{"id":433380,"date":"2025-12-08T14:03:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/433380\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T14:03:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:03:31","slug":"starting-5-thunder-roll-to-23-1-lebron-james-closes-it-out-in-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/433380\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Thunder roll to 23-1; LeBron James closes it out in Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1530032 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/manage\/2024\/12\/STARTING5-ACTION-FINAL-HEADER-768x222-5.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"222\"\/><\/p>\n<p><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Trademark finish.<\/b>\u00a0Classic King close.<\/p>\n<p><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">LeBron James<\/b>\u00a0took over in crunch time to seal the Lakers\u2019 ninth win in 11 games, as L.A. heads into a new week second in the West.<\/p>\n<p><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Meanwhil<\/b>e<b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">, the team in first<\/b>\u00a0just locked in\u00a0one of the three best\u00a0starts in\u00a0league history.<\/p>\n<p><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Keep reading for what else<\/b>\u00a0is trending around the league.\u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202596_509_original.gif\" alt=\"LeBron James\"\/><\/p>\n<p>5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Opening &amp; Closing:<\/strong> OKC wins 15th straight to match 2nd-best 24-game start, LeBron &amp; Luka dazzle<\/p>\n<p><strong>Look Out:<\/strong> Two recent NBA champs are rising fast behind their sizzling stars<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sunday Roundup:<\/strong> Knicks rock the Garden again, Grizz hit their stride, Warriors dub<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s Trending \u2013 Top-10 Harden:<\/strong> The Beard\u2019s road to No. 10 on the all-time scoring list<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s Trending \u2013 Cup Week:<\/strong> The Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals tip off Tuesday<\/p>\n<p>BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202596_958_original.jpg\" alt=\"Scores &amp; Schedule\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Monday delivers<\/strong> a three-game slate, highlighted by Anthony Edwards\u2019 Wolves hosting Devin Booker and the Suns on Peacock (<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/phx-vs-min-0022500365?lid=3x974l16oj8u\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7:30 ET<\/a> | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/how-to-watch-game-redirect\/0022500365?partnerRef=NBA&amp;platform=Email&amp;surface=Starting5&amp;lid=tovjzfj28mbx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tap to Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Up Next:<\/strong> The <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/nba-cup\/2025?lid=1uq2y9lzgylm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Emirates NBA Cup<\/a> Knockout Rounds begin this week, with the Quarterfinals set for Tuesday and Wednesday on Prime. The winners advance to Saturday\u2019s Semifinals in Vegas.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tuesday: <\/strong>Heat at Magic (6 ET, Prime)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tuesday:<\/strong> Knicks at Raptors (8:30 ET, Prime)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wednesday:<\/strong> Suns at Thunder (7:30 ET, Prime)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wednesday: <\/strong>Spurs at Lakers (10 ET, Prime)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>1. OKC JOINS RARE COMPANY, LEBRON DELIVERS CLUTCH DAGGER<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202597_190_original.jpg\" alt=\"Jaylin Williams, Chet Holmgren\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Twenty-three and one. <\/strong>A start topped just once before in NBA history.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fifteen straight wins. <\/strong>A streak achieved just once before in OKC history.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Thunder hit both marks<\/strong> on Sunday \u2013 and they did it without the reigning Kia MVP.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thunder 131, Jazz 101:<\/strong> With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined (elbow), a slew of Thunder stepped up \u2013 led by Jalen Williams (8 ast) and Chet Holmgren (9 reb), who scored 25 points apiece as OKC rolled to its 15th straight dub, improving to an NBA-best 23-1. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/okc-vs-uta-0022500363?lid=5olhfi4a8n43\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>All-Time Open:<\/strong> The Thunder are just the third team to start 23-1 or better, joining the 2015-16 Warriors (24-0) and the 1969-70 Knicks (23-1)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special Company:<\/strong> Golden State went on to post the best regular-season record in NBA history (73-9), while New York won the 1970 NBA title<\/li>\n<li><strong>Full Circle Streak:<\/strong> The victory matches OKC\u2019s longest win streak in franchise history \u2013 a mark set last season, beginning with a win against Utah almost exactly a year ago (Dec. 3)<\/li>\n<li><strong>And This Strike Is Even Stronger:<\/strong> The Thunder posted a +15 average point differential during last year\u2019s streak. This time around? It\u2019s +18.9, with 12 double-digit wins<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202598_425_original.jpg\" alt=\"Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Top To Bottom:<\/strong> The Thunder entered Sunday with a 14-13 record without SGA since 2022-23. Rather than letting that dip to .500, they got a lift from every corner of the roster.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Co-Stars Shine:<\/strong> Sunday was the first time Williams and Holmgren each scored 25+ pts in the same game, and the 18th time they each tallied 20+. OKC is 15-3 in those games<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bench Boost:<\/strong> Aaron Wiggins (19 pts, 5 3s) and Ousmane Dieng (14 pts, 4 3s) and Branden Carlson (13 pts, 3 3s) led four OKC reserves in double figures, as its bench outscored Utah 63-46<\/li>\n<li><strong>Defensive Staple:<\/strong> OKC\u2019s top-ranked defense logged its 12th game this season holding an opponent to 105 points or fewer \u2013 the most in the NBA<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cGreat professionalism <\/strong>by the guys, especially to start the game,\u201d said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault postgame. \u201cDid a really good job defensively, making them earn everything.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202599_351_original.jpg\" alt=\"Luka Don\u010di\u0107, LeBron James\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>On Thursday, <\/strong>LeBron James\u2019 record streak of 1,297 straight games with 10+ points ended when \u2013 sitting on 8 points and the game on the line \u2013 he passed up a shot to find Rui Hachimura for a buzzer-beating winner.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Three days later,<\/strong> he put the ball in his own hands \u2013 with <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/1997865062015582342?s=20&amp;lid=otgvte521lzt\" target=\"_self\" data-mce-attributes-count=\"1\">10 straight points<\/a> in clutch time alone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lakers 112, 76ers 108:<\/strong> After trailing by double digits, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and LeBron willed Los Angeles back, before the King said goodnight.<\/p>\n<p><strong>He hit a deep 2,<\/strong> then a quick 3 to put the Lakers up 5 with 3:43 left. After Philly drew even, he buried another trey with 1:12 to play. 45 ticks later \u2013 James splashed a step-back dagger, giving the Lakers their ninth win in 11 games. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/lal-vs-phi-0022500362?lid=p1jl6qgbsmau\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202603_87_original.gif\" alt=\"LeBron James\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>LeBron &amp; Luka Showtime:<\/strong> James finished with a season-high 29 points along with 7 boards and 6 dimes, while Don\u010di\u0107 posted a triple-double (<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/1997873401789317501?s=20&amp;lid=s91if6vqrsmg\">31 pts, 15 reb, 11 ast<\/a>) after missing the last two games for the birth of his second child.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Potent Pairing:<\/strong> That included 19 points in the 1st half for Luka, and 19 in the 2nd for James \u2013 plus one postgame moment that will last <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DR_JyJzjKm0\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D&amp;lid=3fzg4ure9km9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this young fan a lifetime<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cLeBron was our connector <\/strong>tonight,\u201d said Lakers coach JJ Redick after the win. \u201cHis play throughout the game gave us such a lift.