Today in Boston Celtics history, Charles Thomas Scott was born in New York City in 1948. Known as "Charlie" to a number of Celtics fans, the New York native broke the color barrier at the University of North Carolina as that famed institution of higher learning rostered their first Black scholarship athlete in history. He was then picked up by Boston with the 106th pick of the 1970 NBA Draft (there were many more rounds in that era). Before he finished his NCAA playing days, he won a gold medal in the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City, Mexico, along with future teammate Jo Jo White. Though drafted by Boston, Scott instead signed with the American Basketball Association's (ABA -- a competing league that later merged with the NBA) Virginia Squires for most of two seasons.
At the end of that run, Scott switched leagues and had his rights dealt to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Paul Silas in 1972. Scott played four seasons for that club before being dealt to the Celtics for Paul Westphal and draft assets. Scott earned the last of his three All-Star invites in his first season with Boston and a title in 1976, coincidentally against his former team, the Suns.
In three seasons with the Celtics, the UNC alumnus averaged 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
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It was also on this date in 2003 that Celtics center Tony Battie was traded with Kedrick Brown and Eric Williams to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart and draft assets. Battie had been with the team for six seasons. Williams returned to the team for a second stint, and Brown was drafted out of Okaloosa-Walton Community College two seasons earlier. Only Ricky Davis stuck around with Boston for long, Mihm and Stewart lasted less than a season between them.
Finally, it is also the anniversary of former Celtic small forward Kevin Gamble signing with the team in 1988. The Illinois native was drafted out of Iowa by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1987 NBA draft, but he was waived after playing 19 minutes. After stints in the Continental Basketball Association (that era's G League analog), the World Basketball League, and overseas, Gamble was signed by Boston to help cover for an injured Larry Bird.
The former Hawkeye played his way into a starting role by his third season with the Celtics, for whom he played six seasons. He averaged 11.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game with the Celtics.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have hit a rough patch in the early portion of the season, and their latest loss saw their star player take the majority of the blame.
The Cavaliers were upset by the Charlotte Hornets on their home floor on Sunday, losing 119-111 in overtime. To make matters worse, Cleveland was outscored 8-0 in overtime, the first time in 10 years that a team has been held scoreless in an overtime period.
The team’s star guard Donovan Mitchell shouldered most of the blame for the loss when speaking with the media after the game, saying simply, “put this one on me.” Mitchell scored 17 points on just 6-24 shooting from the floor and 1-11 from three-point range while being a team-worst -12.
It was a rather uncharacteristic performance for Mitchell, who is averaging 31.3 points, and 5.4 assists per game this season while shooting 50 percent from the floor, and 39 percent from beyond the arc. Despite his gaudy numbers, the Cavaliers have limped out the gate to start the season after finishing as the Eastern Conference’s top seed just a season ago.
Mitchell and the Cavaliers will look to get back on track heading into the new calendar year. Projected to be a top Eastern Conference team this season, the Cavaliers haven’t answered the bell so far.
Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary.
During the Lakers' 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years.
Chariton Arnold Ferrin Jr. was a basketball star in college while at the University of Utah. In 1944, he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament as the Utes won the national championship, and three years later, he helped the school win a National Invitation Tournament title.
The Lakers took Ferrin in the third round of the 1948 draft, and he spent three seasons in the NBA, with all of them coming as a member of the Lakers. He averaged 5.8 points and 1.6 assists a game during that time and won championships during both of his first two seasons in the league.
After his NBA career ended, Ferrin had a short stint as the general manager of the American Basketball Association's Utah Stars in the 1970s, and afterward, he was the athletic director for the Utes from 1976 to 1985. During his time as athletic director, the Utes won a total of 10 national championships, including four NCAA titles in women's gymnastics.
Stephen Curry is doing everything in his power to keep the Golden State Warriors’ heads above water.
The 11-time All-Star was out of the franchise’s lineup for several contests due to a concerning right quad contusion, but has returned in style.
Curry netted 39 points in his first game back against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, but the Dubs still fell short in the end.
On Sunday night, the four-time NBA champion erupted for 48 points vs. the Portland Trail Blazers, but once again, Golden State came out on the losing end.
That said, the Warriors’ shortcomings as a unit shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Curry recently made basketball history that's never been done by an NBA point guard.
“Steph Curry has the most 45-point games by a point guard in NBA history,” Real Sports wrote on X/Twitter.
Even if Golden State is unable to reach its full potential this season, fans should expect more 45+ point explosions from the best shooter of all time.
Curry isn’t the type of player who can get neutralized regularly, considering he’s been tasked with assuming a bulk of the offensive responsibilities for the seven-time NBA champions.
Curry is averaging 28.5 points per game on 47.3% field goal shooting and 39.1% three-point shooting with Golden State this year. Simply put, the electric 6-foot-2 point guard’s history-making ways won’t stop here.
The Los Angeles Lakers visited the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in a "make-up" game after both teams lost in the quarterfinal round of the Emirates NBA Cup on Wednesday. That meant another matchup between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks, the Suns forward who has always tried to brand himself as a villain of James.
Several times during Sunday's game, the two got involved in some extracurricular activities, and the most notable incident came toward the end of the game. After the Lakers had built a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, Phoenix fought back frantically, and Brooks' 3-pointer with 12.2 seconds left brought it all the way back and gave it a 114-113 lead.
But Brooks bumped James right after that basket and was given a technical foul, which was his second of the game and resulted in his ejection. James was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession and hit two of the three resulting free throws, allowing Los Angeles to escape with a 116-114 victory.
After the game, James gave a measured response when asked about the nature of his competition against Brooks.
“He's going to compete. I'm going to compete. We're going to get up in each other's face. Tried not to go borderline with it. I don't really take it there. But we just competed. And did that almost all the way to the end of the game.”
The animosity Brooks has created between himself and the NBA's all-time leading scorer dates back to the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs when he was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. During that series against the Lakers, he got into multiple incidents with James and got ejected early in the third quarter of Game 3 after committing a flagrant 2 foul on James. Following Game 2 of that matchup, he publicly called the future Hall of Famer "old."
It's one thing for an athlete to try to be, to borrow a term from professional wrestling, a heel. But oftentimes, such an effort sabotages his own team, and that has often been true for Brooks, whether his target has been James or a man on another NBA team.
The Los Angeles Lakers had some time off after getting run out of Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday by the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday's Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal round game. They got back to work on Sunday in a "make-up" game at the Phoenix Suns, who also lost in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.
The Lakers got out to a solid early lead, but after leading 22-16 with 4:54 left in the first quarter, Phoenix responded with a 20-9 run to go up 36-31 at the end of the period. It looked like Los Angeles still had some of the same deficiencies it displayed on Wednesday — it committed 13 turnovers in the first half, and Phoenix consistently capitalized off those mistakes.
L.A. managed to tie the score at 62 at halftime, and finally, late in the third quarter, it found a formula that worked on the defensive end. After trailing 77-71 with just over five minutes to go in the quarter, it scored an amazing 24 unanswered points stretching into the fourth quarter. The Lakers led 99-79 with 8:40 left in the game, and it looked like they were on their way to an easy win.
But they had to make things hard on themselves. They lost discipline and started to milk the clock offensively instead of continuing to play with some pace, which allowed Phoenix to continually nip away at their lead. After Marcus Smart had a layup attempt blocked with 20 seconds remaining, Dillon Brooks hit a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound to put Phoenix ahead 114-113 with 12 seconds left.
Luckily, the Suns lost just enough composure after that. After hitting that trey, Brooks bumped LeBron James and was called for a technical foul. James missed the technical free throw, but he was then fouled on a 3-point attempt on the ensuing possession. He made two of the three resulting free throws, and after Grayson Allen missed, Marcus Smart was fouled. Smart made the first foul shot and intentionally missed the second to provide the finishing touches on a 116-114 Lakers victory.
Ultimately, the Lakers earned this victory. They pounded the offensive boards and had a 24-10 edge in offensive rebounds and a 54-37 overall advantage in rebounding, not to mention 25 second-chance points. They also attempted 43 free throws compared to 25 for Phoenix, and while they committed a total of 22 turnovers, Phoenix had 20 turnovers of their own.
Rui Hachimura: D
Hachimura wasn't aggressive offensively in this game, and when he did look to shoot the basketball, he couldn't get his shot to fall. He took only five shot attempts, four of which were 3-pointers, and he made only one of them, which limited him to three points. However, he did have seven rebounds, two steals and one assist in 31 minutes to help the Lakers' cause.
Marcus Smart: C-plus/B-minus
Smart went 2-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range, giving him eight points, but he helped out in other areas. He had four rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal in 32 minutes, and he was one player who helped the Lakers outhustle and outwork Phoenix for a good chunk of the second half.
Deandre Ayton: A
Ayton went 10-of-11 from the field, and he wasn't just getting easy layups near the rim. Six of his made baskets came outside the restricted area, and two of them were taken from outside of the paint. He ended up with 20 points, but that wasn't the best aspect of his performance on Sunday.
His effort on the boards was very impressive. He fought hard for rebounds and ended up with 13 of them, and in his spare time, he contributed two steals and one block in 30 minutes.
LeBron James: B
It's starting to look like James is settling back into a superstar level of production after taking some time to get into game shape following his 14-game absence to start the season. Versus Phoenix, he shot 8-of-17 from the field and scored 26 points, to go along with four assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Had the Lakers bothered to shoot better than 7-of-37 from downtown, James would've easily had a few more assists.
He did, however, commit eight turnovers, with six of them coming in the first half. So far this season, he has kept his turnovers down, but over the years, ball security has been a problem for him at times.
James and his old adversary, Dillon Brooks, got into it a couple of times during this game, other than in the final seconds when Brooks bumped him. In the first half, Brooks pushed James, and in the third quarter, James apparently retaliated by committing an offensive foul on the forward. As has often been the case, Brooks' desire to be the villain backfired — his collision with James near the end of the game got him ejected, as he was called for his second technical foul.
