Starting 5 Daily Newsletter

Starting 5, Dec. 19: Inside Thursday’s 13-game slate

Everything you need to know going into tonight’s stacked slate of hoops.

NBA.com Staff

Updated on December 19, 2024 2:26 PM

Bang!

After no hoops on Wednesday, a big night of hoops is on the way tonight.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Dec. 19, 2024

KAT’s Homecoming: Karl-Anthony Towns returns to Minnesota tonight

Wild West Race: Championship contenders battle for position on Thursday

Dynamic Duos: Top tandems take center stage tonight on League Pass

NBA Cup Frames: Reliving the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup through some of our favorite snapshots

What’s Next? A stacked weekend of hoops leading into a star-studded NBA Xmas

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Basketball is back…

Thursday’s 13-Game Slate: After a one-night break following Tuesday’s Emirates NBA Cup championship, the action resumes tonight with 13 games, headlined by a TNT doubleheader as the Magic host the Thunder (7 ET), before the Knicks face the Wolves (9:30 ET).

Get ready for tonight’s slate with today’s NBA Play Trivia!

NBA All-Star Voting opens today at 10 a.m. ET and closes on Jan. 20. Fans can vote for starters via the NBA App and NBA.com with their NBA ID. Tap here for more details.

1. KAT RETURNS TO MINNESOTA TONIGHT ON TNT

Twenty days before the 2024-25 season, the Timberwolves traded four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks in a blockbuster deal for fellow All-Star Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

The move sent shockwaves around the NBA, abruptly ending Towns’ nine-year run in Minnesota — a stretch capped last season by the franchise’s first trip to the West Finals in two decades.

“Nine years ago, I arrived in Minnesota as a young man with a dream,” wrote Towns on X following the trade. “Little did I know that this place would become my home, and its people would become my family…
“You’ll always hold a special place in my heart.”

On Thursday, Towns — who ranks second in Wolves history in points, rebounds, and blocks — returns to Target Center for the first time since the trade as the Wolves host the Knicks in the second leg of TNT’s doubleheader (9:30 ET).

Strength vs. Strength: The matchup also features one of the NBA’s most explosive offenses facing the league’s hottest defense.

Record Attack: Through 26 games, the Knicks (16-10) are on pace to set franchise highs in points (116.4), assists (27.7), 3s (14.2), field goal percentage (49.7), 3-point percentage (39.4), offensive rating (119.7) and net rating (6.6)
Record Starting 5: Led by Towns (24.8 ppg) and Jalen Brunson (25.0), the Knicks’ starting 5 is posting 96.0 ppg — the third-most since starting numbers were first tracked in 1970-71

Wolves Howling: Meanwhile, the Wolves have won six of their last seven outings, led by a defense that’s allowed an NBA-low 90.7 ppg in that span.

Historic Stand: It’s the Wolves’ lowest opponent scoring average in a seven-game span since 2012, and they’ve allowed 92 points or fewer in all six of their wins
The Whole Pack: In that same stretch, the top eight NBA leaders in DefRtg (min. 20 min/g) are all Wolves, and the team ranks first in opponents FG% (40.5) and turnovers (19.3)

Tonight, they’ll look to slow down their former teammate in Towns, who is the first Knick to total 550+ points, 330+ rebounds and 75+ assists in the first 24 games of a season.

“It’ll be emotional for sure for KAT,” said Wolves guard Mike Conley. “We all miss him, and obviously, he treats this as his home … at some point during the game, there will be an emotional attachment to it that’s hard to explain”

2. WILD WEST RACE HEATS UP ON THURSDAY

In the first leg of TNT’s doubleheader, the Magic host the Thunder, with OKC looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks in the Emirates NBA Cup championship.

The Thunder hold a three-game lead for first place in the West. Behind them, are three teams — the Grizzlies, Rockets and Mavericks — all separated by just a half-game. Behind them? Eight more separated by just 2.5.

Tonight, all four top seeds are in action as they look to separate themselves from the pack.

Thunder at Magic (7 ET, TNT): Two teams are tied for the best scoring defense in the NBA: the Thunder and Magic, who are each allowing just 103.5 ppg.

Number To Know: OKC is on pace to become the fourth team in NBA history with a point differential of +12 or better (12.1), joining the 1970-71 Bucks, ‘71-72 Lakers and ‘95-96 Bulls
Those three teams all went on to win the NBA title
Suggs Spark: With leading scorers Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner sidelined by oblique injuries, Jalen Suggs has stepped up for Orlando, posting 22.3 ppg over the last three games

Warriors at Grizzlies (8 ET, LP): On Sunday, the Warriors (27) and Mavs (21) set the NBA record for 3s in a game with 48. Tonight, Steph Curry and company face Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, who lead the NBA in scoring (122.1 ppg) and have won 10 of their last 12 games.

Memphis Heater: The Grizzlies have surged from 10th to second in the West during their 10-2 run, averaging 126.0 ppg on 50.0% shooting with an 11.0 NetRtg

Pelicans at Rockets (8 ET, LP): The Rockets, one of only two teams with four players aged 22 or younger logging 25+ minutes per game, rank second in DefRtg (105.3) and third in fastbreak points (17.9).

