31 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists. All in under 25 minutes.Joker is back. And on night one, he gave us something no one’s ever done.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 31, 2026
West Superstars: Early minutes maximized in Joker’s return, Luka’s attack
ESPN Doubleheader: Pistons prove offensive prowess, Magic’s major 4th-quarter rally
East Over West: Knicks knock Blazers, C’s club Kings, Nets’ Dëmin does it all
Roundup: Brooks, Suns continue strong play, young core powers Pels
Saturday Primetime On ABC: Coop carries career-best stretch into Texas Showdown with KD’s Rockets
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Saturday hoops start sooner than you think…
Today’s Spurs at Hornets game has had its start time moved up to Noon ET (Prime | Tap To Watch), the NBA announced Friday, due to inclement weather expected in North Carolina.
Jump to the night slate, with five more games to round out Saturday, closing with the season’s second Saturday Primetime on ABC showcase, where the Mavs visit the Rockets (8:30 ET | Tap To Watch).
Tomorrow, Feb. 1, is NBA Pioneers Day, starting with the first-ever NBA Pioneers Classic on ESPN between the Bucks and Celtics (3:30 ET), recognizing the start of Black History Month and honoring the legacy of the NBA Pioneers.
Then, Sunday Night Basketball, NBC Sports’ new weekly NBA primetime franchise, premieres with a doubleheader featuring Lakers-Knicks at MSG (7 ET), followed by Nuggets-Thunder (9:30 ET) on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo.
All-Stars Unveiled: NBC/Peacock’s new Sunday night studio show Basketball Night in America will also reveal the 2026 NBA All-Star Game reserves at 6 ET, with seven players from each conference joining the 10 starters.
1. WEST SUPERSTARS: JOKER RETURNS, LUKA SHINES; BOTH MAXIMIZE MINUTES
Denver made it.
Their three-time MVP has returned from a 16-game absence (knee), and in that time the Nuggets maintained 3rd place in the West, the top Offensive Rating (121.0) and a top-2 scoring offense (120.1).
Now add Joker back in and mix.
Nuggets 122, Clippers 109: Playing in his first game since Dec. 29 and on a minutes cap of less than 25, Nikola Jokić collected 31 points, 12 rebounds, five assists with just three misses (8-of-11 FG), and the crowd on Serbian Heritage Night loved it. | Recap
- Right Back To Records: Nikola is the first player in NBA history to record a 30+ point, 10+ rebound, 5+ assist line while playing less than 25 minutes in a game
- “He’s a constant constant in every category, every stat,” Jamal Murray said, reviewing Jokić’s numbers for this first game back.
- “I’m happy for the guys,” Jokić said of the team while he was out. “Everybody stepped up, and everybody showed that they can play.”
Jokić’s teammates continued to show that Friday, as Tim Hardaway Jr. (22 pts, 5 3s), Peyton Watson (21 pts) and Murray (20 pts, 9 ast) combined for 63 points, taking down the team that’s had the best record (12-3) during Joker’s absence.
- THJ To Top 20: Hardaway Jr. passed Dirk Nowitzki (1,982) for 20th on the all-time made 3-pointers list
- Clips’ Constants: James Harden (25 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast) led the Clippers and Kawhi added 21 points and six assists in his 300th game for LA
Like Joker, Luka Dončić logged a historic statline in 24 minutes of play.
The only thing stopping him was the halftime horn.
Lakers 142, Wizards 111: Luka surged out to a substantial 1st-half triple double (26 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast), as Los Angeles never trailed after the 8:20 mark in the 1st quarter en route to its largest win of the season.
Dončić finished with 37, holding off Washington and Malaki Branham’s season-high 17 points, as L.A. moved to 4-2 with two games remaining on its longest road trip. | Recap
- The Luka Line: Dončić recorded just the second 1st-half 25+ point triple-double since 1997-98. The only other instance? Himself, in 2023
- Modern Marvels: Luka joined Jokić and Russell Westbrook as the only players since 1997-98 with multiple 1st-half triple-doubles
- He also joins LeBron (Dec. 6, 2024) as the only players in Lakers history with a statline of at least 35 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast and 5+ made 3s
Speaking of LeBron, he contributed 20 points, six assists and a dunk duet with Bronny Friday, while Deandre Ayton (28 pts, 13 reb, 12-of-14 FG) stacked another strong outing.
