One hundred
Straight
Games with
At least 20.
SGA joins Wilt with 100 consecutive 20+ point games – with two straight vs. the Spurs up next:
- Tonight: Thunder at Spurs (8:30 ET, LP | Tap to Watch)
- Christmas Day: Spurs at Thunder (2:30 ET, ABC/ESPN)
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Rivals Run It Back: Why tonight’s Spurs-Thunder showdown is more than just a classic Emirates NBA Cup rematch
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday: Flagg faces Jokić, before Harden and KD duel
On League Pass: Surging Knicks meet red-hot Wolves and more from tonight’s 14-game slate
Monday’s Best: Shai makes history, JB rallies C’s, Pistons & Nuggets stay rolling
Roundup: No quit in NOLA, Mitchell and Garland shine, Steph leads Dubs
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Fourteen games tip off tonight, including the West’s top two seeds facing off after their thrilling Emirates NBA Cup Semifinal as the Thunder visit the Spurs, with San Antonio seeking a seventh straight win (8:30 ET, League Pass).
NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday also delivers a pair of marquee matchups as the Mavs host the Nuggets (8 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Rockets face the Clippers (7:30 PT | Tap to Watch).
2 Days ‘Til Xmas: On the fourth game of Christmas… LeBron James and Kevin Durant square off in the highest-scoring matchup in NBA history as the Lakers host the Rockets. No two opposing players have ever entered a game with more combined career points.
See the full NBA on Christmas Day slate below, and tap here for more holiday tidbits.
NBA national TV viewership is up 89% from last season, with more than 87 million U.S. viewers – the league’s highest total in 15 years.
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. TONIGHT ON LEAGUE PASS: RIVALRY REMATCH – THUNDER-SPURS, ROUND 2
It wasn’t just a high-stakes Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals battle. It was even bigger.
The defending NBA champion Thunder. Off to a record 24-1 start. Riding a franchise-best 16-game win streak. Trading blows with a Spurs team that refused to blink.
A 4th quarter for the ages. Three ties. Six lead changes. And 15 points from Victor Wembanyama to land the knockout.
No – this wasn’t just a win for San Antonio. It felt like the start of something.
- “Winning against a team like this … it’s not an easy thing,” said Wemby postgame. “That’s only their second loss of the season – it means something.”
The feeling wasn’t one-sided.
OKC has stood atop the West standings for over a year. It has more double-digit wins this season (19) than 23 teams have total victories. It’s flattened almost everything in its path.
Until San Antonio.
Now, a Spurs team that missed last year’s postseason is just 4.5 games back of OKC’s top spot, rising fast behind a generational talent and young, deep core – setting the stage for a heavyweight, inter-state rivalry built to last.
And neither side is shying away from it.
- “There’s a good chance,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of this rivalry growing into something greater. “They are young, really good, have a lot of talent – play the right way.”
- “Anytime you get to play teams like that, it’s fun. It makes you better,” added Jalen Williams after the Cup Semis. “I’m looking forward to playing them more times.”
Method vs. Marvel: At the heart of this No. 1 vs. No. 2 West showdown are two franchise-shaping superstars: SGA, the reigning Kia MVP and one of the game’s most surgical scorers, and Wemby, a basketball anomaly with skills as expansive as his 8-foot wingspan.
- No Doubt: Despite sitting out 12 4th quarters this season (in comfortable wins), Shai is posting 32.5 ppg – trailing only Luka Dončić for the most in NBA — while shooting a career-best 55.4%
- Always Delivering: In Monday’s win over Memphis, he notched his 100th straight 20+ point game, a feat matched only by Wilt Chamberlain
- Always Defending: Wemby (questionable for tonight) has tallied 101 straight games with a block (the 3rd-longest streak of all-time). In his 133 career games, he’s failed to record a block just twice
- Undeniable Impact: San Antonio has jumped from 16th to 2nd in DefRtg since Wemby’s return, while SGA has powered OKC to the 2nd-best scoring offense in the NBA this season (122.3 ppg)
But it’s not just one player that makes these teams special – it’s the balance and depth on both ends of the floor.
- OKC Clamps: Shai is joined by Williams and fellow co-star Chet Holmgren, while six Thunder rank in the top 8 in DefRtg (min. 20 games played) – boasting the league’s top unit
- Spurs’ Strength: Wemby is backed by veteran All-Star De’Aaron Fox and last year’s Kia ROY, Stephon Castle, as they guide the league’s 6th-best scoring offense
- Winning Collision: Since Nov. 15, only one team has more wins than the Spurs (13) – the Thunder (14)
Now, they meet again – first tonight in San Antonio (8:30 ET, LP), then on Christmas Day in OKC (2:30 ET, ABC).