Luka Doncic: D-plus
Doncic just couldn't get his shots to go through the hoop consistently in this game. He went 7-of-25 overall and 2-of-14 from 3-point land, and outside of the second quarter, he made only four of his 20 shot attempts. He finished with 29 points, six assists, three rebounds and one steal. This was the first time in exactly a month he didn't reach 30 points in a game.
The Slovenian superstar also had problems with ball security. He committed five turnovers in the first half and six for the game, and like James, he has had turnover problems over the years.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B-plus
Vanderbilt made only his second appearance in the Lakers' last 11 games, and he got meaningful playing time for the first time in about a month. It is fair to say he made the most of the 15 minutes he received on Sunday.
He entered the game to start the second quarter, and just 18 seconds into the period, he scored a bucket right after getting an offensive rebound. A few minutes later, he drew a moving screen violation on the Suns. Midway through the second quarter, he got a steal and drew a clear path foul, which resulted in two made free throws for him and a made basket by Doncic on the Lakers' subsequent possession.
Vanderbilt's energy defensively and on the boards made a palpable impact, and he led the Lakers in plus-minus with a plus-13. He grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals, and he scored seven points on five shot attempts. He will never be any type of offensive threat, but he will always be a grinder who will make a real impact on the court whenever he wants to.
Jake LaRavia: B-minus/B
LaRavia, as has been the case too often this season, had trouble hitting, as he went 2-of-9 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point tries. But he had eight rebounds, and he played some effective, opportunistic defense in this game, especially in the second half. He tallied two steals and two blocks, and his defensive pressure helped force a number of Suns mistakes when L.A. made its big run in the second half.
Jaxson Hayes: A-minus/A
In 18 minutes, Hayes snatched nine rebounds, scored 12 points on 4-of-4 field-goal shooting and 4-of-5 from the free throw line and added two assists. During the third quarter, he ran the floor hard on a fast break off a LaRavia steal, and LaRavia fed him for a poster dunk while he got fouled.
He has been playing with very good energy this season, which has allowed him to ably fill in for Ayton when Ayton has gotten rest.
Gabe Vincent: C
In 19 minutes, Vincent made two of his five shot attempts and one of his three 3-point attempts to score five points, and he also had one steal.
Stephen Curry continues to do amazing things on the hardwood thanks to his remarkable three-point shooting.
The 37-year-old Golden State Warriors superstar routinely embraces his responsibilities as the franchise’s top scoring threat, allowing him to deliver regardless of the circumstances.
“Steph Curry passes Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games after turning 30 years old,” Real Sports stated on X/Twitter.
Curry passed the Chicago Bulls legend for most 35-point games after turning 30 on Friday night, but clearly didn’t feel inclined to stop there.
The Davidson product was able to surpass Jordan a second time by recording 48 points on 63% field goal shooting and 66.6% three-point shooting in the Warriors’ 136-131 loss to the Trail Blazers on the road.
While Curry is likely impressed by his own record-breaking/history-making ability, it’s reasonable to assume he isn’t thrilled with the franchise’s inability to find a rhythm and rattle off several wins in a row.
The Dubs are now under .500 following their most recent Western Conference loss, which should be the final straw for Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Dubs.
If the seven-time NBA champions don’t complete a blockbuster trade to help Curry inch closer to winning his fifth title, the future Hall of Fame’s heroic efforts may sadly go to waste this season.
The Detroit Pistons had not one, not two, but three players land on ESPN’s list of the top 25 NBA players under 25 years old.
First, there’s star guard Cade Cunningham, who has blossomed into one of the absolute best guards in the entire NBA. Cunningham was selected to his first All-Star and All-NBA teams last season, and he’s built on that momentum so far this season. As a result, he ranked No. 3 on ESPN’s list, behind only Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards.
From ESPN:
“For a second straight season, Cunningham is on an All-NBA pace. He ranks first in fourth-quarter points and second behind last year's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in total clutch points. Cunningham has at least 20 points and 10 assists in 11 games this season.”
Cunningham is the best player on the Pistons, but he has help, including from Jalen Duren, who is in the midst of a breakout season in Detroit. He’s averaging career-highs across the board – 18.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks per performance.
Duren is poised to potentially make his first All-Star appearance this season, and he’s also in the Most Improved Player conversation. As a result, he was ranked as the 14th-best player under 25 by ESPN.
Lastly, guard Ausar Thompson placed No. 24 on he list and was lauded by ESPN for his defensive prowess.
“Thompson is the quarterback of a Pistons defense that ranks fourth in both efficiency and in total points off turnovers,” Bobby Marks wrote of Thompson. “Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Thompson has held opponents to 40% as the contesting defender. That ranks fourth best among 291 players to contest at least 400 shots, per GeniusIQ tracking.”
With three of the top young players in the league on the roster, the future is bright in Detroit.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points, but an inefficient second quarter (18 points) proved to be too much to overcome as the the Thunder lost by two in a tight Western Conference matchup.
On the other side of the floor, Victor Wembanyama looked dominant in his return from injury posting 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. San Antonio ended with four scorers of 22 points or more (Fox, Vassell and Castle in addition to Wembanyama).
The game gave fans a preview of what is to come in the Western Conference as both the Thunder and Spurs are expected to be dominant forces for many seasons.
After the game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander anticipated that fact, praising San Antonio. When asked about the two teams developing a rivalry, SGA had this to say: “Possibly, yeah, there’s a good chance. They’re young, really good, have a lot of talent, play the right way. Yeah, definitely a possibility. I’ve noticed that anything can happen in a couple of years.”
Oklahoma City won't have to wait long in order to get their revenge, as the two teams are set to face off once more on Dec. 23.
In the meantime, they'll look to get back into the win column on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers. If the Thunder win their next five games, they'll remain on pace with the 2015-16 Warriors for the best record in NBA history, as Golden State suffered their second loss in their 31st game of the season (29-2).
The Hawks center has been dealing with an illness and is expected to undergo further evaluations. Porzingis has missed seven of the past nine games.
The Hawks (14-12) are hosting the Philadelphia 76ers (14-10) Sunday, Dec. 14 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta in a battle of Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls.
Porzingis was previously diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome last season while playing with the Boston Celtics. He missed significant time with Boston as a result of the POTS.
The condition “causes a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue," according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Jonathan Kuminga's long-term future with the Golden State Warriors is once again the topic of conversation. The explosive forward spent this past summer at loggerheads with the franchise over a new contract. And now, just two months into the season, discussions about a potential Kuminga trade have already begun.
Kuminga enjoyed a bright start to the season. He was part of Kerr's starting unit for the first 12 games of the season. He was also part of the starting lineup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 6, where he struggled from the field, going 1-for-10 over 21 minutes. In the two games that have followed, Kuminga has been glued to the bench.
When speaking to the media about Kuminga's future on Dec. 11, Kerr gave a well thought-out answer.
"I can imagine it's not easy for him," Kerr said. "And we've talked about the situation. My desire for JK is to become the best player he can possibly be, regardless of where he ends up, whether it's here or elsewhere. I tell my guys a lot, there are so few players who end up playing for one team their entire career. It rarely happens. I played for six different teams. None of us knows what's going to happen with JK or with pretty much any of our guys, although I would advise Mike not to trade staff. This is part of being in the league, and I've talked to Moses about this. I've talked to JK about it. I've talked to most of our guys. Really. It's a weird business to be in because you have to fully commit to the team that you're playing for, knowing full well that that team may trade you or cut you."
Unfortunately for Kuminga, it's clear that he's not an ideal fit for how the Warriors are trying to play. It's also clear that he would be better served on a team that can afford him the playing time he needs to reach his full potential. With that in mind, it's logical that he's once again at the forefront of trade talks surrounding the Warriors.
Here’s Steve Kerr on the business side of the Jonathan Kuminga situation and the impact of the looming January 15th trade eligibility date
“I can imagine it’s not easy…My desire is for JK to be the best player he can be, regardless of where he ends up, here or elsewhere.” pic.twitter.com/egNDSYK3zX
So, as we get closer to the Feb. 5 trade deadline, it will be interesting to see what teams emerge as potential front-runners for Kuminga. And, more importantly, what those potential trade packages will look like. After all, a deal has to make sense for Golden State in order for them to sign off on a trade.
Boston Celtics starting center Neemias Queta has been making strides on both ends of the court. And he has been putting in the work sharpening his skills in the pick and roll to make himself more of a threat on the offensive end of the court with Boston's backcourt players like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
The Portuguese big man spoke about that process of growth after a recent Celtics practice, specifically with how his two-man game with Pritchard has been going with the focus on that aspect of his game. "It's getting better, like everything we do," said Queta via CLNS Media.
"It's different when you get to run it every day," added the Celtics center. "You get more repetitions with it."
"I'm figuring out his game more and figuring out how to get him open more, what he likes, what he doesn't like," continued Queta.
"He's getting to know how I get out of screens too. It's a work in progress, and we're getting better at it."
The Sacramento Kings have lost six of their last seven games, and they’ll have a tough time getting back on track in tonight's matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That said, Maxime Raynaud has stepped up big for Sacramento, and my Kings vs. Timberwolves predictions expect that strong play to continue despite his team's struggles.
Here are my best NBA picks for this Western Conference showdown on Sunday, December 14,
Kings vs Timberwolves prediction
Kings vs Timberwolves best bet: Maxime Raynaud Over 21.5 points + rebounds + assists (-110)
Maxime Raynaud has stepped up for the Sacramento Kings in Domantas Sabonis' absence, posting at least 22 PRA in four straight games and five of his last six.
With Sabonis out again tonight, Raynaud is in line for another start, which should lead to another productive showing.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are middle-of-the-pack in points allowed in the paint per game this season, but over their last 10, they've surrendered the seventh-most paint points.
Though the Wolves sport a formidable defense, Raynaud has performed well against the Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets — proving he can post strong numbers against strong opposition.
The big man should be heavily involved tonight as he takes on Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt. Expect him to clear this combo line for a fifth straight contest as a struggling Sacramento squad gives him plenty of run.
Rudy Gobert has recorded 10 double-doubles this season, and he's done so in two of three matchups with the Kings. Sacramento has allowed the most points in the paint and the fifth-most rebounds per game.