2. ON ESPN: PISTONS PROVE OFFENSIVE PROWESS, MAGIC’S RESOUNDING RALLY
Thearon W. Henderson/NBAE via Getty Images
Two star guards quickly took over the spotlight in a matchup of top-10 defenses.
Pistons 131, Warriors 124: Cade Cunningham (29 pts, 11 ast) drove the Pistons to a 77-point 1st half – the most points given up by Golden State’s top-10 defense in any half this season.
Steph scored 23 points on four 3s before leaving in the 3rd quarter with knee discomfort, with the Warriors charging on to cut Detroit’s 20-point lead to just a possession. But Jalen Duren (21 pts, 13 reb) and crew pulled through to win. | Recap
- Cade’s Calling Card: Cunningham surged to his 15th game of 25+ points and 10+ assists, joining Luka for the league lead. He had 17 such games in all of last season
Denver wasn’t the only team piling up 20+ point scorers Friday.
Magic 130, Raptors 120: Desmond Bane (32 pts, 7 3s), Anthony Black (25 pts, 6 ast) and Paolo Banchero (20 pts, 9 reb) each scored 20+ points for the second straight game and Wendell Carter Jr. (23 pts, 7 reb) joined the club to give Orlando its most 20+ point scorers since Feb. 10, 2020.
Orlando trailed by 13 entering the 4th quarter but exploded for a 44-21 frame with 29 combined points coming from Bane (16) and Black (13), who did not miss (13-of-13 FG) | Recap
- Grand Finale: The Magic missed only three shots in their 44-point 4th quarter (13-of-16, 81.2 FG%), while hitting six 3s for the team’s highest-scoring 4th since 1997-98
- Raps’ Resistance: Brandon Ingram (35 pts) led all scorers, with big Toronto contributions from Scottie Barnes (19 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 4 blk)
3. EAST OVER WEST: KNICKS, CELTICS, NETS CLAIM WINS
Three more East teams handled business against the opposing conference Friday.
Knicks 127, Blazers 97: Jalen Brunson (26 pts, 5 3s) and Shaedon Sharpe (26 pts) dueled and New York got more lift from OG Anunoby (24 pts, 6 reb), Josh Hart (20 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) and another huge Karl-Anthony Towns game to win their fifth straight. | Recap
- Jalen Gets 10K: Brunson surpassed 10,000 career points on this 3rd-quarter free throw
- Glass Work: Towns (14 pts, 20 reb) snagged 20 boards for the second straight game, becoming the first with back-to-back 20-rebound games since he himself did it last Jan. 1 & Jan. 3, 2025
- Make It A Double: KAT’s 31st double-double this season ties him with Jalen Johnson for the league lead
Celtics 112, Kings 93: Payton Pritchard (29 pts, 8 ast, 5 3s) powered the C’s with Jaylen Brown out (leg), Baylor Scheierman (16 pts, 5 reb) was a bucket shy of a new season-high, and Neemias Queta pulled down 15 rebounds as Boston led Zach LaVine (17 pts) and the Kings wire-to-wire. | Recap
- Early Work: Pritchard had 22 points and all eight assists by halftime, where the C’s checked in with 72 points and a 26-point lead
Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
Nets 109, Jazz 99: Back in Utah where he played at BYU last season, Egor Dëmin had his best rookie outing with career-highs in points (25) and rebounds (10), adding six 3s to extend his noteworthy streak and help the Nets snap their seven-game skid by staying ahead of Keyonte George (26 pts, 7 ast) and the Jazz. | Recap
- Egor’s Streak: Dëmin hit a 3 for a 34th consecutive game, setting a new NBA rookie record
- Eager Achievement: He’s the youngest player in NBA history (19 yo) to achieve a 25+ point, 10+ rebound, 5+ 3 game
4. ROUNDUP: BROOKS, SUNS CONTINUE STRONG PLAY, YOUNG CORE POWERS PELS
Kelsey Grant + Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images
Suns 126, Cavaliers 113: Dillon Brooks followed up his career-high 40 points from Thursday with a game-high 27 as Phoenix hit a season’s-best 23 triples and got seven players in double figures to bury Cleveland late and end their five-game win streak. | Recap
Pelicans 114, Grizzlies 106: Saddiq Bey (8 reb, 3 stl) and Derik Queen (9 reb, 7 ast) each logged 22 points and Zion Williamson added 21 points and 7 rebounds as New Orleans overpowered seven Grizz players in double figures to win its third game in the last four. | Recap
- Starts With Z: Zion is averaging 22.0 ppg and 9.8 reb over the last four games, where NOLA is 3-1
5. COOP CARRIES CAREER-HIGH INTO SHOWDOWN WITH KD’S ROCKETS, WEMBY & SPURS MEET SCORCHING HORNETS
Stacy Revere/NBAE via Getty Images
One night, you and your college roommate are putting up video game numbers on an NBA floor like a daydream come to life, and the next, you’re checking up Kevin Durant.
