Top Stories

• Miami blows 25 point lead, only scores 8 in 4th

• Bucks win without Dame and Giannis

• Wemby joining more record clubs

• 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)

Cole Anthony scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half and the Orlando Magic tied their largest comeback in franchise history to beat the Miami Heat 121-114 after trailing by 25 points. The Magic also trailed by 22 entering the fourth quarter before outscoring the Heat 37-8. Anthony also had eight rebounds and nine assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points and Goga Bitadze added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who lost center Mo Wagner to a knee injury in the first quarter and center Wendell Carter Jr. to an ejection before halftime. Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier led Miami with 23 points each, and Tyler Herro added 22. Wagner went down with a left knee injury and did not return. Guard Jalen Suggs was a late scratch after injuring his ankle Thursday night.

Bobby Portis replaced Giannis Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup and scored a season-high 34 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 112-101 victory over the Washington Wizards. Khris Middleton had 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, while Portis finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Antetokounmpo (back spasms) missed his third game of the season and the Bucks also played again without Damian Lillard (right calf strain) after winning the NBA Cup earlier this week. Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Lillard could play Monday against Chicago. Rookie Ryan Rollins started at point guard in Lillard’s absence and contributed 14 points in 31 minutes. Center Brook Lopez also had 14 and Gary Trent Jr. had 15 points and seven rebounds. Middleton played for the second straight night after scoring 14 points in 19 minutes at Cleveland on Friday. He continues to get into shape after missing the first 21 games following offseason surgery on both ankles. Jordan Poole scored 26 points and Bilal Coulibaly had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Washington.

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League News

Around the League

• Victor Wembanyama scored 30 points and tied a career high with 10 blocks as the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 114-94 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. Wembanyama added seven rebounds while sitting out the final 8 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter with San Antonio headed to its largest margin of victory this season. Wembanyama is just the sixth player in league history to record 30-plus points and 10-plus blocks in a game, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Artis Gilmore, Dwight Howard and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Wembanyama is the first player with four 3-pointers and 10 blocks in a game in NBA history and the first player under 21 with multiple games with double-figure blocks since the league began keeping track of blocks. San Antonio is 15-13 after winning two straight and four of five. The Spurs did not win their 15th game last season until March 17.

• Injury Updates: Kawhi Leonard (knee) is out indefinitely, but he practiced with the team this week and is getting closer to returning. 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. Isaiah Jackson (achilles) will be out for the season. 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. Franz Wagner (oblique) has a tear and will be out at least 4 weeks. 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.

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NBA MVP Ladder

1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Last Ladder: No. 1
Season stats: 31.0 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 9.8 apg

His case: As the regular season approaches the all-important Christmas Day checkpoint, nobody else in the league ranks among the top three in scoring, rebounds and assists. It’s a historic start that still cannot be ignored and gives the ladder edge to “The Joker.”

And Jokić needed a historic start to hold off No. 2 on the ladder, coming off a great weekend spent in Las Vegas where he won a lot of money.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last Ladder: No. 2
Season stats: 32.7 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 6.1 apg

His case: He was the biggest player in the biggest game of the year, the NBA Cup title match against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Typical of his play all season, Antetokounmpo was a giant at both ends of the floor, punishing OKC with downhill drives to the hoop and delivering key defensive stops.

Should he be No. 1? It’s a worthy debate, for sure. He’s that close. And maybe another solid week will put him over the top before the calendar flips to 2025 and the MVP Ladder takes an even more serious turn.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last Ladder: No. 3
Season stats: 30.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.3 apg

His case: Shai hauled the Thunder to the Emirates NBA Cup Championship; in the quarterfinals, he outplayed the Mavericks and Dončić, who got the best of him in last year’s playoffs.

Shai had his worst game of the season in the Cup Championship. That said, his season should hardly be confined to one sour night.

4. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks

Last Ladder: No. 6
Season stats: 28.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 8.2 apg

His case: Dončić rebounded from a sub-par showing against Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in the NBA Cup Knockout Rounds with one of the most impactful performances of anyone this season: a 45-11-13 line in a shootout win vs. the Warriors on Sunday.

Since returning from a wrist injury a few weeks ago, Dončić is averaging more than 30 points (on more efficient shooting), 10 rebounds, nine assists and two steals per game. That latter number is important because it shows some growth defensively, which until lately was an issue with him.

5. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last Ladder: No. 4
Season stats: 28.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.5 apg

His case: He dropped 34 points on the Bucks last week to temporarily put a halt to Milwaukee’s surge, and was the most productive player on a floor shared with Antetokounmpo.

With a mildly competitive upcoming schedule between now and the end of the calendar year, Tatum could supersize his already impressive scoring, rebounds and assists numbers.

The Next 5:

6. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
7. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
8. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
9. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
10. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

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Fantasy Leaders

Bobby Portis steps up big in Giannis’ absence

Overtime Thoughts