Jaren Jackson Jr. was feeling it.
Memphis has arrived among the West’s hottest teams.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Back In Action: Following their thrilling NBA Cup final, the Knicks and Spurs get back to regular-season work
West’s Best: Shai, Jokić, Luka reset their squads’ sights on Finals journey tonight
Starry Night: Coop vs. Cade, Jalen Johnson aims to extend streak and another Curry flurry?
Cup Consequences: Looking at the best of what the third edition of Emirates NBA Cup gave us
Wednesday Roundup: Grizzlies test hot-streak against surging Wolves, Giddey goes off
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Twelve games tip off tonight, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the West-leading Thunder back in action as they host the Clippers on NBA TV (8 ET | Tap to Watch).
NBA All-Star Voting is live. Fans can vote for starters every day through Jan. 14 via the NBA App and NBA.com with their NBA ID. Cast your ballot now.
One Week ‘Til XMas: NBA on Christmas Day is seven sleeps away, with five holiday showdowns on deck, including a rivalry rematch between the Thunder and Spurs, following their Dec. 23 duel on League Pass (8:30 ET).
Cavaliers at Knicks (Noon ET)
Spurs at Thunder (2:30 ET)
Mavericks at Warriors (5 ET)
Rockets at Lakers (8 ET)
Timberwolves at Nuggets (10:30 ET)
1. NBA CUP FINALISTS READY TO REACH FOR MORE
“We’re not done.”
From players to coach Mike Brown to Spike Lee himself, the Emirates NBA Cup champion Knicks shared the same sentiment: there’s more to come.
That work continues tonight.
The freshly-crowned Knicks visit the Pacers (7 ET, Tap To Watch on LP), entering this rematch of last year’s East Finals on the heels of a hot streak.
Rockefeller Rockers: Second-place New York has gone 9-1 in its last 10 games, posting the league’s second-best offensive rating in that time (122.0)
Hear Those Chants: Jalen Brunson — the Cup MVP — has led the way with 29.4 points and 5.9 assists per game in that stretch, including a 40% 3-point percentage
Leveled Up: In his last five contests before the Cup Final, the two-time All-Star pushed his production even further, averaging 32.8 points on a sizzling 45.7% clip from deep
But it’s more than Brunson as he and his teammates have fueled the team’s best 25-game start since 2012-13.
Hammer And Nails: Karl-Anthony Towns has combined with Brunson for 48 points per game thus far in 2025-26 — the 4th-most for any duo in the Association
A Big Hart: After coming off the bench for his first 14 games of the season, Josh Hart was elevated to the starting rotation on Nov. 24, and has 16 ppg and 9.2 rpg ever since
History may await Pacers coach Rick Carlisle as a win tonight would give him his 1,000th career victory.
Tuesday night, the Spurs found themselves on the flipside of the celebration, coming up just short after a Cup run to remember.
They, too, are right back to work. (Wizards at Spurs, 8 ET | Tap To Watch on LP)
Back In The Saddle: Victor Wembanyama made his return to the court on Dec. 13 after a 12-game absence, posting 22 points on 6-for-11 shooting and a +21 in 21 minutes
Prolific Perimeter: Stephon Castle has pitched in 23.3 ppg in his last three outings, while De’Aaron Fox has been steady with 23.9 ppg all season
2. RACE RESUMES FOR BEST IN THE WEST
With the Cup in the rear-view, a trio of Western Conference contenders – the Thunder, Lakers and Nuggets – get back to work tonight, with their eyes on the ultimate prize.
In OKC, the West’s top team looks to do what it’s done better than anyone the past two years: respond.
Clippers at Thunder (8 ET, NBA TV): Oklahoma City suits up after Saturday’s defeat in the Cup Semis – just its second loss of the season – eyeing a seventh straight win over L.A.
Bounceback Beasts: The Thunder are 30-10 when coming off a loss since the start of the 2023-24 season, with the NBA’s best win percentage (.784)
After Its Last Loss? OKC notched a 31-point victory over Sacramento, tying its biggest win margin of the season to that point, to launch a franchise-best 16-win tear
A 25th win tonight would make the Thunder the fifth team in NBA history to start 25-2 or better, joining the 2015-16 Warriors, ’08-09 Celtics, ’69-70 Knicks, and ’66-67 Sixers.
