Top Stories

• KAT seems to be Joker’s kryptonite, Brunson drops 30 and 15

• Steph’s and GP2’s late game heroics hold off OKC

• Wolves are finally getting back on track

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Games of the day

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

Jalen Brunson had 30 points and 15 assists, OG Anunoby scored 23 points and the New York Knicks beat the Denver Nuggets 122-112 for their fifth straight victory. Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for New York. The Knicks who had a strong start aided by Nikola Jokic's early foul trouble, then used a late spurt to pull away for good. Jamal Murray scored 33 points for the Nuggets, who fell to 0-3 on their five-game trip. Jokic finished with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Jokic picked up two fouls in the first 1 1/2 minutes and went to the bench just over two minutes into the game after Anunoby blew by him to start a 15-0 run that gave the Knicks an 18-6 lead. Jokic didn't return until 7 mins remained in the first half and the NBA leader with 21 triple-doubles didn't reach double figures in any category until the fourth quarter. Denver has given up 133, 129 and now 122 points to start the road trip, and it's hard to win anywhere with that kind of defense. Towns fronted Jokic for most of their matchup, holding him to 16 points. KAT’s defense on Joker has been one of the few that can seemingly bother the MVP.

Stephen Curry hit a long 3-pointer with 1:52 left on the way to 21 points, Andrew Wiggins scored 27 and the Golden State Warriors beat the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 116-109. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 52 points for the Thunder, two off his career high set against the Utah Jazz a week ago. Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points in the opening 8:10, and 21 of his team's 34 first-quarter points. He shot 16 for 29 and converted 18 of 21 free throws. Curry returned after sitting out Tuesday's win against the Jazz to rest his ailing knees and missed his initial five shots before connecting at the 10:46 mark of the second quarter. Kevon Looney scored 18 off the bench and Gary Payton II had 15 points and nine rebounds. Payton’s defense on SGA in the last 4 mins completely took him out of the game, opening it up for GS to keep their lead. Curry, coach Steve Kerr and two members of the Golden State staff received their championship rings from Grant Hill in a pregame ceremony for winning the Olympic gold medal last summer in Paris.

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League News

Around the League

• Anthony Edwards scored 33 points, Julius Randle added 28 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 121-113 for their fourth straight victory. The Timberwolves trailed for much of the night, but rallied near the end of the third quarter for an 81-77 advantage. Nickeil Alexander-Walker made three 3-pointers early in the fourth to help Minnesota push to a 10-point lead. Alexander-Walker finished with 23 points, making 5 of 10 shots behind the arc. The Timberwolves — who swept the Suns out of the playoffs last season in the first round — shot 56% from the field. Phoenix had its three-game winning streak snapped. Kevin Durant led the team with 33 points while Devin Booker added 28 and Bradley Beal had 17. The Suns' offense stalled in the third quarter with just 18 points on 7 of 22 shooting. Minnesota coach Chris Finch was ejected in the third quarter after receiving a second technical foul. Both were for arguing with officials. Forward Jaden McDaniels was also ejected in the final minute after a brief altercation with Booker. The Suns led 59-55 advantage at half, with Booker scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

• Injury Updates: 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. Isaiah Jackson (achilles) will be out for the season. Chet Holmgren (hip) suffered a fracture and will be out 5-6 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. Luka Doncic (calf) will be out at least 2 weeks. Larry Nance Jr (hand) will be out indefinitely after surgery. Jared McCain (torn meniscus) will be out for the season. Brandon Miller (wrist) will be out for the season. Donte DiVincenzo (toe) will be out indefinitely. Jalen Johnson (shoulder) will be out for the season. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

• Trade Updates: The Miami Heat traded Thomas Bryant to Indiana for a 2nd round pick. The Brooklyn Nets traded Dennis Schroder for DeAnthony Melton. The Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell to the Nets for Dorian Finney Smith. Phoenix traded Josh Okogie for Nick Richards.

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NBA MVP Ladder

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Season stats: 31.6 points, 6 assists, 2 steals

His case: The good times continue for Gilgeous-Alexander as the Thunder, fresh off a beating of the East-leading Cavaliers, show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Same for Gilgeous-Alexander as he has dipped under 30 points just twice this month (in blowout wins) and leads the league in scoring and is No. 3 in steals.

And the Thunder schedule lightens up from here, with a pair against the short-handed Mavericks, plus the Jazz, Nets, Blazers and Warriors. All of which provide a chance for Gilgeous-Alexander to put up even bigger numbers.

2. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Season stats: 30.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.9 assists

His case: Jokić is dealing with a bum elbow and subsequently is shooting less and therefore scoring less for the Nuggets as of late. However: He’s OK with that last part because his teammates are starting to — finally — play better and rely less on his scoring.

The Nuggets are starting to surge, and if Denver is high in the West standings at season’s end, that can only positively reflect on Jokić’s chances of grabbing another MVP trophy.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Season stats: 31.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists

His case: Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.3 ppg in January so far, his lowest monthly average of the season. However, that’s more reflective of having to shoot less for the Bucks, who have turned the corner on a season that began slowly and demanded more from Antetokounmpo.

It’s all good — Antetokounmpo is the leading fan vote-getter for the All-Star Game, a sign of respect.

4. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Season stats: 25.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists

His case: Towns is dealing with wrist and thumb issues and had to sit a game; neither injury is considered serious enough to bench him for an extended period.

Otherwise, the consistently high-level performances by Towns keep him high on the Ladder. He went for 30 and 18 against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks before the injury and has a decent chance to be named a starter for the All-Star Game.

5. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Season stats: 24.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4 blocks

His case: Wembanyama continues to issue decent performances although it has been a mixed bag lately, as the Spurs have stumbled in the standings, losers of four of their last five. He’ll need a good stretch to remain in the top five next week.

The Next 5:

6. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
7. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
8. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
9. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
10. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

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Fantasy Leaders

KP makes his first Top 3 appearance this season

Overtime Thoughts