When you rise up to bring the house down.
And after the Dubs beat the West’s top team last night, the conference’s 2nd and 3rd place teams clash tonight on TNT (9:30 ET).
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 30, 2025
Star Showdowns: SGA’s 52 isn’t enough to top Steph’s Warriors, Brunson & Ant shine
East Outbursts: Indy & Cleveland duos dominate, Porziņģis & Maxey take over
Roundup: Dallas wins a thriller, Clips put it all together, Raptors roar, Nets roll
Rockets vs. Grizzlies: The race for No. 2 in the West and a celebration for Houston’s No. 1
Cavs vs. Hawks: Can the giant slayers in Atlanta knock off Cleveland again
BUT FIRST … ⏰
A star-studded Thursday…
A TNT doubleheader headlines tonight’s five-game slate. First, Trae Young and the Hawks will look to earn their third win this season over the East-leading Cavs (7 ET). Then, the red-hot Rockets will face Ja Morant and the Grizzlies (9:30 ET).
All-Star Reserves: Tonight, the 14 All-Star Game reserves will be revealed during TNT’s pregame show (6:30 ET).
Today’s Reads: NY Daily News on how the Knicks have found their pace playing fast … Washington Post on Jordan Poole as the NBA’s No. 1 cat person (and influencing Steph to get one) … NBC Bay Area on what to know for All-Star Weekend
1. A WILD WEST THRILLER, KNICKS HISTORY AT MSG, ANT OUTDUELS KD
Seven days after dropping a career-high 54 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 52.
But it wasn’t enough to take down Steph Curry and the Warriors in the Bay.
Warriors 116, Thunder 109: Gilgeous-Alexander went off for 31 points in the 1st half, while Curry had just four as the West-leading Thunder built a 14-point lead.
But Steph came alive in the 2nd, dropping 17 points on five 3s as Golden State outscored OKC 68-51 in the final two quarters to storm past the Thunder for an epic win. | Recap
- The Rally: Down 10 at the half, the Warriors knotted things up at 84 entering the 4th – where Curry took control
- The Run: Two early Steph 3s ignited a 32-25 quarter out of Golden State, capped by a closing sequence that sent the Chase Center into a frenzy
- The Finisher: A 33-foot Steph 3 with 1:52 left put the Warriors up six. On their next possession, Curry found Andrew Wiggins for another triple. 20 seconds later, Gary Payton II punctuated the win with an electrifying poster
- “I haven’t been up there in a while,” joked GPII after the win. “Forgot what the air was like up there, but it feels good.”
- Dubs’ Championship DNA: Curry finished with 21 points while Wiggins had 27, as Golden State joined Dallas as the only teams to beat OKC twice this season
SGA Shines: Despite the loss, Gilgeous-Alexander – the current Kia MVP Ladder leader – made more history with another scoring clinic.
- OKC Royalty: With the performance, SGA joins Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant as the only players in Thunder/SuperSonic history with multiple 50+ point games
- True North Star: He’s also the first Canadian-born player to drop multiple 50 pieces in NBA history
- Scoring Spree: SGA ends January averaging 35.6 ppg, joining Luka Dončić (2x), Joel Embiid and Curry as the only players with 35+ ppg in a month since January 2020
Playing against the reigning Kia MVP, it was Jalen Brunson who received ‘MVP’ chants at the final buzzer.
Knicks 122, Nuggets 112: Brunson put on a show with 30 points and 15 dimes, while OG Anunoby added 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns tallied a double-double (14 pts, 10 reb) to lift the Knicks over Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets at MSG for their fifth straight win. | Recap
- Only 4: Brunson is just the fourth Knick in franchise history to post 30+ pts and 15+ ast in a game, joining Nate Robinson (2009), Walt Frazier (1969) and Richie Guerin (1960)
- Big Apple Buckets: The Knicks have totaled 408 points over their last three outings (143, 143, 122) – the most in a three-game stretch in franchise history
- Nuggets Slide: Jamal Murray (33 pts, 6 ast) and Jokić (17 pts, 6 ast) led Denver, which has now dropped three straight games
In the First Round of last year’s Playoffs, Anthony Edwards went head-to-head with his all-time favorite player, Kevin Durant, averaging 31.0 ppg to send the Suns home in four.
