Top Stories

• Giannis drops a monster game, but Bucks fall to Boston

• Haliburton drops 35 and 14

• Wemby breaking more records

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Games of the day

Last Night’s Top Games! (link to the box scores of every game from yesterday)

Jayson Tatum had 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and the Boston Celtics rallied in the second half to beat the slumping Milwaukee Bucks 113-107. Tatum put the Celtics ahead for good by hitting two free throws with 6 mind left as Boston erased a nine-point halftime deficit. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 43 points for the Bucks, who have lost eight of nine. Antetokounmpo also had 13 rebounds and five assists. Payton Pritchard added 18, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White had 15 each and Jaylen Brown scored 14 for the Celtics. Brown returned after missing four games with a hip injury. Bobby Portis scored 15 for Milwaukee. Milwaukee took a 16-2 lead in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the game, led by at least eight points for the entire first half and went into the break with a 69-58 advantage after its highest-scoring half of the season. But the Bucks scored just 15 points in the third, their lowest total in any quarter this season, and couldn't recover.

Bennedict Mathurin scored a career-high 38 points, including a career-best seven 3-pointers, and Tyrese Haliburton added 35 points and 14 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 132-121 victory over the New York Knicks. Myles Turner finished with 26 points for the Pacers, who drained a season-high 21 3-pointers and outscored New York 63-21 from beyond the arc. Indiana went 8 of 13 on 3s in the fourth quarter, while the Knicks suffered through a 7 of 25 effort for the game. Jalen Brunson had 33 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Knicks while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 30 points and nine boards. New York led 61-58 at halftime and 94-92 entering the fourth quarter.

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League News

Around the League

• When it comes to stuffing the stat sheet, nobody does it like Wemby. His game Saturday night he had 24 points, including a career-high six 3-pointers – along with 16 rebounds and seven blocks. That stat line makes Wembanyama the first player in NBA history to record multiple games of 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ blocks and 5+ made 3-pointers. He also became the second player in league history with six 3s and seven blocks in a game. At age 20, Wemby already has three career games with at least five 3-pointers and five blocks, which ties Kristaps Porzingis for the second most in NBA history. Raef LaFrentz did it four times. Wembanyama also now has 10 games with seven or more blocks, which makes him the youngest player to reach that mark in NBA history.

• Injury Updates: Joel Embiid (conditioning) will be re-evaluated soon to see when he can make his debut (after serving his 3 game suspension. Kawhi Leonard (knee) is out indefinitely, and his recovery might “take longer than expected” according to the team. Kristaps Porzingis (foot) is still recovering from offseason surgery and will miss some games. Khris Middleton (ankle) will miss longer than expected. Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) will be re-evaluated in 5-6 weeks with a fracture. Dejounte Murray (hand) is confirmed to have fractured it and will miss a few weeks. James Wiseman tore his achilles and will be out indefinitely. Taylor Hendricks (leg and ankle) suffered a fractured fibia and dislocated ankle and will be out for the season. Scottie Barnes (orbital) will miss at least 3 weeks with a fracture. Paolo Banchero (oblique) has a tear and will be out indefinitely, and re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks. Herb Jones (shoulder) will be out for a minimum of 2-4 weeks. CJ McCollum (adductor) will miss at least 2-3 weeks. Isaiah Jackson (achilles) will be out for the season. Jeremy Sochan (thumb) underwent surgery to repair a fracture and will be out indefinitely. Aaron Gordon (hamstring) will miss multiple weeks. Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) will be out multiple weeks. Zion Williamson (hamstring) will be out multiple weeks. Ja Morant (hip) will be be out at least 2 weeks. Kevin Durant (calf) will be out multiple weeks. Chet Holmgren (hip) suffered a fracture and will be out 8-10 weeks. (We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

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NBA MVP Ladder

1. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Season stats: 32.6 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 1.7 bpg

His case: Nobody had a better start to 2024-25 than Davis, who put up big numbers and devoured opposing centers through the first few weeks. He seems famished, as if he … never won MVP before? This opening run ranks with the best stretches we’ve ever seen from Davis. He’s leading the league in scoring and doing it at both ends.

2. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Season stats: 30.2 ppg, 7 rpg, 4.8 apg

His case: He’s giving off vibes of a player on a redemption tour. That’s strange for someone who won an NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in three summer months. But, he wasn’t awarded Finals MVP and was benched twice in the Paris Games, so maybe on the inside, Tatum burns a bit.

We know this much: Tatum is dropping 3-balls at a personal-best pace (4.2 makes on 11.4 attempts per game). He’s spearheading the offense-happy Celtics as his game looks sharp and so does his team.

3. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Season stats: 28.8 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 11 apg

His case: He was the league’s most impactful player last season and therefore won MVP for the third time and nothing has changed so far. The Joker is averaging a triple-double. He’s top-five in scoring, rebounds and assists. He’s a handful, basically, once again.

The difference is that the Nuggets are struggling (or were initially). That’s not all on Jokić though, and it’s early. The gap between his No. 3 spot and No. 1 — a place in which he’s familiar — can close quickly.

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Season stats: 26 ppg, 6 rpg, 6.8 apg

His case: His team is winning and he’s producing. Usually, that’s the recipe for MVP success and of all the players in this top-five, Gilgeous-Alexander brings the best of those credentials.

Both must hold up over the next few months to give him an edge, and all signs are positive so far. He dropped 28 points with eight assists and seven rebounds in the opener against Jokić, which was a telling start.

5. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Season stats: 23.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.1 apg

His case: Much like Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell benefits from a solid start individually with the bonus of being on a conference leader. His 30.2 mpg are the fewest of his career and yet his production per minute is stellar.

Mitchell is worth watching if the Cavaliers remain afloat in the East attic. With the Sixers and Bucks stumbling and needing a few weeks to catch up, the Cavs could be Boston’s biggest threat between now and Christmas. If Mitchell continues to deliver as a playmaker, it’s very possible.

The Next Five:

6. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
7. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
9. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
10. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

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Fantasy Leaders

Jokic continues to be the best player in fantasy

Overtime Thoughts