For Wemby’s Spurs, it’s not just a holiday home-and-home; it’s another test against the best – one that means something.
- “This is our next step,” said Wemby. “Because this OKC team, they’re not just first in the league, they’re way ahead of everybody … This is the next step we have to pass.”
2. COAST 2 COAST TUESDAY: FLAGG FACES JOKIĆ, KD & HARDEN DUEL
Cooper Flagg and Nikola Jokić represent different generations in the league’s ever-growing history.
It’s time for two eras to collide.
Tonight (8 ET, NBC/Peacock), the Mavericks welcome the Nuggets into town, with Jokić and Flagg prepared to do battle. The two stars enter their second meeting this season ranked No. 1 on the Kia MVP and Rookie Ladders, respectively.
- Quite A Gift: Flagg, who celebrated his 19th birthday Sunday, tallied the 3rd-most points ever at 18 years old (526), trailing only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant
- “Through Duke and his first couple of weeks here, he’s been playing extremely well,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd. “And we believe at the age of 19, it’s just going to get better.”
When the No. 1 overall pick went toe-to-toe with Jokić for the first time on Dec. 1, he got the last laugh. Dallas won, 131-121, despite a 29/20/13 triple-double from the three-time Kia MVP.
Jokić, though, has had plenty of other successes. And so has the team around him.
- His Playground: The seven-time All-NBA selection has guided Denver (20-7) to the best start in franchise history behind his 12.1 rpg and 10.8 apg — both league-highs
- Gold Rush: He now boasts 14 triple-doubles this season. That’s more than twice as many as the next-closest players (Josh Giddey and Jalen Johnson, with six apiece)
- Heating Up: But it’s not Jokić alone. Jamal Murray has poured in 30-plus points in four of the last eight games to support production
Dallas isn’t the only place where stars align tonight.
Some of the game’s biggest names also meet in LA when the Rockets take on the Clippers (7:30 PT, NBC/Peacock). Kevin Durant and James Harden — 8th and 10th, respectively, on the all-time scoring list — will face off with a combined 35 seasons of experience under their belts.
- Milestone Man: Durant surpassed more than one significant marker Sunday, reaching 10,750 field goals made (10th all-time) and 5,000-plus career assists
- Famed Facilitator: Also climbing that latter list was Harden — a former Thunder teammate — who, on the same night, moved into 12th place with 8,529 total dishes
- The Prequel: They last clashed on Dec. 11, when the Rockets won behind 22 points and 15 rebounds from Alperen Sengun, as well as Amen Thompson’s game-winning layup
3. MORE ON LEAGUE PASS: SURGING SQUADS COLLIDE, RIVALS CLASH
Eleven more matchups tip off tonight on League Pass, including a clash between two 2025 Conference Finalists, each playing their best ball of the season.
Knicks at Wolves (8 ET): One week after beating San Antonio in the NBA Cup Championship, New York enters tonight as one of the league’s hottest teams, having won 11 of its last 13 games.
It visits Minnesota, which boasts a 9-2 record in its last 11, including a win over OKC on Friday thanks to Anthony Edwards’ late go-ahead triple.
- Ant Attack: Edwards has turned up amid Minnesota’s 9-2 run, averaging 28.9 ppg while shooting 43.1% from 3 – leading to a pair of 40-balls
- NY Depth: Jalen Brunson is out tonight, but the Knicks still boast plenty of firepower as Karl-Anthony Towns leads a rotation of five other double-digit scorers
- Can’t-Miss KAT: Towns – who spent nine seasons with Minnesota – has been lights out amid New York’s 11-2 run, averaging a double-double (21.5 pts, 10.5 reb) while shooting 42.9% from deep
Next Man Up: Brunson’s absence opens the door for 2nd-year guard Tyler Kolek, who followed a 14/5/5 Cup Championship showing with career highs in points (16) and assists (11) in Thursday’s win over Indy.
- “To see him take advantage of [his opportunities] is huge,” said Knicks coach Mike Brown last Thursday. “He works his tail off … and he can score. He can flat-out score.”
- Tonight, he’ll face one of the league’s best scorers in Edwards, as both teams seek another statement win
League Pass offers ten more matchups, including a pair of rivalry duels as the Bucks visit the Pacers (7:30 ET), before the Suns host the Lakers (9 ET).
