Starting 5: How Giannis, OKC and LeBron all made history on Friday

Give. Go. Game.

With time winding down, Giannis rose up – and passed a legend.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Jan. 3, 2026

Friday’s Best: Giannis’ record outburst, OKC’s rare start and LeBron’s ageless outing

Clutch Wins, Hot Streaks: Mitchell and Buzelis deliver late, Spurs & Suns stack dubs

Roundup: Avdija and Johnson shine, Sarr sparks another Wizards win

Saturday Spotlight: Kawhi and the streaking Clips face JB’s C’s, Sixers at Knicks Round 2

More On NBA TV & LP: Heat & Rockets shoot for five straight wins amid an 8-game slate

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Friday’s scores & Saturday’s slate…

Eight games get underway today, highlighted by an NBA TV tripleheader. First, the Wolves visit the Heat (5 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Knicks host the Sixers (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch) and the Clippers face the Celtics (10:30 ET | Tap to Watch)

Monthly Awards: New York’s Jalen Brunson and OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were named the Kia NBA East and West Players of the Month, respectively, for December. See the full monthly award list here.

Cast Your All-Star Ballot: Fans can vote for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters every day through Jan. 14 using their NBA ID. Make it count, vote now.

1. FRIDAY’S BEST: GIANNIS, OKC & LEBRON JOIN ELITE COMPANY

With 8 seconds to play, Miles Bridges converted an and-1 inbound alley-oop for a one-point lead.

That gave Giannis an idea.

Bucks 122, Hornets 121: Antetokounmpo (30 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) slammed home the game-winning oop with 4 seconds left, and the Bucks defended Brandon Miller’s (19 pts, 7 reb, 4 3s) response attempt to close out a game with four lead changes in the final minute. | Recap

“Doc was drawing something up, and Giannis had a feeling: [The Hornets] were switching a lot. So he gave us that play basically, and we executed it,” Kevin Porter Jr. said after his game-winning assist to Giannis
All-Time Company: The oop sealed Giannis’ 158th career 30/10/5 game, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for 2nd-most in NBA history. One more would tie Oscar Robertson (159) for most all-time
Rollins Rolls: Ryan Rollins added 29 points with six 3s and 8 assists in Milwaukee’s second defeat of Charlotte in a week
Hive Leaders: Rookie scoring leader Kon Knueppel led Charlotte with 26 points, with Bridges adding 25 on five 3s

Bucks Boost: Milwaukee has won three of four since Giannis returned from a December calf strain and now sits 1.5 games back of a SoFi Play-In spot in the East.

Fresh Freak: Giannis has scored under 25 points just once since returning, with consecutive 30-point double-doubles for an average of 29.0 ppg on 62.9 FG%, 9.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists… all while adhering to a minutes restriction
“I give Giannis credit. He’s frustrated, but he’s handled it,” coach Doc Rivers said of Giannis managing his return from injury

30-5 or better in back-to-back seasons.

Only two other franchises have done it – both while in the midst of legendary runs.

Thunder 131, Warriors 94: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30 pts, 7 ast, 28 min) and Chet Holmgren (15 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 4 blk) only needed three quarters to stuff the stat sheet as OKC pounced on the shorthanded Warriors for its fourth straight win, improving to an NBA-best 30-5. | Recap

Championship Company: OKC is just the third-ever NBA franchise to start 30-5 or better in consecutive seasons, joining the Bulls (1995-96 & 1996-97) and Warriors (2014-15, 2015-16 & 2016-17)
Straight Dominance: Thirteen of OKC’s 30 wins this season have come by 20+ points – tying the 1972-73 Knicks for the most ever through 35 games
Straight Buckets: Friday also marked SGA’s 106th straight 20-point game and his NBA-best 26th 30-piece this season. Eleven of those 30-pieces have come under 30 minutes of play

The only player averaging more points per game than Shai this season? Luka Dončić, who put on another show alongside LeBron James.

This time, it added to the King’s royal resume.

Lakers 128, Grizzlies 121: Dončić (34 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast) and James (31 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) combined for 65 points, and as the Grizzlies roared back from 15 down, the duo turned up – fueling a 15-4 run in crunch time to flip a one-point deficit into an electric dub. | Recap

Showtime: Dončić sparked the late burst with four straight points, followed by two straight helpers before James’ driving finish ballooned the lead to nine with 2:03 left
The Exclamation Point: 37 seconds later, LeBron found Marcus Smart for 3, then dropped a dime to Jaxson Hayes for a dagger dunk – improving Los Angeles to an NBA-best 11-0 in clutch games this season
King & Kareem: James’ 31 points passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1988 mark (25 pts) for the most ever by a 41-year-old in an NBA game
Time, Squared: They’re the only two players to score 25+ at 41 or older, and they did it at the exact same age – both at 41 years and 3 days old

2. CLUTCH WINS, HOT STREAKS: MITCHELL & BUZELIS CLOSE, SPURS & SUNS WIN

In a showdown between two contenders, Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray went shot-for-shot. But Spida had the final say.

