Suns coach Mike D'Antoni says the race for the NBA's Most Valuable Player still is between Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki, despite reports of a third contender.

"Who's the third?" D'Antoni asked Wednesday.

"I love Kobe," D'Antoni said of Bryant, answering his own question. "I think Kobe is great. I just don't know if (the Lakers have) played well enough."