The Bulls and Hawks also run it back (7:30 ET) after producing the highest-scoring game of the season on Sunday – a 152-150 Chicago win.
4. MONDAY’S BEST: SHAI MAKES HISTORY; PISTONS, C’S & NUGGETS WIN
One hundred straight games of 20+ points.
For more than 60 years, only Wilt Chamberlain had done it.
Now, he’s got company.
Thunder 119, Grizzlies 103: How do you tally your 100th consecutive 20-piece? How about with a 30-piece, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hung 31 along with 10 boards and 8 dimes to power OKC past Memphis, improving to an NBA-best 26-3. | Recap
- “A Moment Of History”: Shai hit 20+ on a stepback jumper with 11:34 left in the 4th. He added 10 more after to seal the dub
- The Beginning: The streak started Nov. 1, 2024. Since then, SGA has averaged 32.9(!) ppg while winning the scoring title, Kia MVP, West Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP
- Of Something Special: Only Wilt owns a longer run with 126 straight 20-pieces from 1961-63, a streak that ended 35 years before Shai was born
- “It speaks to his consistency,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on SGA’s streak. “The vision he has. The commitment he has to the game, the craft, his team … it’s ruthlessly consistent.”
Three games back of OKC for the league’s top record? 23-6 Detroit.
Pistons 110, Blazers 102: Jalen Duren was a force (26 pts, 10 reb), Cade Cunningham was operating (14 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast) and all five Detroit starters scored 12+ as the Pistons topped Shaedon Sharpe (25 pts) and the Blazers for their sixth win in seven games. | Recap
Jaylen Brown is a problem. And so are the C’s
Celtics 103, Pacers 95: After trailing by 20 in the 3rd quarter, Brown flipped a switch, and Boston came alive. He dropped 14 of his game-high 31 points in the 4th, single-handedly outscoring Indy as Boston rallied back to secure its third straight dub. | Recap
- JB Buckets: The C’s outscored Indy 29-13 in the 4th, with Brown dropping in the go-ahead bucket before sinking a clutch, off-balance 3 to extend the lead late
- JB’s Streak: It’s Brown’s seventh straight 30-piece, joining Paul Pierce (7) and Larry Bird (9) as the only Celtics to record such a streak
- C’s Ascending: After a 5-7 start, Boston has gone 13-4, jumping to 3rd in the East at 18-11
The league’s highest-scoring offense just keeps getting hotter – and the wins keep coming.
Nuggets 135, Jazz 112: Denver erupted with a 24-3 opening run and never looked back for its seventh win in eight games. Nikola Jokić tallied his NBA-best 14th triple-double of the season (14 pts, 13 reb, 13 ast), while Jamal Murray dropped 27 points on six treys. | Recap
- All Cylinders: Denver – averaging 126.3 ppg amid its 7-1 stretch – hung 40 in the 1st quarter and finished 24-of-46 from 3 (52.2%)
5. ROUNDUP: PELS STAY HOT, CAVS SNAP SKID, WARRIORS WIN
The Pels are flying high.
Pelicans 119, Mavericks 113: Zion Williamson was driving (24 pts, 9 reb, 10-14 FG), Derik Queen was dancin’ (19 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast) and four other Pels scored in double figures to overcome Anthony Davis’ monster night (35 pts, 17 reb), securing NOLA’s fifth straight dub. | Recap
- NOLA Fight: The Pels outscored Dallas 40-26 in the 4th to extend the win streak – their longest since the 2022-23 season
- Rookie & Vet: Klay Thompson added 20 points on five 3s for Dallas, while Cooper Flagg turned in another strong all-around outing (16 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast)
Cavaliers 139, Hornets 132: Donovan Mitchell drilled six 3s en route to a game-high 30 points, Darius Garland went to work (27 pts, 10 ast) and De’Andre Hunter matched him with 27 as the Cavs topped LaMelo Ball (23 pts, 9 ast) and the Hornets to snap their three-game skid. | Recap
- Kon Hits 100: Kon Knueppel added 20 points on five 3s for Charlotte, becoming the fastest rookie in NBA history to eclipse 100 career triples
Warriors 120, Magic 97: Steph Curry (26 pts, 6 ast), Jimmy Butler III (21 pts) and Moses Moody (20 pts) combined for 67 points, and Golden State outscored Orlando 31-14 in the 4th to capture its second win in a row, moving to .500 | Recap