Magic at Nuggets (9 ET, Tap To Watch on LP): Nikola Jokić and the second-place Nuggets are 6-1 since the Cup runner-up Spurs ousted them on Nov. 28 and have won five in a row. They welcome Cup Semifinalist Orlando, who continues an uphill climb after playing three of its last five against the Knicks and Spurs.
Jokić Effect: Joker is elevating the Nuggets to a franchise-best 19-6 start, as his triple-double average leads the league in rebounding (12.4 per game) and assists (10.8 per game), while ranking No. 5 in scoring (29.8 ppg)
Air Support: Jamal Murray is backing Jokić up with a career-best 24.9 points and 6.8 assists per game on 50.1/44.7% shooting splits
Bane Time: With Franz Wagner out (ankle), Orlando will lean on Desmond Bane’s best Magic scoring stretch (he has three 35+ point outings in his last seven games)
Lakers at Jazz (9 ET, Tap To Watch on LP): Luka and LeBron have the Lakers out to their best start (18-7) since the 2020-21 season and they are 3rd in the West (1 game behind Denver).
Making Music: League scoring leader Luka (34.7 ppg) has helped L.A. to a 2-0 record vs. Utah this season, averaging 35 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists against the Jazz
King-Like: Those back-to-back wins were LeBron’s first games of the season, who’s only leveled up since with 24.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists over his last three games
Scoring Harmony: Keyonte George is coming off 37 and 39-point performances in two straight wins for Play-In-positioned Utah, which also gets 27.8 points per game from Lauri Markkanen
3. STAR DUELS AND THURSDAY ENCORES ON LEAGUE PASS
The last time Cooper Flagg took the court, he did what no 18-year-old has ever done before: score 40+ points in an NBA game.
Playing the best ball of his young career, he’ll now face Cade Cunningham and the East-leading Pistons to headline a night loaded with star duels.
Pistons at Mavericks (8:30 ET, Tap To Watch on LP): After his record 42-point performance on Monday, Flagg – No. 1 on the latest Kia Rookie Ladder – is now averaging 25.7 points on 54.5% shooting over the last seven games, resulting in five Dallas dubs.
More Than A Scorer: The game before Monday, Flagg dished out a game-high 8 assists with zero turnovers, leading Dallas to a win over Brooklyn
“He has the ability to do everything,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd after the win. “Being able to attack and make plays for his teammates … that’s one of his strengths.”
Tonight’s Test: The 21-5 Pistons, seeking their fifth straight win, while boasting the league’s 2nd-best DefRtg
Clinical Cade: Dallas must contain Cunningham, who’s followed up his career 2024-25 season with even better numbers this year (27.1 pts, 9.2 ast)
Warriors at Suns (9 ET, Tap To Watch on LP): On Friday, Steph Curry hit six 3s en route to 39 points. On Sunday, he buried 12 triples for 48. Tonight, he’ll look to level up again as the Dubs visit Devin Booker and the Suns.
Can’t Miss: Despite two losses, Curry has hit 52.9% from deep over the last two games, knocking down 18 triples
Curry Flurries: He has three 40-point performances in his last nine games, and five 30+ point games in his previous six
Book’s Back: Meanwhile, Booker turned in 27 points and 7 assists on Sunday in his return from a two-week absence (groin)
Rockets at Pelicans (8 ET, Tap To Watch on LP): Alperen Sengun has orchestrated Houston all season, most recently coming off a monster triple-double (33 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) in an epic back-and-forth with Nikola Jokić.
Now, he’ll face rookie Derik Queen, another playmaking big man who is making noise in NOLA.
Queen Control: No. 3 on the Kia Rookie Ladder, Queen has dazzled with his fleet feet and passing touch, highlighted by a 33/10/10 triple-double on Dec. 8
Fears Rising: Fellow rookie Jeremiah Fears has also delivered, climbing to No. 4 on the Rookie Ladder while posting 15.7 ppg
Four more games get underway on League Pass, including Jalen Johnson seeking his fifth straight triple-double as the Hawks visit Kon Knueppel and the Hornets (7 ET).