Minnesota is just 9-16 ATS, and the Wolves are 0-3 ATS across their last three games as double-digit favorites. Sacramento covered as double-digit underdogs in its previous matchup with Minnesota.
Kings vs Timberwolves SGP
Maxime Raynaud Over 21.5 points + rebounds + assists
Rudy Gobert double-double
Kings +12.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Big men balling
Julius Randle is averaging 23 points per game this season, and he's scored at least that many in 13 of 25 appearances. That includes seven of 12 games at home.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have hit the team total Over in 30 of their last 46 home games (+11.70 Units / 22% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Timberwolves.
How to watch Kings vs Timberwolves
Location
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date
Sunday, December 14, 2025
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBCS California, FDSN North
Kings vs Timberwolves latest injuries
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The final for the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup is set, with the New York Knicks representing the East... and the San Antonio Spurs in the West, following a shocking upset of the heavily favored OKC Thunder in the semifinals.
The opening odds for the final had the Knicks favored, but follow for the latest Emirates NBA Cup odds right up until tip-off on Tuesday, December 16.
2025 NBA Cup odds
Opening NBA Cup Championship odds
Spread: Spurs +2.5 | Knicks -2.5
Moneyline: Spurs +110 | Knicks -130
Total: Over 227.5 | Under 227.5
NBA Cup groups
The league's 30 teams will all compete in randomly drawn groups for the opening round, divided by conference, as listed below:
East Group A
East Group B
East Group C
TOR 🥇(4-0)
ORL 🥇(4-0)
NYK 🥇(3-1)
ATL (2-2)
BOS (2-2)
MIA 🥈(3-1)
CLE (2-2)
DET (2-2)
MIL (2-2)
IND (1-3)
PHI (1-3)
CHA (1-3)
WAS (1-3)
BKN (1-3)
CHI (1-3)
West Group A
West Group B
West Group C
OKC 🥇(4-0)
LAL 🥇(4-0)
SAS 🥇(3-1)
PHO 🥈(3-1)
MEM (3-1)
DEN (2-2)
MIN (2-2)
LAC (2-2)
HOU (1-2)
UTAH (1-3)
DAL (1-4)
POR (2-2)
SAC (0-4)
NOP (0-4)
GSW (1-3)
🥇: Group winner 🥈: Wild Card
NBA Cup explained
Group Play
Each team will begin the tournament in one of six groups, divided by conference and randomly drawn from tiers based on the previous season's record, to ensure relative competitive balance.
Within each group, all teams will play regular-season games against each other on designated Tournament Nights from October 31 to November 28: Every Friday and also Tuesday, November 25, and Wednesday, November 26.
The records in those games determine who advances to the Knockout Round.
Knockout Round
The Knockout Round is comprised of eight teams, which begins on December 9-10:
The winners of each of the six groups
A wild-card team from each conference (the second-place team with the best record)
The Knockout Round is a single-elimination bracket. Teams in each conference with the best record will get home-court advantage in these matchups.
The semifinals and finals take place in Las Vegas on December 13 and 16, with the winner of each conference facing off for the NBA Cup.
Teams that make the knockout round will be awarded portions of an as-of-yet undisclosed prize pool, increasing the further they make it. A Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team will also be awarded after play has concluded.
Sportsbooks will post odds for the NBA Cup during the prior offseason. These odds are adjusted throughout the season as players switch teams, show steady improvement, or are injured. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NBA odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
NBA Cup odds will usually look like this:
Los Angeles Lakers +1,300
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $1,300 if the Lakers win the tournament. If it's close to the end of the tournament and the NBA has a particularly dominant team, you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
Denver Nuggets -180
This means you have to bet $180 to win $100 on a Nuggets tournament win.
Above we have listed the American odds. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool. And don't forget to check out our NBA forum if you're interested in chatting with other basketball bettors about NBA odds.
Today in Boston Celtics history, Jamel Thomas debuted for the stored franchise in 1999. An alumni of Providence College, Thomas was not picked up by any ball club in the 1999 NBA Draft despite his well-known sterling familial basketball pedigree.
Part of a notable basketball clan that was made up of his brother, Sebastian Telfair, and cousin Stephon Marbury, the Celtics saw potential in the Brooklyn, New York native, and inked Thomas to his first NBA contract on Dec. 13, 1999. The 6-foot-6 wing only had a three-game stint with the Celtics, though. His first game was a 117-88 drubbing by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thomas produced 4 points, 2 assists and a rebound in just over 8 minutes of playing time. The New Yorker hit 2 of his 4 field goal attempts, of which none were 3-point attempts, and did not get to the line -- but he also did not foul or commit a turnover.
The trio of games Thomas played for the Celtics did not evidently inspire confidence. The former Providence standout was waived on Dec. 23, 1999.
Historic milestones
It was on this date in 2005 that the Celtics held the Indiana Pacers to 71 points in an 85-71 win. The 71 points was one of the lowest point totals in modern NBA history.
Boston was led by Paul Pierce's 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, and Mark Blount's 22 points and 5 boards.
Rest in peace
Today is also the date former Boston big man John Mahnken left us in 2000. Born in 1922 in West New York, New Jersey, Mahnken played his NCAA ball for Georgetown, serving in the Army in the World War II. He played for a number of BAA (a precursor league of the NBA) teams before he was traded by the (then) Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now, Atlanta Hawks) to Boston in 1950.
He played four seasons for the Celtics with a brief stint in-between with the (defunct) Indianapolis Olympians before retiring in 1953, averaging 3.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Finally, 14 years earlier in 1986, former Celtic Dick Mehen passed away. The Tennessee grad was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1922, and signed with the (defunct) Toledo Jeeps of the National Basketball League (NBL - a precursor league of the NBA, not to be confused with today's NBL of Australia) after going undrafted in the 1947 BAA Draft.
Mehen played for that team, the (defunct) Waterloo Hawks and the (also defunct) Baltimore Bullets before he was dealt to Boston for Kenny Sailors and Brady Walker in 1950. The West Virginian played seven games for the Celtics, averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 boards and 1.6 assists per game.
After five losses in their last six games, all of which came on the road, the South Bay Lakers returned home to face the Rip City Remix, a team they defeated 141-130 nearly a week ago in Oregon.
At the UCLA Health Training Center, the Lakers were red-hot offensively early. They scored 41 points in the first quarter and held the lead for most of the first half en route to a 76-68 halftime lead. But afterward, South Bay went into a drought and got caught up in a dogfight.
With 2:50 to go in the fourth quarter, it trailed 117-108, and despite scoring six points in a row to make things interesting, it ended up on the wrong side of a 122-116 decision.
Power forward Drew Timme led South Bay with 27 points on 11-of-18 field-goal shooting, to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Wing Kobe Bufkin scored 18 points and guard Chris Mañon contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block.
Bronny James made an appearance for South Bay, and he made four of his 10 shot attempts and three of his eight 3-point tries. He finished with 11 points, six assists and two rebounds.
Grabbing Jalen Williams' intentionally missed free throw, Alex Caruso flew to the rim. He grabbed the offensive rebound and flung a desperate heave as the final one second ticked away. No luck. For the first time in over a month, the reigning NBA champion was on the wrong side of a final score.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a frustrating 111-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Their trip to Las Vegas ended after a couple of days as they lost in the 2025 NBA Cup semifinals.
Some in-game gamesmanship occurred before we even started. For the first time in his career, Victor Wembanyama came off the bench. He missed 12 straight games with a calf strain and was on a minutes restriction, but not starting was a curveball everybody whiffed on.
The Thunder took advantage early. Playing with their ideal starting lineup for the first time since the 2025 NBA Finals, they had a 12-4 lead three minutes in. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a signature baseline jumper. Everything went smoothly. They had a 31-20 lead after the first quarter.
And no Wembanyama, either. A surprising decision. But he eventually checked in to start the second quarter. As expected, he completely changed the dynamics. He got it within four points by himself. That turned this into a new ballgame.
After a short first substitution, the Thunder got their lead back up. Caruso's second-chance layup created a 47-31 lead with a little under four minutes left. It felt like they were on the verge of blowing it open. But then Wembanyama checked back in and took over.
Everybody knows what he does on both ends of the floor. When healthy, he's one of the five best players. His presence also rubbed off on the rest of his teammates. The Spurs returned to hitting on their outside shots. Soon after he checked in, San Antonio scored the final 13 points of the first half.
The Thunder only scored 18 points in the second frame. They entered halftime with just a 49-46 lead. The final four minutes went about as disastrously as you could imagine. The Spurs were right back in it. A surprise considering how the game first played out.
After the break, the Spurs' momentum carried over. It didn't take long for them to score 10 straight points in the opening stages of the third quarter. Devin Vassell knocked down an outside jumper to put the Thunder in a 62-56 deficit with a little under eight minutes left in the third frame.
For the first time in forever, the Thunder were punched in the mouth. The offense bogged down. It was the ugliest it's looked since the playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander calmed things down a little, but San Antonio's role players were better than OKC's. The Thunder were in a 78-77 deficit after the third quarter. That meant more crunch time.
The 2025 NBA Cup delivered. Bring up the logistical nightmare it is, but the Thunder and Spurs went back and forth as they seesawed the lead. Chet Holmgren went after Wembanyama a couple of times. And vice versa. That's the matchup everybody wants to see, considering their not-so-subtle rivalry.
Knocking down an outside jumper, Williams gave the Thunder a 101-100 lead with a little under three minutes. And then Wembanyama took over. Carefully monitoring his minutes, the Spurs were able to play their franchise superstar for most of the final frame. He hit an unreal jumper and swished in a pair of free throws.
Down 105-101 with a minute left, the Thunder couldn't answer. Too many missed shots and turnovers finally caught up to them. The final 24 seconds turned into a game within a game. The Thunder intentionally fouled to keep their slim hopes alive. The Spurs did the same to stiff-arm them on the scoreboard. OKC's 32 points in the final frame weren't enough.
After all that, the Thunder couldn't muster up one last good look. Time ran out on them. The buzzer sounded as the Spurs walked away with their biggest win of the season. Comes with the territory as the reigning NBA champion who is in 70-win talks.
