives the players a chance to support their own candidacies in front of a national audience during a high-stakes match.

But Dallas enters this contest at No. 7 in the Western Conference, having lost two of its last three games. Historically, no player has ever captured MVP for a team seeded seventh or worse, and just three players (Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook and Karl Malone) won from a team finishing sixth.

One stat to know: 60.4 — That’s Tatum’s true shooting percentage. Three players (Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Giannis Antetokounmpo) in league annals have averaged 27 points or more, eight-plus rebounds and four assists with that shooting percentage on a team with a winning percentage of .750 or better.

What they’re saying: “You can’t tell people what they should look for when they vote [for MVP]. That’s the beauty of it.” — Tatum on the importance of winning MVP at this stage of his career.

Keep track of how our MVP rankings continue to evolve throughout the season.

His case: Four-straight triple-doubles propelled four consecutive victories for Denver headed into Thursday’s win against Miami. Nuggets coach Michael Malone passed off to Jokic some well-earned hardware Wednesday after the two-time MVP bolstered his triple-double with three steals.

He recently joined Westbrook as the only players since 1997-98 to post a triple-double before the fourth quarter in at least four consecutive games. All told, Jokic is spearheading Denver’s push to seize the West.