After five days of rest since their NBA Cup semifinal loss to OKC, will Houston’s young core set the pace tonight?

Lockdown Lineup: The Rockets’ starting 5 of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. boast a defensive rating of 104.8, the second-best among 5-man lineups (min. 150 minutes)

Clippers at Mavericks (8:30 ET, LP): Can the James Harden & the Clippers win their 3rd straight regular season game vs. Dallas and do what few teams have been able to do lately — slow down the Mavs?

After a 5-7 start, Dallas has won 12 of its last 14 games, surging from 12th to fourth in the West. Meanwhile,
Over that span, the Mavs lead the league in scoring (123.9 ppg), topping 120 points 10 times

3. DYNAMIC DUOS FACE OFF ON LEAGUE PASS

Eight more games tip off tonight on League Pass, including a trio of matchups featuring some of the league’s most dynamic duos.

Hawks at Spurs (8 ET): In a duel between offensive maestros, Trae Young — who leads the NBA in assists this season (12.1 apg) — will go head-to-head against Chris Paul (8.4 apg), ranked No. 2 on the all-time assist list. Their favorite targets? Two promising young stars.

Atlanta’s 1-2 Punch: Helping Young lead Atlanta to the NBA Cup semifinals was Jalen Johnson — the first player aged 22 or younger to total 490+ points, 250+ rebounds and 135+ assists in the first 25 games of an NBA season
CP3’s Go-To Guy? Victor Wembanyama, who’s been on a tear, averaging 24.3 points, 9.7 boards and 4.0 blocks in his last three games

Pacers at Suns (9 ET): In the Valley, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Suns face Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and the Pacers.

Book & KD Shining: The Suns are 13-2 with Durant (25.7 ppg) in the lineup, as he and Booker (25.4 ppg) combine for over 50 points per game
Indy In A Groove: The Pacers have won three of their last four, fueled by Haliburton (21.3 ppg, 9.3 apg) and Siakam (18.8 ppg, 54.0 FG%, 53.3 3P%), who are averaging over 40 ppg during that stretch

Lakers at Kings (10 ET): In the first of two matchups this week between the in-state rivals, Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox and the Kings host LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers.

More Fireworks? Sabonis dropped a triple-double against Los Angeles on Oct. 26, but James outshined him with 32 points, 14 boards and 10 dimes in a 131-127 Lakers win

More Marquee Action: The reigning champs and the reigning Kia NBA MVP also return to play on Thursday, as the Celtics host the Bulls (7:30 ET), before Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets take on the Blazers (10 ET).

C’s Consistency: Trailing only Cleveland (23-4) for the most wins in the NBA, Boston (21-5) is the first team this season to reach double-digit victories both at home (11-3 record) and on the road (10-2)
Red-Hot Joker: In his last five games, Jokić is averaging an NBA-best 33.4 points, 14.2 boards and 8.4 assists, capped by a league-leading 10th triple-double in Monday’s win over the Kings

Thursday’s Remaining League Pass Schedule

Jazz at Pistons (7 ET)
Hornets at Wizards (7 ET)
Nets at Raptors (7:30 ET)

4. SIGNATURE EMIRATES NBA CUP SNAPSHOTS

Sixty-seven games, 11 nights and one champion later, the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup is in the books. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look back at the moments that made the chase for the Cup so electrifying.

From breakout performances to championship celebrations, relive the 2024 NBA Cup through some of our favorite photos.

Jalen Brunson | Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Dalton Knecht | Harry How/Getty Images

Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell | Winslow Townson/Getty Images

Ja Morant | Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young | Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

Thunder | Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

5. WHAT’S NEXT? #NBAXMAS & A STACKED WEEKEND

Don’t look now, but Christmas is just six days away, and fans will have plenty to unbox with 12+ hours of star-studded matchups.

Spurs at Knicks (12 ET, ESPN): To begin the festivities, Victor Wembanyama will make his Christmas Day debut against the Knicks at the World’s Most Famous Arena
Wolves at Mavericks (2:30 ET, ABC): Then, a Western Conference Finals rematch takes place as Anthony Edwards and the Wolves battle Luka Dončić and the Mavs
76ers at Celtics (5 ET, ABC): Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers are set to take on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the defending champs in Beantown
Lakers at Warriors (8 ET, ABC): LeBron and the Lakers vs. Steph Curry and the Warriors in primetime, with both teams fighting to keep postseason pace in a crowded West
Nuggets at Suns (10:30 ET, ESPN): And to put a bow on NBA Xmas, Nikola Jokić and the Nugs will face Kevin Durant and the Suns in Phoenix

But first, 31 games tip-off between now and Sunday, including a stacked weekend slate on NBA TV and League Pass.

Below are seven matchups you won’t want to miss, beginning with a heavyweight showdown between the NBA-best Cavs and the Emirates NBA Cup champion Bucks on Friday: