Top Stories

• Wemby drops 42 and 18

• Bron and Steph have another legendary duel

• Mavs lose Luka to calf injury

• NBA All Star 2025 voting is now live!

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Games of the day

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

Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 41 points, and the New York Knicks overcame 42 from Victor Wembanyama in a monster Christmas debut to edge the San Antonio Spurs 117-114. Wembanyama set a Spurs' record for points on the holiday and added 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. The reigning Western Conference player of the week made six 3-pointers. But Bridges shot 17 for 25 from the field, 6 for 9 behind the arc, to make sure the Knicks had just enough offense to win their fifth in a row and improve to 20-10. Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Jalen Brunson scored 20 points. Josh Hart finished with 12 points, 12 boards and six assists. Jeremy Sochan had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs.

Austin Reaves scored the winning layup with one second left after Stephen Curry tied it on a 31-foot 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining, LeBron James had 31 points and 10 assists playing in his NBA-record 19th Christmas Day game, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Golden State Warriors 115-113. Curry scored 38 with eight 3s, hitting one under pressure from the baseline with 12 seconds left and another with 2:49 remaining only for James to answer from long range on the other end. Reaves recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, who lost big man Anthony Davis to a sprained left ankle late in the first quarter. Golden State lost for the 11th time in 14 games. Green was hit with his eighth technical late in the second quarter, putting him halfway to the 16 mark that would bring an automatic one-game suspension.

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

League News

Around the League

• While the Dallas Mavericks wait to see how long they’ll be without Luka Dončić because of his latest left calf injury, they have another example of how to stay afloat until the superstar’s return. Dončić exited late in the second quarter of a 105-99 Christmas Day loss to Minnesota, and the deflated Mavs found themselves down 28 points late in the third. Yet, Kyrie Irving had a 3-point attempt in the final minute that would have put Dallas in front. His shot was short, as was the rally. The five-time All-Star was running a play on offense when he stopped, passed and reached toward his lower legs. Dončić stayed where he was until the Mavs could call timeout. He limped off with 2:31 remaining in the first half.

• 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.

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

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

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Fantasy Leaders

Mikal makes his Top 3 debut

Overtime Thoughts