Top Stories

• Ant Man continues his blazing stretch

• Wemby takes down LeBron in LA

• Russ and Jokic set more records

• NBA All Star 2025 voting is now live!

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Games of the day

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

Anthony Edwards scored 20 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcome a sloppy first half and beat the NBA-worst Washington Wizards 120-106. Earlier Monday, Edwards was fined $50,000 by the NBA for an obscene gesture directed at an official in Saturday's loss in Memphis. Edwards, a two-time All-Star, had a strong final quarter, shooting 6 for 11 from the floor and 3 for 5 from 3-point range to turn what had been a tight contest into a comfortable win. Julius Randle added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which committed 13 turnovers in the first half and briefly trailed the Wizards in the third quarter. Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points and and Jordan Poole added 20 in Washington's seventh straight loss.

Victor Wembanyama had 23 points and eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Lakers 126-102 in Los Angeles' first game back from two postponements due to the wildfires devastating the area. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James added 18 points and eight assists for the Lakers in their first home game since catastrophic wildfires killed at least 24 and burned thousands of structures. The Lakers have lost three straight, but their previous two scheduled games were postponed, and they hadn't played since last Tuesday in Dallas. Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle scored 23 points apiece for San Antonio. The Spurs dominated the fourth quarter, making a 25-9 run in the first nine minutes to take control of a game that was tied entering the period. The Lakers retired Michael Cooper's No. 21 in a halftime ceremony honoring the Hall of Fame guard who won five championships in the Showtime era.

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League News

Around the League

• Denver’s Nikola Jokić and Russell Westbrook made NBA history, becoming the first pair of teammates to record a triple-double in the same game multiple times in a single season. Jokić finished with 35 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds for his NBA-leading 15th triple-double of the season in the Nuggets’ 124-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Westbrook had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. They’re also the first to record a 25-point triple-double in the same regular-season game. Westbrook had four assists in the fourth to record his 202nd career triple-double, which is the most in an NBA career. It was his third triple-double this season, his first in Denver. Westbrook signed with the Nuggets last summer after spending the last three seasons in Los Angeles with both the Lakers and the Clippers.

• 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 6-8 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. Franz Wagner (oblique) has a tear and will be out at least 4 weeks. Luka Doncic (calf) will be out at least 2 weeks. Larry Nance Jr (hand) will be out indefinitely after surgery. 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.

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NBA MVP Ladder

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Season stats: 31.3 points, 6.1 assists, 2.0 steals

His case: What a remarkable past few weeks, past month and season for Gilgeous-Alexander. He came close to beating both the defending champion Celtics and East-leading Cavaliers this past week. Both games were thrillers and he played very well.

There’s nothing more Gilgeous-Alexander could do to overtake Jokić than that. If anything, the gauntlet has been thrown and the bigger question is whether Gilgeous-Alexander can fend off Jokić, who will not go quietly, from this point forward. This race will be fascinating to watch, and fun, too.

2. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Season stats: 31.5 points, 13 rebounds, 9.7 assists

His case: Before missing a pair of games with illness, The Joker had back-to-back stunning 40-pieces against the likely front-runner for Kia Defensive Player of the Year (and fellow Kia MVP Ladder rung-holder), Victor Wembanyama.

Jokić remains a high-level consistent performer for the Nuggets, and if Denver has finally turned the corner on their season, which appears to be the case, then he’ll have another strong case for a fourth MVP.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Season stats: 31.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists

His case: Antetokounmpo has been a bit slow to return from knee issues that flared right after the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game, but his B-game is better than many other players’ A-games.

He outclassed Wembanyama in their Wednesday matchup — his iso-defense on Wemby was a much-replayed highlight — which proved that Anteokounmpo can rise to the occasion no matter the opponent.

4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Season stats: 25.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4 blocks

His case: He went for 35 points and 18 rebounds and then 20 points and 23 rebounds the next night against the former No. 1 player on the ladder. Those games against the Jokić stamped Wembanyama as a serious candidate.

Upcoming is a pair against Anthony Davis and the Lakers, which means Wembanyama once again will be tested by one of the league’s best big men. The good news is Wembanyama seems up to the challenge and desires to measure himself against All-Stars and MVPs, because he sees himself in their class one day — if he isn’t already there.

5. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Season stats: 28.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists

His case: He remains a steady presence on the ladder because of his consistency, durability and impact. There’s no question Tatum is why the Celtics enjoy a high view in the East, even with their depth.

That said, Tatum slipped on the Ladder this week because when the lights were bright in Oklahoma City, he was outplayed by Gilgeous-Alexander. His block of a Tatum fourth-quarter layup proved to be the momentum-changer.

The Next 5:

6. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
7. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
8. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
9. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
10. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets

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Fantasy Leaders

Jalen Green makes his Top 3 debut

Overtime Thoughts