Cavaliers 113, Nuggets 108: Murray put on a show, drilling six 3s en route to 34 points, 7 dimes and 6 boards. But Mitchell was just as good (33 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 5 3s), sparking a 25-11 4th quarter as Cleveland snagged its third straight win. | Recap

The Final Swing: Denver outscored Cleveland 38-26 in the 3rd to take the lead, before the Cavs answered in the 4th, highlighted by a 10-0 run to take the lead late
Big Stars, Big Buckets: That included Darius Garland’s go-ahead 3 with 2:13 left, followed by a Mitchell jam to pop the lid off Rocket Arena
Cavs Climbing: Mitchell scored 19 in the 2nd half, while Garland finished with 18 points and 8 dimes, moving the Cavs to 20-16 – a half-game back of 4th-place Toronto

Bulls 121, Magic 114: In a game featuring 19 lead changes, Matas Buzelis (21 pts, 9 reb, career-high 7 ast) delivered two haymakers, uncorking a Dunk of the Year candidate with a gargantuan poster – then closing with a string of clutch buckets to outlast Orlando. | Recap

Closing Time: Buzelis scored 9 points in the final 7:21, drilling a tiebreaking 3 to put Chicago up for good before an and-1 stretched the lead, icing Chicago’s seventh win in nine games
“It was awesome,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan on Buzelis’ dunk. “But it’s the other things that I think he’s doing that’s impacting winning … he’s not afraid of the moment.”
Paolo Shines: Paolo Banchero powered Orlando with 31 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists

Spurs 123, Pacers 113: San Antonio never looked back after a 41-point 2nd quarter, with De’Aaron Fox (24 pts, 7 reb) leading the way to a 12th win in the last 15 games. Pascal Siakam (23 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) starred for Indy. | Recap

25 Ws Club: San Antonio (25-9) joins OKC and Detroit as the first teams to reach 25 wins this season, with the Spurs off to their best start since 2016-17
Texas Trio: The Spurs got 65 combined points from its backcourt of Fox, Dylan Harper (22 pts), and Stephon Castle (19 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast)
Without Wemby, the Spurs still scored 60 points in the paint. Wembanyama is expected to return from a hyperextended knee today against the Blazers

Attention Defenders: When this is falling for Devin Booker, you’re in trouble.

Suns 129, Kings 102: Book poured in 20 of his 33 points in the 1st quarter, and Phoenix outscored Sacramento 67-46 in the 2nd half to secure its fifth win in six games. | Recap

Russ Passes Big O: Despite the loss, Russell Westbrook packed the box score (17 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) while passing Oscar Robertson (26,710) for 15th on the all-time scoring list

Attention Defenders: When this is falling for Devin Booker, you’re in trouble.

Suns 129, Kings 102: Book poured in 20 of his 33 points in the 1st quarter, and Phoenix outscored Sacramento 67-46 in the 2nd half to secure its fifth win in six games. | Recap

Russ Passes Big O: Despite the loss, Russell Westbrook packed the box score (17 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) while passing Oscar Robertson (26,710) for 15th on the all-time scoring list

3. ROUNDUP: AVDIJA & JOHNSON SHINE, WIZ WIN AGAIN

Blazers 122, Pelicans 109: Deni Avdija was clinical (34 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast), while Shaedon Sharpe (23) and Caleb Love (22) combined for 55 points as Portland raced past NOLA, overcoming another big night from Zion Williamson (35 pts, 8 reb, 2 blk). | Recap

Hawks 111, Knicks 99: Jalen Johnson’s ninth career triple-double (18 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast) and 23 points apiece from Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker helped Atlanta deal New York just its third home loss, holding the Knicks under 100 for the first time this season. | Recap

Trip-Dub Leaderboard: Johnson now has seven triple-doubles this season, matching Josh Giddey for second-most behind Nikola Jokić (16)
Knicks Limited: Jalen Brunson (24 pts, 5 ast) led New York without Karl-Anthony Towns (illness), Josh Hart (ankle) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle)

Wizards 119, Nets 99: Alex Sarr was a force on both ends (19 pts, 6 reb, 5 blk), while Justin Champagnie chipped in 20 points off the bench as the Wizards jumped out to a 37-20 1st quarter lead and never trailed again for their fourth win in five games. | Recap

Wiz At Work: It’s Washington’s best five-game stretch since February 2023. Six of its nine wins this season have come in its last 10 games

4. TONIGHT ON NBA TV: SURGING STARS & EAST RIVALS COLLIDE

Exactly two weeks ago, the Clippers were 6-21.

