Pop goes Champagnie on New Year’s Eve.
Bang goes the drum in San Antonio.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
West’s Best: San Antonio thrills, OKC dominates and Steph cooks in Carolina on the final day of 2025
Clutch Countdown: Donovan Mitchell thrives late, Paolo Banchero and CJ McCollum call game
NYE Rundown: Denver steps up without Joker in a must-see finish, Atlanta and Chicago ring in wins
Tip Off 2026: Coop & VJ’s rookie rematch on NBA TV leads a 5-game New Year’s Day
Final Numbers: 2025 is in the history books and we let the stats tell the story
BUT FIRST … ⏰
New Year’s Day brings us the first five games of 2026, starting with KD back in Brooklyn (6 ET, LP | Tap To Watch) and a rookie rematch between Coop and VJ on NBA TV (8:30 ET).
Send Your All-Stars To LA: Jan. 1 is a day for new habits: Working out, eating healthy … and voting daily for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters, which fans can do every day through Jan. 14 using their NBA ID. Don’t miss your shot, vote now.
1. WESTERN HEAVYWEIGHTS CLOSE OUT YEAR AS ONLY THEY CAN
The Spurs had plenty to celebrate at the end of 2025.
An Emirates NBA Cup Finals appearance, second place in the West and three straight wins over the NBA’s best in OKC.
So San Antonio rang in the new year with Champagnie.
Spurs 134, Knicks 132: Julian Champagnie set a Spurs record with 11 threes and a career-high with 36 points, scoring 12 in San Antonio’s 41-point 4th quarter, as the team responded to Wemby exiting with injury (knee).
The stellar shooting helped San Antonio erase New York’s double-digit 4th-quarter lead with a Spurs’ season-best 19-point comeback to claim this NBA Cup Finals rematch. | Recap
- Wemby’s Night: Victor Wembanyama (31 pts, 13 reb) became the first Spur to record a 30/10 game while playing less than 25 minutes, as he left early in the 4th with a hyperextended knee
- Rare Range: Only Steph Curry has more made threes in a game this season than Champagnie’s 11 (12 vs. Portland on Dec. 14)
- NY 20s: Jalen Brunson (29 pts, 8 ast, 5 3a) led four Knicks with 20+ points: Karl-Anthony Towns (20 pts, 7 reb), Miles McBride (21 pts, 4 3s) and Jordan Clarkson (20 pts, 4 3s)
The dominant team of 2025 closed out the year at home in trademark fashion.
Thunder 124, Trail Blazers 95: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit the 30-point mark for a league-leading 25th time this season, his 11th 30+ point game when playing 30 minutes or less, as OKC closed a banner year with a third straight win. | Recap
- Eighty-Six in ‘25: The Thunder claimed their 86th win of the calendar year (including Playoffs), the 4th-most Ws in a year in NBA history, trailing only the 1996 Bulls (89), 2015 Warriors (88), 2021 Suns (88) and 2016 Warriors (87)
- “When you sit down and think about it, it’s really a wild ride,” Chet Holmgren said postgame of OKC’s 2025. “We’ve been able to do a lot of really good things, and there’s no reason for us not to continue that going forward.”
- Takeaway Time: OKC matched season highs with 15 steals and 10 blocks, turning Portland over 25 times for 28 points
Some people simply enjoy being home on New Year’s Eve.
Warriors 132, Hornets 125: Steph Curry scored a team-high 26 points back home in Charlotte and was greeted by a record crowd at Spectrum Center (19,685). In the win, the Warriors matched their season-high of 24 triples, one shy of tying the NBA high this season. | Recap
- Charlotte Shootout: Curry outdueled LaMelo Ball (27 pts) and sank five triples to maintain a slight 119-117 edge over rookie sharpshooter Kon Knueppel (20 pts, 4 3s) for 2nd-most total threes this season
- B-Mill Climbing: Brandon Miller set a new season-high in points (33) for the second consecutive game, in a trio of 20+ point Hornets with Knueppel and LaMelo Ball
- Horford’s History: Big Al hit two 3s to reach 1,000 for his career, joining LeBron and Dirk as the only three players with 9,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocks and 1,000 3-pointers
2. CLUTCH PLAYMAKERS CLOCK IN DURING FINAL TICKS OF 2025
For the second straight game, Paolo Banchero had the ball in his hands with under ten seconds to play.
This time, Orlando got to play the song.
Magic 112, Pacers 110: Banchero (29 pts) powered in the game-winner with 7.5 seconds left as Orlando survived Aaron Nesmith’s last-chance 3 and Pascal Siakam’s 26 points for Indy’s 10th straight loss. | Recap
- “Big-time player, big-time play,” Desmond Bane (18 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) said of Banchero’s 3rd career game-winner. “He had been dominating in 1-on-1 situations all night.”
- Defensive Turnaround: Orlando’s 9th-ranked defense (113.1 DefRtg) locked in to overcome Indy’s 21-8 3rd-quarter run, limiting the Pacers to 15 points in the 4th
Two clutch scorers who are at their bests in the final moments battled with the clock winding down on 2025.