Last night, he dazzled against KD and Phoenix again.
Wolves 121, Suns 113: Edwards and Durant went back and forth, each totaling 33 points, but Ant’s 19 in the 2nd half powered the Wolves to victory, as they outscored Phoenix 66-54 for their fourth straight win, snapping the Suns’ three-game heater. | Recap
- Ant & KD Symmetry: Both Edwards and Durant added 4 blocks, while Ant recorded 7 boards and KD tallied 7 assists
- Star Duos: Julius Randle and Devin Booker each added 28 points for their respective squads
2. EAST OUTBURSTS: STARS LEAD THE WAY IN BIG Ws
The Pacers have hit their stride, and last night, their two superstars found a second gear.
Pacers 133, Pistons 119: Pascal Siakam dropped 37 points, while Tyrese Haliburton added 30 and 8 dimes as Indy outpaced Cade Cunningham (32 pts, 9 ast) and Detroit to improve to an NBA-best 10-2 in January. | Recap
- East Finalists Elevating: After a 10-15 start, the Pacers have won 16 of their last 21 games for a 26-20 overall record
Celtics 122, Bulls 100: Kristaps Porziņģis notched 26 points on six 3s in the 1st half en route to a season-high 34 points, while Jaylen Brown (28) and Derrick White (22) combined for 50 as the C’s raced past the Bulls. | Recap
Cavaliers 126, Heat 106: With Darius Garland out, Donovan Mitchell (34 pts, 6 ast) and Evan Mobley (22 pts, 15 reb) stepped up, leading the Cavs to a wire-to-wire win over Tyler Herro (22 pts) and the Heat. | Recap
- Course Correct: Following its first three-game losing streak of the season, Cleveland has bounced back with two wins by an average of 19.5 points
76ers 117, Kings 104: In his third straight 30-piece, Tyrese Maxey went for 30 flat while adding 8 assists as the Sixers outscored the Kings 28-17 in the 4th quarter for their fourth straight W. Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double in the loss (13 pts, 14 reb, 11 ast). | Recap
3. ROUNDUP: MAVS & CLIPS DUB, RAPTORS ROAR, NETS ROLL
Mavericks 137, Pelicans 136: In a game featuring 10 ties and 17 lead changes, the Mavs got 20-pieces from P.J. Washington (25), Kyrie Irving (25), Daniel Gafford (22) and Klay Thompson (20) to stave off a closing 11-2 Pels run, giving Dallas a thrilling dub. | Recap
- Double Quad 20s: NOLA also had four players score 20+ points in Trey Murphy III (32), Zion Williamson (29), Dejounte Murray (27) and CJ McCollum (23)
- It’s just the eighth game in the last 10 seasons that both teams have had 4+ players post 20-pieces
Clippers 128, Spurs 116: Victor Wembanyama was doing Victor Wembanyama things with 23 points, 12 boards, 2 steals and 3 blocks.
But the Clips turned in a complete team effort as Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell poured in 27 apiece, while Ivica Zubac (22 reb) and James Harden (11 ast) each posted 21-point double-doubles for a hard-fought dub. | Recap
Raptors 106, Wizards 82: For the first time since March 2022, the Raptors have won five straight games. Scottie Barnes notched 24 points, as eight Raptors scored in double figures to extend their win streak. | Recap
Nets 104, Hornets 83: Keon Johnson (18 pts) led six Nets in double figures as Brooklyn never trailed against Miles Bridges (23 pts, 13 reb) and the Hornets, who were without LaMelo Ball (ankle). | Recap
4. TONIGHT: AMEN & THE RED-HOT ROCKETS FACE JA & THE GRIZZ
For the past six weeks, the Rockets and Grizzlies have shared the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the West, never separated by more than 2.5 games.
Despite little separation, Houston has held 2nd place over Memphis since Jan. 4 thanks to a 3-0 record against the Grizzlies this season, including two wins this month.
Tonight, the two sides will meet for the fourth and final time this regular season (9:30 ET, TNT, TruTV, Max).