The Thunder shot 41% from the field and went 9-of-37 (24.3%) from 3. They shot 24-of-27 on free throws. They had 20 assists on 38 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points and five assists. Holmgren finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. Williams also had 17 points and seven rebounds. Alex Caruso tallied 11 points and eight rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein totaled 10 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Spurs shot 41% from the field and went 13-of-42 (31%) from 3. They shot 24-of-32 on free throws. They had 21 assists on 37 baskets. Four Spurs players scored double-digit points.
Wembanyama had an awesome 22 points and nine rebounds. Vassell had 23 points and five rebounds. De'Aaron Fox finished with 22 points and four assists. Stephon Castle tallied 22 points and six rebounds.
Well, this is the formula to beat the Thunder. If you can ugly up their offense, you have a chance. The Spurs did that with the NBA Cup stakes on the line. Poor outside shooting and uncharacteristic bad ball security slowly made OKC look human for the first time in a while. Any hopes of an NBA Cup were quickly dashed away.
If you're the Thunder, this is just the first of three matchups in two weeks with the Spurs. Two more upcoming dates centered around Christmas will let them get their revenge. It'll be exciting to see how they adjust as Wembanyama has turned into one of the NBA's best players who is uniquely impossible to defend against. The NBA schedule-makers will get their money's worth in those contests.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: B
As Holmgren set a screen, Gilgeous-Alexander found himself up against Wembanyama. Going with his usually reliable stepback 3-pointer, his attempt clanked at the front of the rim. The seven-footer contested his jumper just enough.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points on 12-of-23 shooting, five assists and four rebounds. He shot 1-of-7 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws.
Usually the NBA's most efficient scorer, Gilgeous-Alexander looked more human in this matchup. Sure, he still had above-average efficiency, but not at the marks that have him in the same conversations as Wilt Chamberlain. The Spurs forced him to settle for several jumpers. And with the right mix of perimeter defenders, they made him earn his buckets.
This is probably the most uncomfortable Gilgeous-Alexander has looked in a while. The superb ball security wasn't there either, with five turnovers. That's the other layer of his superpowers that don't get as much shine as his scoring ability. Castle did an excellent job at keeping up with him. San Antonio swarmed him every time he had the ball in his hands.
The NBA's league leader in clutch buckets was jettisoned into the background. This time, it was Wembanyama's turn to get the oohs and aahs from both the Las Vegas crowd and the Amazon broadcast. By the end, it felt like a San Antonio home game.
The Thunder needed more out of Gilgeous-Alexander. He usually delivers when needed. But when you combine his off-night with the rest of the roster not really showing up, you get this result. Alas. That's part of the NBA's ebbs and flows.
Going at Wembanyama, Holmgren drove to the rim. He planted his feet and went with the turnaround jumper. Let's just say things didn't go well. He had his shot loudly rejected. That's the play that will make the rounds on social media, but don't let one bad play wash away everything else he did.
Holmgren finished with 17 points on 3-of-8 shooting and seven rebounds. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 10-of-12 on free throws. He also had one block.
Instead of feeding into his rivalry, Holmgren played winning basketball. He helped the Thunder build up an early advantage. And when the offense dried up, he was the only other consistent scorer who helped Gilgeous-Alexander put up points. His in-game process was awesome.
But then a poor fourth quarter kinda soured things. He only scored four points and he went to the free-throw line plenty of times. A couple of critically missed free throws hurt OKC's percentages to pull off a comeback. Getting blocked by Wembanyama punished the 23-year-old for the tunnel-vision shot in an offense that couldn't get going.
You can criticize Holmgren for his poor second half, but several other Thunder players deserve a larger slice of the blame pie for this loss. It was a poor finish, but he was also one of the main reasons why they were even in that position to begin with.
Leading the fastbreak, Williams bulldozed to the basket, but his layup attempt didn't even reach the air. On the next possession, he went one-on-one with Castle. He got his spot in the elbow, but his mid-range jumper bounced off the rim. That about summed up his night.
Williams finished with 17 points on 5-of-16 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists. He shot 2-of-5 from 3 and went 5-of-6 on free throws. He also had four steals.
The Thunder needed more from Williams. He only had seven points through three quarters. His drives to the basket resulted in several makeable misses. I guess that's what happens when you have to be paranoid about Wembanyama's presence. The jumper also didn't fall — which was the story for everybody in an OKC uniform.
As awesome as Williams is, he occasionally has duds like these. They get magnified when the rest of the team doesn't pick up the slack. Usually thriving in them, the bench lineup minutes were awful. He couldn't get it going as Wembanyama took over the game.
Let's see how Williams responds, but this was a bad game from him. Nobody among OKC's star trio had a stellar performance. At least not to their championship-level standards. They'll get a chance to sit on this loss for four days and see how they can solve San Antonio's defense.
After Ajay Mitchell intercepted Castle's pass, Caruso was ahead in the fastbreak. A cross-court pass landed in his hands. As soon as that happened, he flew off the court. A rare one-handed dunk had the entire OKC bench hyped. You don't usually see those anymore from the 31-year-old.
Caruso finished with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, eight rebounds and three assists. He shot 1-of-3 from 3. He also had three steals.
It came in a loss, but this was one of Caruso's best games of the season. And it shouldn't be a shock to see it happen under the national spotlight. This is about as close as you'll get to the playoffs with the NBA Cup. All of the glitz and glamor involved is duplicated from that environment.
Going back and forth, Caruso almost carried OKC to the finish line. He had seven points in the fourth quarter. Needing to get stops, he was the one on Wembanyama despite the significant size difference — a la Nikola Jokic in last year's playoffs.
If Caruso had better luck, a couple of near-plays in the final moments could've added to his mythos. The first was on a ball that went out of bounds after he committed a foul in the final seconds. If nothing was called, that could've been OKC possession. The second was on the final play as he somehow managed to collect a missed free throw and put up a wild shot attempt.
This is why you brought over Caruso. When there are high stakes involved, he's one of the five players the Thunder trust the most. Even if those consequences feel artificial in the NBA Cup, he doesn't need much convincing to go all out.
Less than two weeks after their first meeting of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns are set to go head-to-head again on Sunday night.
The Suns won the first meeting between the two teams by a score of 125-108, so the Lakers will be looking for some revenge this time around. Luckily, they’ll have their future Hall-of-Famer available for the game.
LeBron James will play vs. Suns on Sunday night
LeBron James, who has been dealing with various ailments throughout the season, isn’t listed on the official injury report for the contest, so he should be good to go. On the season, James is averaging 16.5 points, 7.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds per performance in just eight appearances.
But, while James will be available for L.A. against Phoenix, a few other players won’t be. Austin Reaves, Maxi Kleber and Bronny James have all been ruled out of the game. Reaves, who has been a huge factor in L.A.'s early-season success, is expected to miss a week of action with a calf strain.
Meanwhile, the Suns will be without Jalen Green and Isaiah Livers. Star guard Devin Booker is also listed as questionable for the contest.
Heading into the game, the Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference standings with a 17-7 record while the Suns sit seventh at 14-11. Since they're in the same division, the two teams will play two more times this season after Sunday, including once later this month. They'll also play in late February.
The Thunder held a 49-46 lead at halftime, but were unable to hold off the Spurs, who had four players score 20 points or more.
“When you play close games, you’re not going to win them all,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “I thought we put ourselves in a tough position there, playing from behind down the stretch.”
Oklahoma City gave up 65 second-half points in Saturday’s loss. The Spurs made 13 3-pointers and had 40 points in the paint.
“Sometimes it comes down to make or miss plays,” Daigneault said. “We made some good passes out of double teams and stuff like that, so I thought our offensive attacks were okay. We didn’t get a ton of stop down at the other end.”
Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 29 points on 12/23 shooting. He also added four rebounds and five assists but also had five turnovers. Daigneault said the Spurs did a good job defending Gilgeous-Alexander.
“There was a lot of controllable stuff we can learn from that game that wasn’t where we’d like it to be,” Daigneault said.
The Thunder struggled from 3-point range, shooting 9/37 (24%) from behind the arc.
“It wasn’t our sharpest night,” Daigneault said. “Certainly, our attacks weren’t as sharp as they’ve normally been.”
It was the first loss for the Thunder since a 121-119 defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 5.
The New York Knicks powered past the Orlando Magic 132-120 on Saturday night behind a dazzling performance from guard Jalen Brunson.
Brunson posted 40 points, four rebounds and eight assists against Orlando. He shot 16/27 (59.3%) from the field and went 2/5 from 3-point range. Knicks head coach Mike Brown had high praise for his star point guard after the win.
“When you have an MVP of the league candidate in Jalen Brunson… he makes the game easier for everybody,” Brown said. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do.”
Brunson’s now averaging 28.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game this season. He’s shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.6% from three. The win over the Magic was Brunson’s first 40-point game this season and fourth straight game with at least 30 points.
The Knicks, who’ve won five consecutive games, are second in the Eastern Conference at 18-7, trailing only the Detroit Pistons.
“When you’re first or second in either conference and you’re putting up the numbers he’s putting up, his name his name has got to be one of this first names.”
While Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic are considered the frontrunners for the award, Brown believes Brunson hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves.
“Every time I hear somebody bring up conversation about MVP, you see a lot of other great candidates that are well deserving,” Brown said. “But I don’t ever hear Jalen’s name.”
Brunson and the Knicks will look to win the franchise’s first NBA Cup championship on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Many people were concerned about the Los Angeles Lakers' defensive shortcomings coming into this season, and Wednesday's 132-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs was a reality check about how serious those shortcomings are right now.
In that loss, the Lakers gave up 27 fast-break points and allowed the Spurs to shoot 17-of-38 from 3-point range. It was a constant string of transition opportunities, dribble penetration and 3-point attempts for San Antonio, and Los Angeles was caught flat-footed against that type of attack.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart told the media what happened when the team held a video session on Friday to go over its defensive breakdowns against San Antonio.
"Nobody likes to go watch film after you get your ass kicked. It's tough, 'cause the film never lies. It exposed us a lot, which we already knew….The scouting report against us is we're not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we're trying to do, you have to be able to guard."