Cavaliers 129, Suns 113: Donovan Mitchell (34 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) edged Devin Booker (32 pts), as the league’s leading 4th-quarter scorer added 10 in the frame to help Cleveland pull away and end Phoenix’s five-game win streak. | Recap
- Dueling Closers: After Booker brought the Suns back with a 20-point 3rd quarter, Mitchell fueled a 24-8 Cavs run with 8 points in the first 7 minutes of the 4th
- Winning Time: Spida’s 284 4th-quarter points this season are 45 more than any other player
Wizards 114, Bucks 113: CJ McCollum hit the game-winner with 1 second left to back up 20-point performances from Alex Sarr (20 pts, 11 reb, 4 blk) and Bub Carrington (20 pts, 6 3s), despite Giannis’ (33 pts, 15 reb) 4th 30+/15+ game this season. | Recap
3. NEW YEAR’S EVE ROUNDUP: NUGGETS SURVIVE, HAWKS & BULLS ROLL
Nuggets 106, Raptors 103: The Nuggets began a stretch without former Kia MVP Nikola Jokić (knee) by closing 2025 with a clutch win to snap a two-game skid, after Brandon Ingram’s (33 pts, 8 reb, 6 3s) potential game-tying triple with 0.0 on the clock was overturned. | Recap
- Stepping Up: Peyton Watson (24 pts, 8 reb) and Jamal Murray (21 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) led Denver, while Scottie Barnes (20 pts, 14 reb, 11 ast) collected his 8th career triple-double
Hawks 126, TWolves 102: Jalen Johnson (34 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast) led all scorers and Kristaps Porziņģis added 16 points in his first game since Dec. 5 (illness) as Atlanta topped Anthony Edwards (30 pts) and the Wolves to end a 7-game skid. | Recap
- JJ’s December: Johnson (25.8 pts, 11.2 reb, 10.1 ast) is the first Hawks player and 7th player ever to average a 25+ point triple-double over a month (min. 10 games)
- Who else has done that? Oscar Robertson, Russ, Joker, Luka, Wilt and LeBron
Bulls 134, Pelicans 118: Isaac Okoro’s season-high 24 points led eight Bulls in double figures as Chicago never trailed by more than a bucket despite Zion Williamson’s (31 pts, 7 reb) second-consecutive 30+ point game. | Recap
4. 2026 TIPS OFF: FLAGG & EDGECOMBE ON NBA TV HIGHLIGHTS FIRST FIVE GAMES
2026 begins with a focus on the future.
Two top-3 scoring rookies reconnect for round 2 of what should be many more to come.
Sixers at Mavericks (8:30 ET, NBA TV): Leading rookie scorer Cooper Flagg (19.4 ppg) and the Mavs look to leave a 3-game skid in 2025, hosting a Sixers team that just ended one of its own thanks to the overtime heroics of VJ Edgecombe (15.9 ppg).
- Memphis Magic: Edgecombe enters on the heels of his 25-point outing against the Grizzlies, scoring 16 in the 4th quarter and OT, including the game-winning triple
- Coop’s 2025: Flagg joins Paolo Banchero, Luka Doncic and Blake Griffin as the only players since 2000 to total 600+ points, 200+ boards and 100+ assists in their first 33 career games
- Rookie Rematch: VJ (26 pts) and Coop (24 pts) swapped buckets and jerseys back on Dec. 20 when Tyrese Maxey’s 38 points pushed Philly ahead late, 121-114
- “He’s just a high-level player,” Flagg said then of Edgecombe, who he’s faced internationally as a member of the U.S. Select Team, playing the Bahamas. “I know the competitor that he is and the level he brings it at every single night.”
Both rookie standouts are building from strong foundations, with a pair of All-NBA bigs setting the example.
- VJ’s Mentors: Joel Embiid is looking like his MVP self with three 30+ point performances in his last five games (30.6 pts, 8.8 reb), while Maxey shines with 30.8 points per game, 3rd-most in the league
- Coop’s Vet: The Mavs are 0-3 since top scorer Anthony Davis (20.5 ppg) went out with an adductor injury. He could return today to face Embiid
League Pass Roundup: The first game of 2026 tips off in Brooklyn (6 ET) where KD returns with the soaring Rockets, winners of three straight, and later the Clippers go for six in a row, hosting the Jazz (10:30 ET).
- Heat at Pistons (7 ET)
- Celtics at Kings (10 ET)
5. 2025 BY THE NUMBERS: TOP SCORERS, SHARERS, SWATTERS
The final horn has sounded for 2025.
The year’s points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and 3s are now locked in history.
Let’s look at the stat leaderboard’s top fives to paint the picture of the basketball year that was.
- Thunder Throughout: The year’s top statistical team is well-represented, with three players (SGA, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren) placing in the top five across four of these six categories: points, assists, steals and blocks
- Stats 🤝 Standings: But OKC is not alone in its sweeping stats. The East’s top two teams, the Pistons and Knicks, also have three players each on the leaderboard
- Pistons: Jalen Duren (reb), Cade Cunningham (ast), Isaiah Stewart (blk)
- Knicks: Jalen Brunson (pts), Karl-Anthony Towns (reb), OG Anunoby (stl)
- Grab ‘N Give: Nikola Jokić appears in the top five of four of these six categories, leading total rebounds and assists while ranking in total scoring and steals. Only Wilt Chamberlain has led the league in rebounds and assists over a full season (1967-68)
- Wemby’s World: 2024’s blocks leader Victor Wembanyama still ranks in the top five (127) for 2025 despite missing 28 games from February to April
- 300 3s: 2025 saw two 3-point shooters net over 300 makes in all-time leader Steph Curry and 2024-25 leader Anthony Edwards
Beyond Stats: For more 2025 rankings, NBA.com’s Shaun Powell gets to the bottom of who the ten best players of the year were in his latest article.