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>LBJ Climbs Win List:<\/strong> It marked James\u2019 1,015th career win, <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/1997879877035520270?s=20&amp;lid=nnxytj1bvzsh\">passing Robert Parish<\/a> for the 2nd-most all-time and trailing only Abdul-Jabbar (1,074)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Luka\u2019s Tear:<\/strong> Don\u010di\u0107 \u2013 leading the NBA with 35 ppg \u2013 now has eight straight 30-pieces, joining Kobe, Shaq, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers to record such a streak<\/li>\n<li><strong>Philly Fire:<\/strong> Tyrese Maxey shined again for Philly (28 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast), while Joel Embiid added 16 points and 7 boards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202603_282_original.jpg\" alt=\"NBA Standings\"\/><\/p>\n<p>2. ON THE RISE: JOKI\u0106 &amp; MURRAY LEAD DENVER, BROWN &amp; BOSTON STAY HOT<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202604_126_original.jpg\" alt=\"Nikola Joki\u0107, Jamal Murray\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>On Wednesday, <\/strong>Jamal Murray dropped 52. On Friday, Nikola Joki\u0107 went for 40.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Last night,<\/strong> they split shifts to notch Denver\u2019s third straight dub.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nuggets 115, Hornets 106:<\/strong> Murray erupted for 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the 1st quarter, yet Denver still trailed by 1 at the half. That\u2019s when Joki\u0107 went off, posting 18 points, 6 boards and 5 dimes in the final two quarters to outpace Charlotte. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/den-vs-cha-0022500359?lid=32j5gxbgptog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Denver Duo:<\/strong> Already leading the league with 11 triple-doubles, Joki\u0107 just missed another (28 pts, 9 reb, 11 ast), while Murray finished with a game-high 34 points and 5 dimes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Money Murray:<\/strong> In his last three outings, Murray is averaging 36.3 pts and 7 ast on 62.1% shooting<\/li>\n<li><strong>Masterful Joki\u0107: <\/strong>The Joker \u2013 currently No. 1 on the Kia MVP Ladder \u2013 continues to post silly numbers, averaging a triple-double on the season (29.2 pts, 12.3 reb, 11.0 ast) as Denver leads the league in scoring 125 ppg<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rookie Buzz:<\/strong> Kon Knueppel \u2013 No. 1 on the Kia Rookie Ladder \u2013 tallied 14 points and 4 assists for Charlotte, while Miles Bridges stuffed the stat sheet (24 pts, 9 reb, 8 ast)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202604_535_original.jpg\" alt=\"Jaylen Brown\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>JB and the C\u2019s <\/strong>are stacking Ws.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Celtics 121, Raptors 113: <\/strong>Boston caught fire early, taking a 77-59 halftime lead, and despite Toronto clawing back to tie it in the 4th, the C\u2019s closed on a 22-11 run to secure their fifth straight win and 10th in their last 12 games. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/bos-vs-tor-0022500358?lid=1y3ksv7kj82f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Brown Burst:<\/strong> Jaylen Brown led the way with 30 points, 8 boards and 5 dimes, marking his sixth 30-piece in his last seven games<\/li>\n<li><strong>Boston 3 Party:<\/strong> Derrick White (27 pts) splashed six of Boston\u2019s 20 3s as the C\u2019s hit 20+ triples for the third straight game and a league-leading sixth time this season<\/li>\n<li><strong>Winning Recipe:<\/strong> Boston went an NBA-best 23-3 when hitting 20+ 3s last year. This season? It\u2019s 6-0 \u2013 with five of those wins coming amid its 10-2 run<\/li>\n<li><strong>Toronto Tandem:<\/strong> Brandon Ingram (30 pts) and Scottie Barnes (18 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast) led the Raptors, who dropped to 4th in the East at 15-10<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. ROUNDUP: KNICKS PROTECT HOMECOURT, GRIZZ &amp; DUBS ROLL<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202605_537_original.jpg\" alt=\"Jalen Brunson\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Only one team<\/strong> has beaten the Knicks at MSG this season \u2013 the Orlando Magic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But it wasn\u2019t <\/strong>on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Knicks 106, Magic 100:<\/strong> Jalen Brunson dropped 30 points and 9 dimes, while OG Anunoby scored 21 and Josh Hart added a double-double (17 pts, 12 reb) to avenge the Knicks\u2019 only home loss this season, improving to 13-1 at MSG, despite being without Karl-Anthony Towns (calf). | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/orl-vs-nyk-0022500357?lid=3gr1jfa8hgne\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Garden Party:<\/strong> It\u2019s New York\u2019s best home start since 1992, shooting 39.3% from deep at the Garden while ranking top-5 in both home scoring (123.4 ppg) and points allowed (109.4)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Franz Exit: <\/strong>Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane led Orlando with 16 points apiece after Franz Wagner exited with a leg injury in the 1st quarter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202606_252_original.jpg\" alt=\"Santi Aldama, Brandin Podziemski\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Grizzlies 119, Blazers 96:<\/strong> Santi Aldama (22 pts, 7 reb), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (16 pts) and Jaylen Wells (16 pts) led seven Grizzlies in double figures as Memphis earned a near wire-to-wire win for its fifth victory in six games. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/por-vs-mem-0022500360?lid=2glajcjzqom6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Defend The Den: <\/strong>Memphis owns the 3rd-best DefRtg amid its 5-1 stretch, with seven players posting 10+ ppg<\/li>\n<li><strong>Breakout Blazer:<\/strong> Deni Avdija (17 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast) logged his 16th 15\/5\/5 game of the season \u2013 just five shy of his career-best 21 from last season<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Warriors 123, Bulls 91:<\/strong> Brandin Podziemski was cooking (21 pts, 7 ast, 8 reb, 5 3s), Jimmy Butler III also got busy (19 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) and the Dubs outscored the Bulls 36-15 in the 4th to secure their second straight win after knocking off the Cavs on Saturday. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/gsw-vs-chi-0022500361?lid=tba1nji515ym\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>4. WHAT\u2019S TRENDING \u2013 HARDEN JOINS TOP-10 ALL-TIME SCORING CLUB<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202607_219_original.jpg\" alt=\"[ ]\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>James Harden needed 21 points<\/strong> on Saturday to pass Carmelo Anthony (28,289) for No. 10 on the NBA\u2019s all-time scoring list.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fittingly, the man<\/strong> with the most 30-point games over the last 15 seasons dropped 34 \u2013 joining one of basketball\u2019s <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/james-harden-rises-into-all-time-top-10-for-career-points-passing-carmelo-anthony?lid=w3l1fnq3jhvu\" target=\"_self\" data-mce-attributes-count=\"1\" rel=\"noopener\">most exclusive clubs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cBlessing. A testament to the work<\/strong> I\u2019ve put in,\u201d said Harden on joining the top 10. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor, especially with somebody like Melo who\u2019s done so much greatness for this league.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Beard Buckets:<\/strong> Harden is averaging 26.5 points this season \u2013 his highest mark since leading the league with 34.3 in 2019-20 \u2013 and continues adding to a resume built bucket by bucket.<\/p>\n<p><strong>From his <\/strong><a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBAHistory\/status\/1997679531793256600?s=20&amp;lid=0cchqdo2br60\"><strong>first career points<\/strong><\/a> in Oklahoma City to Saturday\u2019s Melo-passing free throw, the path to No. 10 has been a steady stack of step-backs, Euro finishes and buckets in bunches.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>3s Aplenty:<\/strong> His scoring total includes the 2nd-most made 3s in NBA history (3,256), trailing only Steph Curry (4,133), and the 5th-most made free throws (8,343)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Complete Package:<\/strong> Harden also ranks 13th on the all-time assists list, joining LeBron James as the only players in the top 15 in total career points, 3s and assists<\/li>\n<li><strong>But His Forte?<\/strong> Heaters. Since entering the league in 2009-10, Harden leads the NBA in 40-point games (107), 50-point games (25) and 55-point games (12)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202608_741_original.jpg\" alt=\"James Harden\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hoops World Reax: <\/strong>The milestone drew immediate love across the NBA \u2013 from the <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LAClippers\/status\/1997752295363428815?lid=l1xq8tpxiaga\">Clippers\u2019 tribute video<\/a> to <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/1997690187028324705?s=20&amp;lid=bsz7herlyvpo\">leaguewide highlights<\/a> celebrating Harden\u2019s scoring mastery.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Beard<\/strong> also shouted out LeBron James (No. 1) and Kevin Durant (No. 8) <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DR-Hq_1kcrq\/?img_index=1&amp;lid=zjpmhs6wuhdl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on Instagram,<\/a> the two other active players on the league\u2019s all-time top 10 scoring list<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Harden Reflects: <\/strong>Dive deeper into Harden\u2019s full journey \u2014 from his sixth-man start in OKC to the step-back 3 that reshaped a generation of scorers \u2014 in <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/james-harden-career-top-10-all-time-scoring?lid=76uir4vfkbvf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shaun Powell\u2019s feature on NBA.