Starting 5: Hawks and Wolves go up 2-1, Raptors win Game 3

Final seconds. CJ down the sideline. Fadeaway for the win.

McCollum met his Game 2 finisher with a Game 3 winner, and Atlanta’s up 2-1.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Hawks Go Ahead: More CJ McCollum heroics and shut-down D lifts Atlanta to 2-1 lead on New York

Wolves Stifle Nuggets: Dosunmu & McDaniels spark 2-1 lead as Joker’s Nuggets held to season-lows

Raptors Rise Up: Scottie Barnes erupts, RJ Barrett ignites and Raps cut Cavs’ lead to 2-1

Lakers at Rockets: LeBron leads L.A. into Houston as KD’s Rockets seek a crucial win

Prime’s Pivotal Game 3s: With series tied 1-1, Philly welcomes Boston while Wemby’s questionable in Portland

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The NBA Playoffs continue tonight with three Game 3s on Prime, with Celtics-Sixers and Spurs-Blazers tied at 1-1, while the Lakers seek a 3-0 series lead in Houston

• Celtics at 76ers (7 ET | Tap to Watch)
• Lakers at Rockets (8 ET | Tap to Watch)
• Spurs at Blazers (10:30 ET | Tap to Watch)

White Wins Sportsmanship Award: Celtics guard Derrick White has been named the 2025-26 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner, earning the Joe Dumars Trophy.

See the full NBA Awards announcement schedule and results below:

• Monday: Kia Defensive Player of the Year | Victor Wembanyama (SAS)
• Tuesday: Kia Clutch Player of the Year | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)
• Wednesday: Kia Sixth Man of the Year | Keldon Johnson (SAS)
• Thursday: Sportsmanship Award | Derrick White (BOS)
• Friday: Kia Most Improved Player (6:30 ET, Prime)

1. McCOLLUM, KUMINGA SPARK 2-1 EDGE FOR HAWKS

Jan. 1, 2026:

CJ McCollum played for the Wizards.

Jonathan Kuminga played for the Warriors.

And the 10th-place Hawks were on the Play-In bubble.

Last night, McCollum and Kuminga — both midseason acquisitions by the Hawks — keyed 6-seed Atlanta’s Game 3 win for a 2-1 series lead over No. 3 New York.

Hawks 109, Knicks 108: McCollum (23 pts) hit the game-winning jumper with 12.5 seconds left and Kuminga (21 pts) led the defense late, shutting down Jalen Brunson’s (26 pts) final drive to put Atlanta in control of the series. | Recap

• Atlanta’s Early Edge: The Knicks started 1-for-11 from 3 and shot 28.6 3P% for the game, allowing the Hawks to jump out by as many as 18 and maintain an 8-point lead at half and into the 4th
• Fourth Quarter Calling: Karl-Anthony Towns (11-pt 3rd quarter) kick-started a 23-9 Knicks run in the final frame, with New York hitting five of its last eight triples in the final nine minutes
• Two-Man Takeover: OG Anunoby (29 pts, 9 reb) and Miles McBride (15 pts, 5 3s) combined for 17 4th-quarter points and all five 3s down the stretch, tying the game for the first time since it was 9-9

After Brunson and Jalen Johnson (24 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast) traded buckets with the Knicks out in front, Hawks coach Quinn Snyder called McCollum’s name in the clutch again.

• Game 2 Rewind: McCollum capped a statement, 32-point game at MSG Monday by putting Atlanta ahead for good with a fadeaway jumper with 34 ticks to go
• Game 3 Déjà Vu: This time, with 12.5 left on the clock, McCollum faded again, drilling the game-winner for a 109-108 final – a second straight one-point win
• It’s just the sixth time in NBA history there’s been back-to-back playoff games in a series decided by one point
• “Great play by Quinn,” McCollum said of the Hawks’ final call. “He drew me open and I got to a spot and did what I had to do to get this win.”
• Final Stop: With enough time left for Captain Clutch and the Knicks, Kuminga doubled to trap Brunson on the baseline and chased down the forced pass for the game-sealing steal

“Picture-perfect. That’s what we work on,” McCollum said of that final stand. “When it was time to get a stop, our guys dug deep and did what it takes to win in these types of environments.”

Up 2-1, Atlanta hosts Game 4 Saturday (6 ET, NBC & Peacock).

2. WOLVES DOUBLE-DOWN ON DEFENSE TO PUT NUGGETS DOWN 2-1

Minnesota worked for most of its Game 2 win Monday to erase a Nuggets’ lead as large as 19 points.

Thursday at home, the Wolves built their own 19-point advantage – 19 minutes into Game 3 – and ran away from there.

Wolves 113, Nuggets 96: Off the bench, Ayo Dosunmu (25 pts, 9 ast) led six double-digit Minnesota scorers while starter Jaden McDaniels supplied a 20/10 night and dominant defense in a wire-to-wire Wolves win for a 2-1 series lead.

Anthony Edwards added 17 points in 24 minutes (5 fouls), while Nikola Jokić (27 pts, 15 reb, 3 ast) paced a Nuggets offense held to season-lows in shooting (34.1 FG%) and assists (12). | Recap

• Hot Homecoming: Minnesota set the tone early, limiting the Nuggets to their lowest-scoring 1st quarter of the season (11 pts) for a 14-point lead after 1
• “We came out and played ferocious, we played together, we played hard,” Dosunmu said. “We held them to under 100 points in the Playoffs; No. 1 offensive team in the regular season, so kudos to the whole team.”
• Not-So-Old Nemesis: It’s the 8th time since 2024 – regular-season and postseason – the Wolves have kept the Nuggets under 100 points, the most by any team in that span
• “They’re big, tall, long. They’re really good defensive players,” Jokić said of Minnesota. “They’re making you think about it [when shooting].”
• Down After Game 3: The 2023 champs face a 2-1 series deficit for the sixth time since 2020, with a 2-3 record in those series

“In Playoffs, the most important [game] is the next one,” Joker said of taking on another 2-1 deficit. “We need to get out there with urgency and play much better.”

That next one, Game 4 from Minnesota, comes Saturday (8:30 ET, ABC).

3. BARNES & BARRETT SHINE, RAPS CUT CAVS’ SERIES LEAD

Two of Toronto’s longest-tenured Raptors fueled the franchise’s first Playoff win since 2022.

Raptors 126, Cavaliers 104: Matching 33-point Playoff career-highs for Scottie Barnes (Playoff career-high 11 ast) and RJ Barrett (6 3s) and a 43-23 4th-quarter eruption powered Toronto back into the series, cutting Cleveland’s edge to 2-1.

James Harden (18 pts) led six Cavs in double figures, including 15 points and five rebounds from Donovan Mitchell, as Cleveland struggled (31.1%) – and Toronto soared (60.9%) – from long range. | Recap

• Barnes’ Buzzer Boost: Tight throughout with seven ties and 13 lead changes, Barnes ignited The North with his 3rd-quarter buzzer-beater to make it 83-81, capping his 14-point period to cross the 30-point mark
• Raps Run Off: 10 points later, Collin Murray-Boyles’ (Toronto Playoff rookie-high 22 pts) reverse put the Raptors up 93-90, and they never looked back, sprinting away with a 30-9 closeout run
• Barrett & Battle: RJ led the charge with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting during the spree, and Jamison Battle added all 14 of his points in the frame
• Dino Duos: Barnes & Barrett join franchise favorites as just the third duo to each score 30+ points in the same Playoff game, alongside Kyle Lowry & DeMar DeRozan (2016) and Kawhi Leonard & Lowry (2019)

“We want it so bad,” said Barnes, the only carryover from Toronto’s last Playoff win. “We’re so passionate about it, we want it so bad. We’re trying to do whatever it takes out there on the floor.”

Toronto has the chance to tie the series up, hosting Game 4 Sunday (1 ET, ESPN).

4. ON PRIME: LEBRON’S LAKERS VISIT KD’S ROCKETS FOR KEY GAME 3

It was moments before tipoff of Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals when two superstars dapped up at center court. LeBron James was 27 years old. Kevin Durant was 23. They were about to face off in the Playoffs for the first time.

Fourteen years later, the stage is different, but the feeling remains.

• “Every time, you have that uncomfortable feeling cause you know who you’re going up against,” said James in the “NBA OGs” interview when discussing matchups with legends like Durant
• “You don’t sleep great the night before you play greatness the next day.”

Tonight on Prime (8 ET), the two greats meet in Houston for a crucial Game 3:

• A win for LeBron’s Lakers would give them a commanding 3-0 lead
• A win for Durant’s Rockets would trim their deficit to 2-1 – with a chance to even the series on Sunday

Through two games, James – the all-time Playoff leader in points (8,336), games (294) and wins (186) – has done more than deliver vintage moments: he’s controlled the series.

At 41 years old, it’s not just a reminder of his longevity – it’s greatness in real time.

• All-Around King: With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out, James – in his 19th postseason – has averaged a near triple-double (23.5 pts, 8 reb, 10 ast)
• Unmatched Production: No other player age 35 or older has ever matched those numbers through two Playoff games
• His Latest Act? A game-high 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in Tuesday’s win, marking his 155th career Playoff game with at least 25/5/5 — more than double the next closest player, Michael Jordan (73)
• Winning Engine: He’s also set the tone defensively, leading all Lakers starters in DefRtg (101.3) while posting a series-best +8.5 plus-minus (min. 20 mpg)

Legends Collide: On the other side, Houston will look to answer behind Durant, who returned Tuesday after missing Game 1 with a knee contusion.

It was KD & LeBron’s 15th Playoff duel. Fourteen years after their first, their head-to-head scoring is strikingly similar, while each holds an edge in a signature strength – James’ playmaking and KD’s shot-making.

Witnessing Greatness: Game 2 marked just the fifth time since 1972 that two top-5 scorers (No. 1 James, No. 5 Durant) have gone head-to-head in the Playoffs.

It ended with James (28 pts) and Durant (23 pts) each leading their teams in scoring, becoming the first two players 37 or older to score 20+ in the same Playoff game.

• “Playoff time is always fun, no matter who you’re playing against,” said Durant on facing James postgame. “But when you play against a guy who’s been around for that long, and still doing it at that level, it brings the best out of everybody.”

Now, something’s got to give: James’ teams are 24-0 in Playoff series when leading 2-0, while Durant’s Rockets were one of the league’s best teams at home this season (30-11).

• “We know we’re going to a hostile environment,” said James. “We gotta be ready for that intensity.”
• Reaves-inforcements? Reaves (oblique) could return for Game 3, as the Lakers’ 2nd-leading scorer this season is listed as questionable

5. MORE ON PRIME: TWO PIVOTAL GAME 3s IN CELTICS-76ERS & SPURS-BLAZERS

Teams that win Game 3 of a 1-1 Playoff series have advanced 73.7% of the time.

The 76ers and Trail Blazers have earned that opportunity. After stealing home court advantage, they’ll take on the Celtics (7 ET, Prime) and Spurs (10:30 ET, Prime) tonight, respectively.

• Brotherly Love: VJ Edgecombe (30) and Tyrese Maxey (29) combined for 59 points in Game 2 to lead Philadelphia, including a 11-for-22 clip from beyond the arc
• Where It Began: TD Garden was also the site of their combined 74 points on Opening Night — a 117-116 victory — when Edgecombe announced his arrival to the Association
• “We’ve been saying it all year,” Maxey said. “What he showed (Tuesday night) was maturity.”

Boston, meanwhile, can steal back a win on the road, looking to regain the sharp-shooting form it thrived off in 2025-26.

• Rare Drought: Tuesday was just the sixth time this season the Celtics shot 26% or worse from 3-point land. They’re now 0-6 in those games
• Pouring Buckets: But results are much different when they shoot the league average of 36% or better — a 39-5 record

The Trail Blazers enjoyed a season-high 31 points from Scoot Henderson and ended Game 2 on a 24-8 run, earning a three-point victory.

Henderson missed the first 51 games of this season while rehabbing a left hamstring tear.

• “When he recovered from the injury, slowly, you could see flashes of him,” said coach Tiago Splitter. “Now, he’s a little bit more mature. The game is a little slower for him.”
• Familiar Territory: Portland perfected Game 2s double-digit rally during the regular season, overcoming 10-point deficits to Oklahoma City, Denver, Houston, Boston and Philadelphia in five comeback wins

Victor Wembanyama’s status is in question for tonight. If the Spurs do have to play without him, they’ve shown before that success is within reach.

• Tall Order: San Antonio went 12-6 this season without the Kia Defensive Player of the Year in the lineup, during which De’Aaron Fox averaged a team-best 24.6 ppg, while Kia Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson added 14.6 ppg on 54.1 FG%

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