Right now, the Lakers rank 21st in defensive rating, 23rd in fast-break points per game allowed, 25th in opponents' points off turnovers per game and 27th in opponents' 3-point shooting percentage. Expect other teams to give the Lakers a steady diet of transition basketball and dribble penetration until L.A. does something to prevent opponents from excelling in those categories.
The Thunder are 24-1 and on pace to win well over 73 games, which would break the NBA record for victories. Their average point differential is plus-17.4, which would be another NBA record. Oklahoma City has the league's No. 1 defense by defensive rating, and its dominance has allowed reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to rest half of the game he's appeared in.
As the Thunder face the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Cup semifinal on Saturday night, Gilgeous-Alexander and company will put their win streak on the line against the Spurs, who can look to the Blazers' example for clues on how to take apart the Thunder's death machine.
On Nov. 5, the Thunder rocked up to the Moda Center in Portland for the second night of a back-to-back with travel. The night before, Oklahoma City had defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 126-107, while the Blazers had been idle after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers two nights earlier.
Guard Lu Dort was ruled out for the game in Portland, while Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams did not play through injury, either.
Even still, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder raced out to a 20-point lead over the Blazers after one quarter, only for Portland to battle back for a 121-119 victory.
Deni Avdija scored a team-high 26 points, hauled in 10 rebounds and finished one assist shy of a triple-double. Jrue Holiday added 22 points, while Jerami Grant came off the bench to add 20.
It remains the Thunder's only loss; Oklahoma City has won its past 16 games. The Blazers have struggled since, with a 9-16 record overall that has Portland on the fringes of the Western Conference playoff picture.
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.
Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.
To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the 14th of 15 players who wore the No. 33 jersey for the Warriors.
That player would be Golden State forward alum Chris Wright. After ending his college career at Dayton, Wright went unselected in the 2011 NBA Draft, playing in other leagues until until he signed with the Dubs in 2011.
His stay with the team lasted until he signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2012.
During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Wright wore only jersey No. 33 and put up 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
With the Sacramento Kings currently sitting at No. 13 in the Western Conference, postseason almost out of the picture, and internal pressure mounting, the franchise appears closer than ever to a rebuild. If that reset comes, rookie center Maxime Reynaud stands as the most compelling piece to build around.
While Sacramento has not officially committed to a rebuild, it is looking increasingly likely that this will be the outcome. With recent speculation mounting, the Kings have the perfect candidate to center an impending rebuild around.
Special Skillset
Reynaud is a seven-footer out of Stanford who was drafted with the 42nd pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, and since getting more minutes, he has looked like a bright spot for Sacramento.
What makes Reynaud so good is not only his height. His 7-foot-3 wingspan allows him to defend well under the rim, and his footwork is also notable, as evidenced by his ability to switch on smaller forwards with ease on the defensive end of the ball.
Over the last four games, Raynaud has been given consistent minutes. Here’s his numbers in this four-game stretch:
16.3 points 6.5 rebounds 1.6 stocks 2:33 AST:TOV 59/42/83 splits an On/Off differential of +10
Sacramento’s current roster complicates his early integration, as Domantas Sabonis remains the offensive hub.
The Kings finished second in team handoff frequency last season, and this handoff-heavy style forces the team into a specific play style that limits the offense.
Why Is Reynaud the Future?
If the Kings stay committed to Sabonis, Reynaud becomes a luxury developmental piece. But if the front office decides a significant overhaul is necessary, Reynaud immediately becomes the blueprint.
Offensively, Reynaud’s potential expands even further. His ability to operate as a dribble-handoff threat mirrors aspects of Sabonis’ game but with more vertical pop and smoother shooting indicators.
NBA front offices increasingly prioritize bigs who can play in space, stretch to the elbows, and facilitate the offense. Reynaud fits that mold. Scouts noted during pre-draft evaluations that his decision-making under pressure was among the most advanced in his class.
The Kings must also consider the free-agency market. Sacramento has historically struggled to attract top-tier free agents, and trading core veterans often produces mixed returns.
Building around a cheap, high-upside center provides financial stability and timeline flexibility, two things the franchise has lacked since the early 2000s. Reynaud represents a rare chance to reshape the organization’s identity around a modern big.
There is no guarantee that Reynaud becomes a star, and the Kings should not force a rebuild purely for the sake of doing so.
But as teams across the league experiment with young cores, such as the reigning champions in Oklahoma City, who had an average age last year of 24.2, the second youngest in the league, in contrast to Sacramento, which ranks third oldest with an average age of 28.2. Sacramento risks falling behind if it clings to a flawed roster out of comfort. Should the Kings choose to reset, Reynaud offers the clearest sign of being a long-term piece for this team.
Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker participated in a second straight practice Saturday, Dec. 13, heading into Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center.
"Responding well," Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Saturday's practice about Booker, who has been sidelined with a right groin strain. "That's encouraging. No issues. Practiced today. We'll just see exactly how it responds. Every day it's a little bit more, but it seemed to be pretty good."
Booker showed even better movement during media viewing after Saturday's practice and has made major progress from how he looked after Wednesday's morning shootaround at Oklahoma City.
The Suns won't have a shootaround Sunday due to the 6 p.m. start.
Devin Booker (right groin strain) for 3 off movement.
"Still you go through the night, see how he responds," Ott said. "There's always that check-in whether we have shootaround or not with all of our guys. We'll continue to see how he progresses, but he looked pretty good when he was out there. That part was really good."
Booker missed Phoenix’s past three games with a right groin strain he suffered in the first quarter of a 125-108 victory Dec. 1 over the Lakers in Los Angeles.
"Looks good, getting back to it day-by-day," Suns forward Ryan Dunn said about Booker after Saturday's practice. "He's been helping off the floor a lot with us so that's been good, but he's taking his time, getting ready for whenever he gets back."
The Suns (14-11) are 1-2 without Booker, the team’s leading scorer at 25 points a game.
"Responding well. That's encouraging. No issues. Practiced today. Just see exactly how it responds."
Suns coach Jordan Ott on Devin Booker (right groin strain) heading into Sunday's game vs Lakers.
"If Book is able to play, that changes some of the dynamics of it all," Ott later said about facing the Lakers. "That's a good thing to add to our group. Gives us confidence anytime we see him out there with our group."
Phoenix is 3-5 in its past eight games.
The Lakers (17-7) are 2-3 in their past five games after their seven-game winning streak was snapped by the Suns.
This matchup was added so that both teams, which lost in the NBA Cup quarterfinals Dec. 10, would have an 82-game schedule.
The Lakers are fourth in the West while the Suns are seventh.
Defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder pummeled Phoenix, 138-89, in handing the Suns their largest margin of defeat ever in the history of the franchise.
“Definitely don't like how that game went, especially for this team, the whole Valley Nation, but we can't dwell on it,” Suns guard Jordan Goodwin said after Friday’s practice. “We still got the Lakers here in a couple of days. So we're trying to get that one.”
The Suns will have had three days between the Thunder game and Sunday's matchup against the Lakers.
"I needed this," Dunn said. "We were on the road a little while. We had some great games, played in some good environments. The whole month of December, we were basically on the road basically the whole month."
Then again, losing to Oklahoma City by an insane 49 points has the Suns itching to play again.
"Normally you do, but when you get your ass kicked, you don't," Suns guard Collin Gillespie when asked about getting some rest. "You want to get back out there."
The San Antonio Spurs took down the Lakers, 132-119, in Los Angeles to reach the NBA Cup semifinals Dec. 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas to take on the No. 1 seeded Thunder.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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Dan Woike: A couple of notes from Lakers practice today. - The Austin Reaves calf strain is minor, and Redick says he expects him to be out a week. Injury happened before SA game at some point. - A lot of talk about trying to re-establish better defensive habits and not given to the team simply being a lousy defensive team. - Jared Vanderbilt said he's eager to try and help solve some of the defensive issues. TBD whether he gets that chance. - Marcus Smart praised Adou Thiero's defensive potential, said he's a willing learner. - Redick said Thiero, because of the knee issues, is still on a minutes restriction. Also said no rookie in history of the NBA has been good off-ball defensively.
Joey Linn: The Clippers canceled practice today and just did film. Ty Lue said the decision was because certain players couldn’t practice, but he wouldn’t say who. “I can’t say. I don’t think I can say that.”
“It definitely helped,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Andscape about the Cup loss earlier this month. “Losing in general helps all the time. It’s easy to learn from losing. It definitely just showed us the formula for losing. The way we played that night, we didn’t give what the game required, and it showed us that.” Magic guard Desmond Bane, who was fined $35,000 earlier this week for unsportsmanlike conduct when he threw a ball at Knicks forward OG Anunoby, summed up the benefits of the NBA Cup on Wednesday after Orlando defeated the Heat to advance to the semis. “That’s huge, man. I just lost $35,000. I gotta go get it back somehow,” Bane said. “But I’m excited. Great opportunity for us to play some meaningful basketball early in the season.”
When it comes to good intel on the Boston Celtics, few out there are more trusted than the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. And Himmelsbach just released an update on what will be the biggest story of the Celtics season, once it happens. We are alluding to the return of injured star forward Jayson Tatum, who has been quite visibly advancing in the rehab of his torn Achilles tendon sustained vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals.
With videos of the St. Louis native playing some (admittedly not NBA game speed) 1-on-1 at the Auerbach Center making the rounds on social media this week, a post by Tatum with an image saying "soon" has kicked up the anticipation to a near frenzy among fans. But per Himmelsbach, it might be a good idea to tap on the brakes just a bit.
"Seven months have passed since Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon during the conference semifinal series against the Knicks, and within the organization he continues to indicate that he would like to return this season," writes the Globe reporter.
"It probably falls somewhere between possible and likely, but a league source stressed that the team remains several steps away from even considering the decision," continues Himmelsbach. "Tatum must still reach several mile markers in his recovery before discussions about a return can be considered."
Knowing what we know about his reporting, it is safe to say that whenever the Duke alum returns to action, it is not going to be this week, this month, or maybe even this calendar year. But given it could still be this season, perhaps it still qualifies as "soon".
