Top Stories

• Splash Bros play against each other for the first time

• Trae-less Hawks beat Celtics

• Joel Embiid makes his season debut

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Games of the day

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

Stephen Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks 120-117 in an NBA Cup game. Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed to join Dallas in July. Luka Doncic started and had 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists after the team decided his left groin strain was healthy to play once he went through his warmup routine. The Warriors gifted captain hats to fans in a tribute to Thompson's tradition of taking his boat across the bay to games. Thompson embraced Curry shortly before tipoff and his 3-pointer gave Dallas a 110-105 lead before his old Splash Brother took over. Curry shot 14 for 27 making five 3s and added nine assists and six rebounds, also sparking a 20-3 burst to begin the third quarter.

Onyeka Okongwu tipped in a missed shot with 6 seconds left, and Jaylen Brown missed a jumper at the buzzer as the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 15-point, second-half deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 117-116 in their NBA Cup opener. Dyson Daniels scored a career-high 28 points, and Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Atlanta snapped a two-game losing streak despite playing without star Trae Young. Brown scored a season-high 37 points and Derrick White added 31 for Boston as it opened the in-season tournament on a green floor with a special design. The defending NBA champions had a two-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the third time this season.

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League News

Around the League

• Making his season debut, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid scored 13 points in a 111-99 loss to the New York Knicks on last night. Embiid played just over 26 minutes, finishing 2-for-11 from the field with three rebounds and five assists. With the loss, the 76ers are 2-8 and near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Embiid was paired for the first time with nine-time All-Star Paul George, who missed the first five games with a bone bruise. Embiid, George and fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey were the 76ers’ version of a Big Three that was expected to make them one of the big favorites out of the Eastern Conference. The trio instead have yet to play a game together. The 76ers are coming off an overtime win against Charlotte but face an uphill climb into playoff contention. There have been 20 teams in NBA history to make the playoffs after starting 1-6 or 0-7, though it’s been extremely rare in recent years. In the last 27 years, only three teams — the 2003-04 Miami Heat (0-7), the 2004-05 Chicago Bulls (0-7) and the 2021-22 New Orleans Pelicans (1-6) had such a start and went on to make the playoffs. A seven-time All-Star, Embiid returns from what the team called left knee management and the end of a three-game suspension for shoving a member of the media.

• Injury Updates: 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

I would not count on seeing John Collins up here again

Overtime Thoughts