Heat at Nets (7:30 ET)
Raptors at Bucks (8 ET)
Kings at Blazers (10 ET)
4. LEAVING LAS VEGAS: NBA CUP’S BIGGEST MOMENTS AND IMPACTS
On Halloween night in Chicago, the Knicks lost their opening Group Play game in the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup.
On Tuesday night in Vegas, the Knicks rallied past the Spurs for their sixth straight Cup win to close the competition as champions.
Before looking ahead to the NBA’s next marquee event – a stacked Christmas Day slate – let’s look back at what made the latest race to the Cup so special.
Wild Group Play Finale: Six of the eight spots in the Knockouts were up for grabs on the final night of Group Play, including three winner-takes-group showdowns: Thunder over Suns by 4 points, Spurs over Nuggets and Magic over Pistons, each by 3 points
Next Great Rivalry? The Spurs made a huge statement with their upset win over OKC in the semifinals — giving fans a glimpse of a rising rivalry between two young West powers.
Rivalry Renewed, Twice: The teams meet twice more in the next eight days: Dec. 23, and again on Christmas
Championship Comeback: When it looked like the Cup would be Texas-bound, NY put together a 4th quarter for the ages, outscoring the Spurs 35-19 thanks to huge contributions from the bench trio of Jordan Clarkson (8 pts, 2 3pm), Mitchell Robinson (4 pts, 6 oreb) and Tyler Kolek (6 pts, 2 ast)
Stars Show Out: Jalen Brunson earned NBA Cup MVP honors after averaging 33.2 ppg and 5.8 apg while shooting 53.1% overall and 46.2% from deep over NY’s seven-game run to the title
Leading Las Vegas: Brunson finished with a league-high 199 total points, while Karl-Anthony Towns led a trio of Knicks atop the rebounds leaderboard
One Week Away: The five-game holiday slate on ABC & ESPN is packed with must-see matchups:
Cavaliers at Knicks (12 ET): The Knicks, 13-1 at MSG, host the Cavs to tip off the day
Spurs at Thunder (2:30 ET): This emerging rivalry continues under the Christmas Day spotlight
Mavericks at Warriors (5 ET): Cooper Flagg makes his Christmas debut as the Mavs visit Steph and the Warriors
Rockets at Lakers (8 ET): KD and LeBron meet for their 30th all-time matchup in the regular season
Wolves at Nuggets (10:30 ET): West foes collide as Ant and the Timberwolves visit Jokić and the Nuggets
In the meantime, make sure you cast your ballot to send your favorite players to LA for NBA All-Star 2026. Voting is officially open.
5. WEDNESDAY’S DOUBLEHEADER: GRIZZ, BULLS STEP UP IN SPOTLIGHT
Memphis is making its move.
A Wednesday win against the surging Wolves placed the Grizz among the West’s hottest clubs.
Grizzlies 116, Wolves 110: Jock Landale (20 pts, 10 reb) dropped nine 4th quarter points, including two of his season-high four 3s in the final 3 minutes, and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s final bucket of a game-high 28 points sealed the win, as the Grizz handed the Wolves just their second loss in the last 9 games. | Recap
Memphis’ Moment: The Grizzlies have now won seven of their last nine games, pulling even with the Wolves for the West’s second-best stretch behind OKC
Wolf Pack: Without Anthony Edwards (foot), Julius Randle led Minny with 21 points, while Rudy Gobert (16 pts, 16 reb) and Donte DiVincenzo (19 pts, season-high 11 reb, 4 3s) accounted for 27 rebounds
Bulls 127, Cavaliers 111: In his sixth triple-double this season, Josh Giddey (23 pts, 11 reb, 11 ast), combined Coby White (25 pts, 8-13 FG) and Nikola Vučević (20 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast) for 68 points in Chicago’s largest margin of victory of 2025-26. | Recap
Bulls Record Book: Giddey sank a season-high five 3-pointers, recording the Bulls’ first-ever triple-double with 5+ made threes
Trip-Dub Top 3: Josh’s sixth triple-double matches Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson for second-most this season, trailing only Joker’s 12
Stacking 30s: Donovan Mitchell (32 pts, 5 ast, 4 3s) led Cleveland in his 15th 30+ point game this season, tying Boston’s Jaylen Brown second-most behind Shai’s 19