Coming into the fourth quarter on Friday, the Cleveland Cavaliers were in a surprising 15-point hole while going against a struggling Washington Wizards team.
Cavs superstar Donovan Mitchell put matters into his own hands, scoring 24 of his 48 points in the game in the final 12 minutes.
His efforts helped Cleveland squeeze past the Wizards to win the game, 130-126.
Donovan Mitchell scores most points in a single quarter this season
Donovan Mitchell's fourth-quarter display was something nobody has done this season.
It was the most points a player has scored in one quarter so far this NBA season, Sam Amico of Hoops Wire reported.
"You’re playing a team that’s 3 and whatever, and you’re down 15, you can kind of tuck your tails and kind of give in, right?" Mitchell told reporters after the game. "But we found a way."
So far in 2025-26, Mitchell is on pace for the best season of his nine-year NBA career. Through 24 games, the 29-year-old guard is posting career-highs in points (31.3), field goal percentage (50.5%), and three-point percentage (39.4%), while adding 4.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Injuries to multiple top players on the Cavaliers roster have resulted in Mitchell having to step up, and the franchise star has done just that.
There's an argument that Mitchell has entered his name into MVP talks so far this season.
In December, Mitchell is averaging 36.2 points per game. He will attempt to keep this hot streak alive while Cleveland takes on the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 14.
The Brooklyn Nets traveled to Dallas on Friday night to take on the Mavericks in a matchup that saw plenty of rookie first round picks on display. After getting off to a hot start with 33 points in the first quarter, Brooklyn trailed by four at halftime. After outscoring Dallas by six in the third, the Nets entered the fourth quarter with a slim lead.
Unfortunately though, Brooklyn's inexperience team blew another fourth quarter lead, being outscored 29-19 en route to an eight point defeat. Michael Porter Jr. led the way, scoring 34 points in 34 minutes, including six three pointers. Nic Claxton added a double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds to go along with four assists, one steal and one block. Rookie Danny Wolf finished as the second highest scorer, adding 17 points off the bench on 6-for-10 shooting including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Since getting extended minutes in the rotation throughout recent games, Wolf has impressed. He's now averaged 13.5 points over his last six games, moving his season average up to 8.8 points per game. During that stretch, Wolf has shot over 45% from beyond the arc. His strongest performance came against the Milwaukee Bucks where he posted 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and one block.
Wolf and the Nets will return to action on Sunday, against those same Milwaukee Bucks. Following their matchup with Milwaukee, Brooklyn's three-game homestand will continue as the team hosts the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors.
The Brooklyn Nets entered play on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks looking to improve on a 6-17 record. The Nets battled throughout the early stages of the game and took a two point lead into the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, their strong offensive output stopped there as Brooklyn scored just 19 points in the fourth quarter, after scoring 92 through the first three. Dallas on the other hand scored 29, outscoring the Nets by 10 to take an eight point victory.
Michael Porter Jr. was one of the few bright spots for the Nets, continuing his incredible scoring run in the month of December. Porter Jr. scored 34 points in 34 minutes on 12-for-20 shooting including 6-for-10 from three-point range. This marked Porter Jr.'s fourth straight game of 33 points or more. Although he's been criticized on his poor shot selection in the past, Porter Jr. has been getting quality looks and knocking them down at tremendous percentages. Thus far in December, Porter Jr. is shooting over 56% from the field and a staggering 53.5% from three-point range.
This efficiency isn't just due to low volume either. Porter Jr. has attempted 20 or more shots in every game this month and 10 or more threes in each contest.
As a result of this recent scoring surge, Porter Jr. is up to 26.3 points per game, 13th in the league and one spot behind former Net James Harden.
Porter Jr. and the Nets will have Saturday off before returning to action on Sunday at home against the Milwaukee Bucks.
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers had to battle the Indiana Pacers on Friday night without the services of star guard Tyrese Maxey who was sidelined with an illness. With that much production sitting at home, the Sixers needed somebody to step up in his place against a pesky Pacers team.
That's where Joel Embiid stepped in. The big fella served a reminder to everybody that he, in fact, can still do this as he dropped 39 points on 12-for-23 shooting with nine rebounds in a 115-105 win over the Pacers.
"Without Tyrese, I just had to do a little bit more than usual, but I think I’ve had a good three or four days," Embiid said of his performance. "Just working every day and trying to get back in a rhythm and I think that’s what it comes down to."
Maxey, watching from home, gave a big shoutout to Embiid and the Sixers on his Instagram story.
Embiid and Maxey have been close since the Sixers selected Maxey in the 2020 draft. With his younger teammate sidelined, Embiid wanted to make sure he put on a show for him.
"I called him after the game to check on him and see how he’s doing," Embiid stated. "We miss him, obviously. The game would’ve been much easier if he played. He’s that good. We just gotta do what he can. He deserves to get that rest and kinda reset a little bit. He’s been doing a lot for us so, hopefully, that made him happy."
As for his teammates who were on the floor with him, Embiid's performance isn't too much of a surprise. They work with him every day. So, while it has been a lot of work to get to this point, his teammates are not surprised by the results.
"I’m happy for Jo. I’m really happy for him," said rookie VJ Edgecombe. "He sold on the 40 points that I’m gonna consistently remind him about, but like I said, I’m really happy for him, man. He’s showing y’all that ain’t nothing’s wrong with the basketball. The only thing is health which is unfortunate, but he’s still a great player regardless of the different things and obstacles he has to face. He’s still a great player, still an MVP-caliber player in this league."
Paul George, another player who has had to work his way back from injury, has been in the gym with Embiid as they both work their way back from their respective knee injuries. He has seen the big fella put in the work to be in this position and he's happy to see it all paying off.
"I’m happy for him," George added. "People don’t understand how much work he does and how much goes just into his day-to-days of getting prepared and getting ready for games. I talk to him and he’s got a list of things he does. He’s a hard worker man when it comes to taking care of his body and doing whatever it takes to get on the floor and be available for us. We appreciate all his efforts and happy that it showed out and he got back to his usual self with tonight’s game."
The Sixers will take on the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday on the road to continue their season.
Despite dealing with injuries, the San Antonio Spurs have been on a roll recently. They are 7-3 in their last ten games, including a convincing road win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
With that victory, the Spurs advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. There, they'll take on the 24-1 Oklahoma City Thunder as the both teams vie for a spot in the final.
Luckily for San Antonio, they'll get an added boost to their lineup, with Victor Wembanyama set to return after being sidelined for nearly a month due to injury per ESPN's Shams Charania. Wembanyama is expected to play on a minutes restriction as he eases back from a calf strain.
Recently, when speaking to ESPN, Wembanyama showcased his determination as he anticipates returning to action. When Wembanyama was asked about the best player in the league, he had a few answers. “Jokić is the best offensive player … I don’t think he’s the best player. (It’s) between Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander). When I come back to the court, it will be me."
Although these are big expectations to live up to, Wembanyama has performed when on the floor this season. In 12 games, Wembanyama has averaged career-highs in points (26.2), rebounds (12.9) and assists (4) per game. Additionally, Wembanyama is averaging over three blocks per game, leading the league by a wide margin.
If San Antonio is able to defeat Oklahoma City on Saturday, they'll play for the In-Season Tournament Championship on Tuesday. If not, they'll return to play on Thursday against the Washington Wizards.
Victor Wembanyama is expected to return following a 12-game absence, and that’s perfect timing as Wemby’s San Antonio Spurs take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas with a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line.
The Spurs have been playing great basketball as of late, and my Spurs vs Thunder predictions expect the visitors to cover a large spread against the league's top team.
Here are my free NBA picks for this NBA Cup semifinal showdown on Saturday, December 13,
While OKC has been even hotter, San Antonio can keep this one close, especially in a neutral environment. The Spurs are 13-10-1 ATS, and the Thunder are just 14-11.
For as good as San Antonio has played without Wemby, his return to the court will surely be appreciated. Even if he faces a minutes restriction, Wembanyama can offer plenty on both ends with limited playing time.
The Spurs have been too good, and the Thunder have been too average ATS for this line to make sense. OKC is being overvalued here, and even though it should clearly be favored to win, it shouldn’t be given nearly 10 points.
Oklahoma City ranks fifth in offensive rating (120.5), and San Antonio ranks sixth (118.6). The Spurs have hit the Over in three straight games and six of their last seven. The Thunder have hit the Over in five of their previous six.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the NBA's leading scorers at 32.6 points per game. He's scored at least 30 points in 19 of 24 games and at least 31 in 14 outings.
Spurs vs Thunder SGP
Spurs +9.5
Over 227
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 30.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Stars shine brightest
Wemby has recorded a double-double in nine of 12 games this season, and I expect him to record his 10th in tonight's win-or-go-home matchup.
Spurs vs Thunder SGP
Spurs +9.5
Over 227
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 30.5 points
Victor Wembanyama to record a double-double
Spurs vs Thunder odds
Spread: Spurs +9.5 (-105) | Thunder -9.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Spurs +350 | Thunder -450
Over/Under: Over 227 | Under 227
Spurs vs Thunder betting trend to know
The San Antonio Spurs have hit the game total Over in 43 of their last 69 games (+14.40 Units / 19% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Thunder.
How to watch Spurs vs Thunder
Location
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Date
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Tip-off
9:00 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Spurs vs Thunder latest injuries
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The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. It will be the first matchup of the season between the squads. This is also the 2025 NBA Cup semifinals.
The Thunder (24-1) have won a franchise-record 16 in a row. They destroyed the Phoenix Suns in a 138-89 win to advance in the NBA Cup on Wednesday. They led by as many as 53 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points and eight assists in three quarters.
Meanwhile, the Spurs (17-7) had an easy 132-119 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday to go to Las Vegas. Stephon Castle went off for 30 points and 10 rebounds.
This is the healthiest the Thunder have been all season. Only three names are absent. Isaiah Joe (knee soreness) is out. Nikola Topic (testicular surgery) is out. Thomas Sorber (torn ACL) is out.