Since then, they’ve doubled their win total, rattling off six straight dubs to move just 1.5 games back of the final West Play-In spot.

“I give the guys credit for continuing to work when our back was against the wall,” said Clippers coach Ty Lue after Thursday’s win over Utah
“When you keep working hard and keep coming to work every single day, you’ll get the results eventually. And that’s what we’ve been able to do.”

Perhaps no Clipper has personified that mindset more than Kawhi Leonard. The six-time All-Star has breathed life into LA’s season by doing what he’s always done – showing up, setting the tone and letting the results speak for themselves.

The Spark: Leonard ignited the turnaround against the rival Lakers, taking over on both ends (32 pts, 12 reb, 3 stl, 2 blk) to snap a five-game skid
The Streak: He followed with 41 points to beat Houston, 28 to top Portland and a career-best 55 to knock off East-leading Detroit
The Heat: He’s kept rolling with 33 and 45 in the last two games as LA has won six straight by an average of 20.3 points, with Leonard dropping 39 ppg amid the streak
The Feat: Kawhi’s posting 28.5 ppg this season, on pace to become the first player ever to notch a new career-high in points in Year 14 or later
“He’s one of the top guys in the league,” said Lue last week. “We’ve been able to see that as of late … and [he] understands where we’re at, and what we’re trying to get to.”

Tonight (10:30 ET, NBA TV), Leonard faces another superstar putting together a career year in Jaylen Brown, posting a personal-best 29.5 ppg this season.

And like Leonard, he’s been on a recent tear, dropping an NBA-best 31.7 ppg in December, while leading Boston to six wins in its last seven outings.

East Rivals Reunite: Two games ahead of Boston sit the 2nd-place Knicks, who host the rising Sixers in the second leg of tonight’s NBA TV tripleheader (7:30 ET).

Star Buckets: Back to full strength, Tyrese Maxey (34, 34), Joel Embiid (34, 22) and VJ Edgecombe (23, 25) have each tallied 20+ points in back-to-back wins for Philly
Finding Rhythm: Paul George added 17 and 14, marking just the fourth and fifth times this season the four stars have started together
Big Apple Balance: Now Philly’s star core faces New York, which boasts the league’s 4th-best offense (120.9), with seven players averaging double figures
Brunson Burner: That starts with the Kia East Player of the Month, Jalen Brunson, who’s led the Knicks to a 14-5 record since Nov. 24, averaging 29.8 ppg in that span

MSG Rematch: One of those five losses came at the hands of the Sixers, with Maxey (30) and Edgecombe (23) combining for 53 points in a 116-107 road win – one of only three Knicks losses at MSG this season.

Can Philly win another at the Garden tonight?

5. NBA TV OPENER & LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT

NBA TV’s tripleheader tips off with a Miami matinée for the rising Heat.

Wolves at Heat (5 ET, NBA TV): Miami goes for a fifth straight win, hosting a Minnesota team that matched the West’s 3rd-best December record at 9-5.

Scoring Share: Playing at the league’s fastest pace, Miami’s depth scoring has fueled its win-streak level-up, with seven players averaging at least 13.0 points over these past four games
Making Moves: Ant Edwards’ career-high 29.1 points per game has helped move the Wolves to a half-game behind the Lakers for the 5th seed
Close Contests: These foes split their two matchups last season, with the road team winning by a combined margin of just 3 points

A Texas Showdown in Dallas highlights today’s League Pass slate.

Rockets at Mavericks (8:30 ET, LP): Houston heads across Texas seeking a fifth straight win while Dallas aims to end a four-game skid.

All Systems Go: In this win streak, Houston’s 2nd-ranked OffRtg jumps to 132.7 with KD on the floor, while its 4th-ranked defense locks in at 106.3 during Amen Thompson’s minutes
Head-To-Head: Houston and Dallas have split two matchups so far this season, with Durant averaging 24.0 points in the set against Cooper Flagg’s 15.5
Premiere Post-Up: Alperen Sengun (calf) and Anthony Davis (adductor) are both back to clash after missing two games each following Christmas Day injuries

Roundup: Wemby is expected to return (knee) after missing just one game, as the Spurs host the Blazers (8 ET).

Hawks at Raptors (7:30 ET)
Hornets at Bulls (8 ET)
Jazz at Warriors (10 ET)