Top Stories

• Hawks hand Cavs 2nd loss in 3 days

• SGA takes over to lead OKC past LA

• James Harden makes history

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Games of the day

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

De'Andre Hunter scored 23 points off Atlanta's bench and the Hawks beat Cleveland 117-101 in the NBA Cup, handing the Cavaliers a loss for the second time in three days. The Cavaliers (17-3) still boast the NBA's best record but they once again couldn't match the Hawks' scoring depth. Trae Young had 21 points and 11 assists, and Jalen Johnson added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as Atlanta finished with six scorers in double figures. Darius Garland led Cleveland with 29 points and Evan Mobley added 24 points, including seven dunks. Atlanta won 135-124 at Cleveland on Wednesday night as Young set a career high with 22 assists. Young leads the NBA in assists 12.5 per game. Later Friday night, the Hawks clinched East Group C in the NBA Cup when Chicago lost to visiting Boston. Donovan Mitchell was primarily defended by Dyson Daniels as he missed his first 10 shots from the field before sinking two 3-pointers late in the first half. Mitchell made only 5 of 23 shots and finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held on for a 101-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA Cup game. It is the fifth time in the past six games Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points. Jalen Williams added 19 points as the Thunder won their fourth straight. Dalton Knecht scored 20 points, including five 3-pointers for the Lakers, who have dropped four of their last five. D’Angelo Russell had 17 points off the bench. With the loss, Los Angeles can not advance to the quarterfinals after winning the inaugural NBA Cup tournament last year. Phoenix, San Antonio and Oklahoma City are all 2-1 in West Group B while the Lakers are 2-2. The Lakers drew within one point before Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 3-pointer with 1:35 remaining to put the Thunder up 95-91.

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League News

Around the League

• James Harden led the Clippers with 43 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a win against the Wizards. This was Harden’s best scoring performance in a Clippers uniform, and he entered the record books with this performance, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as the only players with over 100 40-point games in the NBA’s history. He had already surpassed the likes of Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Kevin Durant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Harden has been asked to carry a more significant load on offense for the Clippers this season. Following Wednesday’s outing, he’s averaging 21.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game across 20 appearances. That’s a marked improvement compared to 2023-24, and finishing the season with double-digit points and assists might not be a stretch for him. After Wednesday’s showing, it’s clear that Harden still has it. And if he brings his game on a consistent basis throughout the regular season, then the Clippers could turn more than a few heads as the season continues, especially with Kawhi Leonard’s return looming.

• Injury Updates: Kawhi Leonard (knee) is out indefinitely, and his recovery might “take longer than expected” according to the team. Khris Middleton (ankle) will miss longer than expected. 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. Paolo Banchero (oblique) has a tear and will be out indefinitely, and re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks. Herb Jones (shoulder) will be out for a minimum of 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. Zion Williamson (hamstring) will be out multiple weeks. Chet Holmgren (hip) suffered a fracture and will be out 8-10 weeks. DeAnthony Melton (ACL) underwent surgery and will be out for the season. Grant Williams (ACL) suffered a tear and will be out for the season. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

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NBA MVP Ladder

1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Last Ladder: No. 1
Season stats: 29.7 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 10.6 apg

His case: After a signature 34-point, 13-rebound effort in a win over the Lakers, “The Joker” and the Nuggets had a momentary stumble and were humbled in a blowout loss to the Knicks.

Afterward, Nuggets coach Michael Malone challenged him to respond, and Jokić did so with a 30-point takedown of the Jazz. He remains among the league leaders in points, rebounds and assists.

2. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last Ladder: No. 2
Season stats: 28.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 5.8 apg

His case: Another steady week for Tatum secures the runner-up position for now. The only drawback was his efficiency as he missed all 10 of his 3-pointers in a win over the Wizards.

Even when he struggles with his shooting, Tatum manages to find other ways to contribute. His rebounding average is high for a small forward, and over his last five games, he’s nearly averaging a double-double.

3. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Last Ladder: No. 3
Season stats: 29.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.9 bpg

His case: He had a humbling matchup against Jokić last week when he shot poorly, scored just 14 points and delivered his first substandard game of the season in a loss to the Nuggets. That it happened against the MVP favorite only magnified that situation.

Still: Davis followed up with a pair of double-doubles and overall this season is impacting both ends of the floor far better than most. He’d better watch out, though, because No. 4 on this list is threatening a takeover.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last Ladder: No. 4
Season stats: 32.4 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 6.4 apg

His case: Antetokounmpo exits Thanksgiving as the league’s leading scorer, making 60% of his shots on high volume, which is incredibly impressive. In the two games since the last Ladder, he scored 69 points combined with 21 rebounds to lead the Bucks’ seasonable comeback from a 2-8 start.

The schedule gets easier; between now and Jan. 10, Milwaukee only has two games against teams (Boston and Cleveland) currently with a winning record. If the Bucks keep surging, their win-loss record won’t be held against Giannis anymore.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last Ladder: No. 5
Season stats: 29.5 ppg, 6.4 apg, 1.7 spg

His case: Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 or more points in four of his last five games, proving his high-level consistency is thriving. It doesn’t hurt that OKC remains at the top of the West, partly helped by Shai’s 35 points Wednesday to hold off the No. 3 Warriors.

He failed to score at least 20 points only once this season, and that came in an easy win over the Spurs where OKC really didn’t need much from him.

The Next 5:

6. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
7. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
9. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
10. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

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Fantasy Leaders

Franz deserves to be an All Star this year

Overtime Thoughts