Same with the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama (calf strain) is probable. David Jones Garcis (G League two-way) is questionable. Harrison Ingram (G League two-way) is out. Riley Minix (G League two-way) is out.
Victor Wembanyama should provide a boost for the San Antonio Spurs as he's expected to make his return Saturday in the NBA Cup semifinals.
Wembanyama did not play Wednesday in the Spurs’ 132-119 road victory in the NBA Cup quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. With the victory, the Spurs advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals, where they will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson told reporters there’s a chance that Wembanyama could return against the Thunder. His potential availability would be beneficial to the team and improve its chances of beating the defending NBA champions and reaching the tournament final.
Wembanyama has missed the past 12 games due to injury.
Here's the latest update on Wembanyama's injury status:
Victor Wembanyama injury update
The Spurs are expecting Wembanyama to return to action. On the injury report released Friday, Dec. 12, the Spurs upgraded him to probable for the team’s NBA Cup semifinal against the Thunder. He has not played since San Antonio's game against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 14.
Despite his absence, the Spurs have gone 9-3 in the 12 games that he's missed.
"There was no reason to take an inconsiderate risk. ... I (had) to trust the process a lot. Because it wasn't always painful," Wembanyama said when talking about his recovery process on Friday. "It was almost never painful or even uncomfortable."
Who is Victor Wembanyama's backup on Spurs' depth chart?
Luke Kornet was tabbed as the primary replacement for Wembanyama, as he has started 11 of the past 12 games. Kornet is averaging 7.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 16 games played this season.
Victor Wembanyama stats
Wembanyama has averaged 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4 assists in 12 games played this season, career highs in all three statistical categories. He's also averaging 3.6 blocks per game.
In addition to falling to the San Antonio Spurs by double digits on Wednesday night, the franchise learned that one of its stars is dealing with a new injury.
Austin Reaves, who’s slated to enjoy a career year with the Lakers, received an unfortunate injury diagnosis on Friday night that’ll negatively impact the 27-year-old guard and the Lakers.
“Austin Reaves has a mild left calf strain, per the Lakers," ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on X/Twitter. "Will be reevaluated in approximately one week."
Under McMenamin’s social media post, Dr. Evan Jeffries, a doctor of physical therapy, provided Reaves and the Lakers with a potential return timeline based on the extent of his lower-body setback.
"Likely why the last two games he hasn’t looked like himself,” Jeffries stated. “Sounds like a grade 1 calf strain, so likely will need around two weeks to recover.”
Losing Reaves for multiple weeks wouldn’t be ideal for Los Angeles. While Luka Doncic won’t slow down anytime soon and the Lakers should expect LeBron James to continue shaking off the rust following his lengthy early-season absence (sciatica), life without Reaves wouldn’t be simple to navigate.
Reaves’ ability to put defenders in jail in pick-and-roll scenarios before drawing fouls, finish unorthodox runners in the lane, and get hot from beyond the arc has enabled him to take the next step in his development.
The undrafted 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game this season, connecting on 50.3% of his field goals and 36.9% of his triples in 21 contests.
Hopefully, for the Lakers’ sake, the Oklahoma product rejoins Doncic and James on the hardwood soon.
After a five-game absence due to a quad injury, Steph Curry made his highly anticipated return to the lineup on Friday night at Chase Center. The All-Star point guard showed no signs of rust, going to work early against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry tallied 10 points in the first frame on his way to a game-high 39 points. Curry recorded 39 points on 14-of-28 shooting from the field with six made 3-pointers to go along with five assists and five rebounds against the Timberwolves. Yet, it was not enough to answer the short-handed Timberwolves.
With Anthony Edwards sidelined, the Timberwolves spoiled Curry's fiery return with a 127-120 win over the Warriors on Friday night in San Francisco. The Timberwolves and Warriors battled all night in a game that featured 27 lead changes, the second most of any game in the NBA this season. However, it was the Timberwolves that had the final say.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors clung to a three-point advantage to start the final frame. However, a scoreless stretch in the fourth quarter flipped the lead back in favor of the Timberwolves. The Warriors went ice cold for nearly five minutes in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves went on a 17-0 run to take a 10-point lead with under six minutes remaining in the game. Yet, the Warriors weren't done.
Golden State quickly erased Minnesota's advantage behind Curry, De'Anthony Melton and Moses Moody. After a deep Curry 3-pointer, the Warriors stole the lead back from the Timberwolves with two minutes on the clock.
Over the final two minutes of the game, the Warriors went cold again, scoring just five points after Curry's go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:09 on the clock. As the Warriors struggled down the stretch, former Warriors Donte DiVincenzo made a pair of 3-pointers to swing the game back in favor of the Timberwolves and seal the game, 127-120.
DiVincenzo, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert all tallied 21 or more points against the Warriors. Naz Reid tallied 18 points off the bench in Minnesota's 127-120 victory over the Warriors.
Quinten Post continued his impressive sophomore season for the Warriors, scoring 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field with four made triples to go along with six boards and three asissts.
Jonathan Kuminga went his second straight game without playing a minute for the Warriors. Seth Curry and rookie Will Richard also didn't crack the rotation on Friday night.
The Warriors tough defense that has only allowed over 100 points once in their last six games was leaky on Friday, allowing 127 to the Timberwolves without Edwards. Golden State's defense has only allowed 127 or more five times on the season.
The Warriors will now get Saturday off before traveling to Portland for the start of a mini two-game road swing. The Warriors will meet the Trail Blazers on Sunday at 6 p.m. PT.
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers were able to walk away with a 115-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night thanks to a big performance from Joel Embiid. The big fella had 39 points on 12-for-23 shooting along with nine rebounds and three assists. It was a performance the Sixers desperately needed with Tyrese Maxey sidelined with an illness.
VJ Edgecombe added 22 points and five assists, Paul George added 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and Dominick Barlow had 10 points and eight rebounds. Quentin Grimes added 10 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Here are the three biggest takeaways following the win over the Pacers:
Embiid comes alive
The Sixers needed Embiid to have a big game. Yes, he has been bothered by a ton of injuries. It's fair to wonder if he can do this on a consistent basis, but those questions and wonders are for a later date. For now, it's time to appreciate what Embiid was able to do on the basketball court on Friday night. He looked like himself again. He was going to work in the post. He was attacking the basket. He was getting to the free-throw line. He was talking trash. Overall, he just looked like the Embiid of old. At least, for one night.
"He worked at it this week a lot," said coach Nick Nurse after the win. "I think the practices helped. His own individual work away from practice certainly helped which is a great sign that he's doing that and feeling good or better-ish to do some of that. I think that was it. I think, again, I keep saying, he's best when he's driving. I thought he drove it a lot to draw the fouls early. That puts them in a tough situation with how to play him. Probably the best thing about it all was, 39's great, but it came in a lot of different schemes they threw at him. I thought he really read the different stuff pretty good most of the night."
Edgecombe sets the tone
With Maxey sidelined, the Sixers needed the guards to step up and produce. That meant more opportunity for Edgecombe to step in and give the team some good production from the perimeter. He scored 14 of his 22 in the first quarter to set the tone for Philadelphia and make sure the offense got kickstarted. He shot 6-for-10 from the floor and 7-for-10 from the foul line which is a good sign for the Sixers. On top of all of that, he didn't commit a single turnover. If he's able to keep this type of performance going, then he and the team will be in great shape.
"He was great tonight," Nurse said. "I just think he got himself mentally prepared to understand he needed to provide kind of a complete package tonight. He got aggressive early. Some of the stuff we tried to polish up got him some baskets early. Some execution out of some press breakers and things like that, that we've been working on. I think that got him going. I love the pull-up 3s in transition. That just shows how confident he's playing. Those look awesome. When we get that fully integrated into his mindset, I think that's a huge weapon. But he guarded good, he took care of the ball, he ran the team good, and he obviously got us off to a great start in that first half with 18 big ones."
George as a point forward
The Sixers needed some ball-handlers on Friday with Maxey sidelined and George stepped up in a big way. Obviously, Edgecombe did a great job, but the Sixers put the ball in George's hands and the 9-time All-Star handled business. He scored 23 points in 8-for-17 shooting, 4-for-7 from deep, and had six rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes on the night. Sure, he had four turnovers, but the Sixers generally got good shots all throughout the night when the ball was in his hands.
"I think, again, he's showing that he is a guy who can score and create his own shot. Both from 2 and from 3," Nurse explained. "Again, if he's gonna sneak in a few drives--which he had late--again, it's gonna make it all the tougher if he can score from all three levels, but I thought he did a good job of just, again, settling things down. He's an experienced player, he's got the ball in his hands, and it just comes down to make the right read. If there's nothin there, you gotta go to work and score a big bucket. He looked pretty good tonight."
It’s mid-December and these two teams might already be tired of one another.
Saturday’s showdown will mark the fourth matchup between these two teams, and, interestingly, all of them have come in the last month. The Magic won the first two contests, though New York took the more recent meeting, 106-100, on Sunday, Dec. 7.
The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season, having won eight of their last nine. During this recent stretch, Jalen Brunson has been stellar, averaging 28.2 points and 5.7 assists per game over that stretch.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges have also produced big games over this recent stretch, though New York’s most promising development has been the return of forward OG Anunoby, who had missed nine games with a hamstring injury. Since his return, Anunoby has helped spark intense defensive effort from the Knicks, who have allowed opponents to score just 104.3 points per game in that span.
While New York got healthy, Orlando will be without one of its stars.
Forward Franz Wagner suffered an awkward fall during this most recent loss against the Knicks Sunday and was later diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain that will likely sideline him for at least a couple of weeks.
The good news for the Magic is that guard Desmond Bane, after a slow start to the season, has picked up his scoring; over his last six games, he has produced three separate 37-point performances.
This matchup, however, will be strength on strength, and could very well be a future preview of a playoff showdown. The Magic rank sixth in the NBA in defensive rating (111.5), while the Knicks rank second in offensive rating (121.8).
The Thunder are the best team in basketball. The Spurs, with their core of young talent, might be the squad to eventually contend with Oklahoma City, in what could be a blossoming rivalry in the West.