- Strength vs. Strength: While Memphis boasts the highest-scoring offense in the NBA (123.3 ppg), Houston owns the 4th-best DefRtg (108.3)
- Advantage, Defense: In their three matchups this season, the Rockets have held the Grizzlies to 113.7 ppg – nearly 10 points below their season average
Houston’s Give & Take: Ja Morant is averaging 26.7 ppg against the Rockets this season but only dishing out 3.0 apg, as Houston has contained Memphis’ elite depth.
- Bare Buckets: Memphis has nine players averaging 9+ ppg, and at least seven Grizzlies have hit double figures in 16 games – the most in the NBA
- Bear Trap: Against Houston, only three Grizzlies are averaging 9+ ppg, with Morant as the lone player scoring 20+
The Rockets enter Thursday red-hot, with a 10-2 record in their last 12 games.
That stretch coincides with Amen Thompson’s move into the starting lineup, as the Year 2 guard has turned heads during Houston’s surge with his rare athleticism and elite all-around play.
- Blast Off: Thompson has started in 11 of Houston’s last 12 games, averaging 18.5 points on 56.7% shooting, along with 10.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists in that span
- Two-Way Talent: He’s also the only player averaging 2+ steals and 1+ blocks in January (2.3 spg, 1.2 bpg) and holding his opponents to 39.4% shooting on the season – the lowest among the 141 players to defend 400+ FGA
- Elite Company: The only other player averaging 15+ points and 2+ steals this month? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (min. 4 GP)
- “We can literally put him on 1 through 5, and he can be comfortable,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka earlier this week on Thompson’s defensive impact.
- “That’s what he naturally does. His instincts and physical attributes allow that.”
Here against Morant, one of the most athletic guards in the NBA, Thompson has the quickness to stay in front and the bounce to swat his floater.
At the same time, Thompson has the strength to stand up 6-foot-11 Evan Mobley before climbing the ladder to block another shot.
On Monday, Thompson stamped a career-high 33-point night with his first career game-winner to beat the Celtics in Boston.
One day later, he was named a Castrol Rising Star before adding to his ridiculous highlight reel with an emphatic poster in the Rockets’ fourth-straight win.
Tonight, Houston will look to tighten its grip on the West’s No. 2 seed by completing a season sweep of Memphis – on Thompson’s 22nd birthday.
5. HAWKS vs. CAVS ROUND 3: CAN ATLANTA DO IT AGAIN?
The Cavs entered their home-and-home set with the Hawks in late November with 17 wins and just 1 loss as part of their historic start to the season.
Atlanta tripled Cleveland’s loss total for the season by sweeping that two-game set over three days.
This has been the Hawks’ MO all season long – elevating their play against the top teams in the East.
- The Hawks are 6-2 combined against the Cavs (2-0), Celtics (2-1) and Knicks (2-1)
- No other team in the NBA has more than four wins against those three teams
- Only the top two teams in the West – Houston and OKC, both at 4-1 (.800) – have a higher winning percentage against the East’s top three
Tonight (7 ET, TNT, TruTV, Max), the Hawks visit Cleveland not only looking for another statement win, but trying to snap a six-game losing streak that has them ninth in the East
- Added Challenge: On Wednesday, the Hawks announced that Jalen Johnson will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury
- Historic Pace: Trae Young (career-high 11.4 apg) and Dyson Daniels (career-high 3.1 spg) are on pace to be the third pair of teammates since 1973-74 to lead the league in assists and steals
After the Hawks handed the Cavs their first back-to-back losses of the season, Cleveland responded by going 16-1 over their next 17 games.
- Deja Vu: The Cavs recently had their first three-game losing streak of the season (Jan. 22-25) and have responded with two commanding wins
- On Guard: The Cleveland backcourt is leading the charge over the past three games with Darius Garland (30.5) and Donovan Mitchell (29.3) combining for 59.5 ppg
A trio of games on League Pass round out the five-game night.
- Lakers at Wizards (7 ET)
- Wolves at Jazz (9 ET)
- Magic at Blazers (10 ET)