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>5. WHAT\u2019S TRENDING \u2013 NBA CUP KNOCKOUT ROUND WEEK &amp; MORE<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202609_893_original.jpg\" alt=\"NBA Cup Quarterfinals\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>After Monday\u2019s three-game slate,<\/strong> all eyes turn to the <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/nba-cup\/2025?lid=tg8ae3ycxmws\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Emirates NBA Cup<\/a> Knockout Rounds, with the Quarterfinals set for Tuesday and Wednesday, featuring a pair of standalone doubleheaders on Prime.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The stakes are simple:<\/strong> Win, and you earn a trip to Vegas for Saturday\u2019s Semifinals. Lose, and you\u2019re eliminated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tuesday, East Quarterfinals on Prime<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Heat at Magic (6 ET): <\/strong>After going 4-0 in Group Play with an East-best +64 point differential, Orlando plays host to the high-scoring Heat, averaging the 3rd-most points in the NBA (122.3) and winners of the East Wild Card with a 3-1 record.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Knicks at Raptors (8:30 ET):<\/strong> New York is in the Quarterfinals for the third straight year, but still searching for its first Semifinals trip. Standing in its way is Toronto, which allowed the fewest points of any team in Group Play (100.8 ppg), leading to a 4-0 mark.<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202610_545_original.jpg\" alt=\"NBA Cup Knockout Rounds Bracket\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Wednesday, West Quarterfinals on Prime<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Suns at Thunder (7:30 ET):<\/strong> These teams met in a 3-0 showdown in the Group Play finale, battling for West Group A. OKC got the win, 123-119, though Phoenix still moved on with the West Wild Card.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Now comes the rematch, <\/strong>with the Thunder \u2013 last year\u2019s finalists \u2013 aiming for another trip to Vegas, and the Suns seeking revenge.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Spurs at Lakers (10 ET):<\/strong> In a winner-take-all duel to decide West C, De\u2019Aaron Fox and the Spurs went into Denver and knocked off the Nuggets. Now comes another elimination test on the road \u2013 visiting LeBron James, Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Austin Reaves and the Lakers, who went 4-0 in Group Play.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s Next:<\/strong> The Semifinals tip off Saturday on Prime at 5:30 and 9 ET. The winners remain in Vegas for next Tuesday\u2019s Championship game \u2013 with the Cup waiting at the finish.<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765202611_924_original.jpg\" alt=\"Cade Cunningham, Cooper Flagg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>More Around The League: <\/strong>While eight teams battle for the Cup, more squads are heating up, including the East\u2019s 1st-place Pistons, who have won four of their last five games to move to 19-5 \u2013 their best 21-game start in two decades.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cade Conducting: <\/strong>After a career season in 2024-25, Cade Cunningham has taken another leap, averaging career-highs across the board (27.5 pts, 6.4 reb, 9.3 ast) en route to winning Kia East Player of the Month<\/li>\n<li><strong>More East Shine:<\/strong> Donovan Mitchell has also been a problem, posting a career-best 30.5 ppg, while Jalen Johnson\u2019s playmaking has reached new heights \u2013 joining Joki\u0107 as the only players averaging 20+ pts, 10+ reb and 8+ ast since Nov. 1<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flagg On Fire:<\/strong> Out West, Cooper Flagg delivered a huge week \u2013 <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/1996437071515574358?s=20&amp;lid=ouo1ae0204nh\">joining LeBron in the record books<\/a> while posting 23.2 ppg over his last five outings, leading to four Dallas dubs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Trademark finish.\u00a0Classic King close. LeBron James\u00a0took over in crunch time to seal the Lakers\u2019 ninth win in 11&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":433381,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[1260,62,52996,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-433380","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-nba","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-starting-5","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115684326309376670","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433380\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}