But, right now, it’s the Thunder who are dominant. They have sprinted out to a 24-1 record and are on pace to obliterate the single-season record for scoring margin – which they set last season.
Because late leads have been so out of hand, reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has sat more fourth quarters (13) than ones he has played (11). Despite that, he’s averaging 32.6 points per game, which is second best in the NBA.
Yet, the wild thing is that the Thunder’s preferred starting lineup still hasn’t played a single minute this season, as Jalen Williams missed extended time before his return Nov. 28, and center Isaiah Hartenstein is currently out.
For the Spurs, it’s a different story. The team is expected to have star phenom Victor Wembanyama back from a left calf strain, as San Antonio upgraded him to probable on the injury report that dropped Friday, Dec. 12.
Wembanyama has missed the last 12 games with the injury, but the Spurs have been steady – if not stellar – in his absence. San Antonio has gone 9-3 in that span, and guards De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have been the catalyst in getting the Spurs to push tempo.
It will be interesting to see if San Antonio opts to keep that strategy now that Wembanyama is expected back. The main issue, however, is that the Thunder are not only the best defensive team in basketball – and by a wide margin – but they also excel in transition, clogging lanes.
San Antonio, though, presents unique matchup problems for Oklahoma City. Chet Holmgren will likely be tasked with defending Wembanyama, though it will take an overall concerted effort. This could very well be a preview of the Western Conference finals.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are simply steamrolling any and every team that comes their way, and their incredible 24-1 start to the 2025-26 season will be put to the test in the semifinal of the NBA Cup on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs. That is shaping up to be an incredible matchup between two of the best young teams in the NBA, and with Victor Wembanyama set to return from a calf injury, the Thunder may be heading for their biggest test of the season yet.
But the Thunder seem to know the gravity of this matchup, as they have a key player set to return from injury as well as they look to go all the way and win the NBA Cup crown. Isaiah Hartensteinwill be returning from a calf injury of his own after a six-game absence (if his absence from the injury report is any indication), as pointed out by NBA insider Marc Stein.
Moreover, ace defender Cason Wallace, who currently leads the NBA in total steals and steals per game, will be present for that ever-important matchup against the Spurs. Wallace did exit OKC’s blowout win over the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals of the competition after suffering a blow to the head, but it’s a good sign for the reigning champion Thunder that they’ll be bringing their strongest squad against the Spurs.
Thunder bring healthy roster in NBA Cup semifinals vs. Spurs
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Isaiah Joe will not be present for the Thunder on Saturday against the Spurs, but for the first time this season, they’ll be bringing their strongest starting five together on the court. Jalen Williams suffered a delay to the start of his season after undergoing wrist surgery, while Hartenstein recently sustained a calf strain. Meanwhile, Alex Caruso and Luguentz Dort have routinely missed time after picking up knocks here and there.
This Spurs team is not to be taken lightly, but the Thunder have no reason to fear any team.
In a contest against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, Keyonte George was on fire. He scored 39 points on 12-20 shooting from the field as he made mincemeat of a Grizzlies defense that was scrambling for ways to slow down the nascent Utah Jazz guard.
But the Jazz found themselves in a pickle in the fourth. George, at the 7:10 mark of the fourth quarter, was whistled for his fifth foul of the night. Nonetheless, head coach Will Hardy decided to keep George out on the court and it paid off, as he didn’t pick up his sixth foul and even scored 12 points in the fourth to ward off a potential comeback from the Grizzlies.
“Playing with five fouls, and they’re trying to put him in everything defensively, you’re in a hard spot. We had to adjust the coverage to try and protect him a little bit,” Hardy said, via JP Chunga of Jazz.com. “When you have five [fouls], people are going to try and step in and take charges. So I think he showed a lot of maturity in terms of keeping himself out of some tough spots where the whistle can go against you.”
George has become a long-term keeper for the Jazz after it had looked as though his standing as a starting point guard for his team was going to be in question. He’s averaging 22.9 points per game for Utah, looking like the kind of point guard every team needs nowadays — someone who can score from the perimeter and make his teammates better.
The Jazz may be in the middle of a rebuild, but they have been hell-bent on building winning habits under Hardy. Hardy is one of the brightest coaches in the association, and he’s been crucial to the development of the team’s key players — including that of George, who has blossomed into a quality young point guard in Year 3 of his career.
After winning 68 regular-season games in 2024-25, featuring the league MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, then winning their first-ever NBA title in June, Mark Daigneault's unit has somehow improved so far in the 2025-26 campaign. Not only have the Thunder cemented themselves as the team to beat this season — they're blowing opponents out on a nightly basis.
With Gilgeous-Alexander once again leading a deep group of two-way contributors, Oklahoma City is off to one of the best starts to a season in NBA history. In fact, no team has ever been better through 25 games, and the Thunder are attempting to push the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the longest one-loss stretch to open a season.
Here's a look at where the Thunder fit into the best starts to a season in NBA history.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors have the best start in NBA history by various standpoints — most notably, they own the record for most consecutive wins to open a season. Steve Kerr's squad opened the season 24-0 before losing its first game, and the Warriors went on to win 73 games in 2015-16.
Those 2015-16 Warriors are also tied for the best 25-game start in NBA history (24-1) and own the best overall one-loss stretch to open a season, going 29-1 before losing their second game.
There are plenty of ways to define the best "start" to a season, depending on how many games you use. Here's a breakdown of a few different benchmarks to open an NBA campaign.
Longest undefeated starts to an NBA season
In terms of the most consecutive wins to open an NBA season, or the best possible starts without a loss, the 2025-26 Thunder won't fall close to the top of the list due to their November loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. They started 8-0 before their first loss.
The longest undefeated stretch to open a season belongs to the 2015-16 Warriors, who went 24-0 before a loss to the Bucks. In 2024-25, the Cleveland Cavaliers tied for the second-best unbeaten start at 15-0.
Here are the longest winning streaks to open a season:
In terms of one-loss stretches to open an NBA season, the 2025-26 Thunder have been tracking to compete for the new league record. Through 25 games, Oklahoma City sits at 24-1, seeking to tie or surpass the 2015-16 Warriors' record of 29-1 through 30 games. Golden State lost its 31st game that season to fall to 29-2.
Here are the longest one-loss stretches to open an NBA season:
The 25-game mark is often used as a point for record comparison, as it's around one-third of the way through the NBA's 82-game season. No team has ever been unbeaten through 25 games, but two have had just one loss: the 2015-16 Warriors and 2025-26 Thunder.
The Thunder have a point differential of +437 through 25 games, which is by far the best in NBA history.
Oklahoma City has outscored its opponents by a total of 437 points, surpassing the 2007-08 Celtics (+380) and the 2015-16 Warriors (+375) for the best 25-game mark ever. On average, the Thunder are beating opponents by 17.4 points per game so far — OKC also set the full-season record for largest average scoring margin in 2024-25 at 12.9 points per game, but it's on-pace to break that this season.
78-4
Through 25 games, the Thunder aren't just on pace to break the NBA's single-season wins record. They also have some wiggle room in the final two-thirds of the season.
Based on a .960 win percentage so far in 2025-26, Oklahoma City is on pace to win 78 games in the regular season, which would set the new league record by five games.
1,189
According to ESPN, the Thunder have gone 72-10 over their last 82 regular season games, dating back to the 2024-25 season. In that span, they've outscored opponents by 1,189 points — which is the best point differential over any 82-game span in NBA history.
Today in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise raised Dennis Johnson's jersey up to the rafters, honoring the pair of NBA titles and seven seasons the San Pedro, California native played for Boston. An alum of both Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine -- Johnson graduated from the former, a junior college, to the latter -- the combo guard was picked up with the 29th overall pick of the 1976 NBA Draft by the (then) Seattle SuperSonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder).
DJ (as he was often called) played for that team and the Phoenix Suns before being dealt to Boston in 1983, winning a title with the Sonics in 1979. The Celtics acquired Johnson for Rick Robey and draft assets, quite a steal in retrospect. The Californian retired at the end of the 1991 season when the Celtics did not offer him a new contract and began working with the team as a scout. He accepted a position as one of the team's assistant coaches in 1993, which he would remain until 1997.
Johnson continued as an assistant or interim head coach or scout until his passing in 2007. As an additional, posthumous honor, he was admitted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 -- rest in peace.
Debuts
It was also on this date in 2003 that former Boston big man Kendrick Perkins played his first game as a Celtic.
It was in a 105-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Gund Arena and saw Perkins play a mere 28 seconds of garbage time, far too little time to record anything to his stat line. Mercifully it was not indicative of his later career.
Birthdays
Today is also the birthday of Celtics short-timer Charles Claxton, father of current Brooklyn Nets big man Nick Claxton. He came into this world in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in 1970. The undrafted Georgia alum played a total of three games for Boston in the 1996-96 NBA season, averaging 0.7 points and rebounds per game.
Claxton shares that birthday with former Celtics floor general Andre Turner, born this day in Memphis Tennessee in 1964. Oddly enough, Turner also just played three games as a Celtic before being waived in 1986.
Historic milestones
On this date in 1961, Hall of Fame big man Wilt Chamberlain hung 52 points and 30 rebounds on the Celtics at the old Boston Garden playing for the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors. As was often the case with Chamberlain, the Celtics still came away with the 123-113 win with only two other of his teammates scoring in double figures after Wilt's dominant play took them out of the game.
In a 109-97 win over the (then) Seattle SuperSonics on this day in 1989, Boston Hall of Famer Larry Bird scored a triple-double nearly as impressive as Wilt's big game. The Hick From French Lick dropped 40 points, 11 boards, and 10 assists to get the win for the Celtics.
A triple-double of similar impact was had by Boston legend Antoine Walker on the same date in 2002 in a 115-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Employee No. 8 logged 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists to come 7 points shy of Bird's feat on the same day 13 years earlier.
Transactions
Finally, it was also on this date in 1965 that Boston signed big man Woody Sauldsberry as an unrestricted free agent in what would prove to be the last stop of his NBA career.
The Texas Southern product played 39 games with the team for the rest of the season, logging 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
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