Such is Cooper Flagg’s NBA life, 44 games into his career. And tonight, we get a front row seat, courtesy of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC.
Mavericks at Rockets (8:30 ET, ABC): Coop and the Mavs stay in-state for their fourth matchup this season with KD and Houston (2-1).
- Flagg’s Return: More than just his historic 49-pt, 10-reb performance last time out, Flagg has been on a tear, averaging 26.0 ppg, 8.8 reb and 51.9 FG% in four games since returning from injury (ankle)
- Durant has also been climbing, averaging 31.2 ppg in his last five games, scoring 30+ in four of them (3-1 record)
- New Heights: While Coop is etching his first marks into the record books, KD is on the verge of cracking the top-5 of the all-time scorers list (556 pts away), and has just landed on the top-10 3-point shooters list
Flagg and the Mavs hold a 2-1 edge in the series in part thanks to Dallas’ top-10 defense specializing in disrupting the things Houston’s top-5 offense does best.
- Defending The 3: Dallas holds their opponents to a league-best 33.5% from deep. Houston shoots 37.0% from long-range
- One Chance: The Rockets are 1st in 2nd chance points (18.4 ppg), but Dallas holds their opponents to only 15.1 2nd chance points
- Series Standouts: Flagg is averaging 13.7 ppg and 5.7 reb in the series so far, with Max Christie adding 15.7 ppg on a blistering 61.5 3P%
- X Factor: KD (27.3 ppg, 5.0 ast, 48.4 FG%) has led the Rockets in the series thus far, with strong support from Amen Thompson (18.0 ppg, 7.7 reb, 4.7 ast)
Houston’s solution? The Rockets are 16-4 at home this season, good for the second-best win percentage at home in the league.
Jacob Kupferman/NBAE via Getty Images
The Hornets are hot.
Historically so.
In addition to their first five-game win streak since Feb. 2023, they’re wrapping up a January that’s seen them post two 50-point leads. Today? They face a test on national TV, when they meet Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs at noon on Prime. | Preview
- If Charlotte were to win, it’d be the Hornets’ longest win streak in a decade
- The Drivers? Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel have been red-hot, with Miller out for his 10th straight game of 20+ pts & Knueppel topping the Kia Rookie Ladder … fresh off a wild showdown with Cooper Flagg
- Said Knueppel: “We’re getting hot, and I think we’re going to stay hot. We just got a spirit about us right now.”
To get the W, the league’s top offense since Jan. 1 needs to go through the second-best defense — led by an All-Star Starter, in Wembanyama.
- Wemby, whose 2.7 blocks per game pace the league and 11.2 rebounds per game rank fourth, just paced the Spurs over the Rockets in his 150th career game
- The Wemby Line: Since his debut in 2023-24, there have been just 10 player performances of 25+ pts, 15+ reb and 5+ blk. Wembanyama claimed his fourth of those 10 last night
- Alien & Admiral: Victor has totaled 3,440 pts, 1,631 reb and 520 blk in his 150 games. The only other player to match these numbers since 1973-74 is fellow Spurs top pick David Robinson
Saturday night sees another win streak put to the test, as the TWolves chase their 4th straight win while hosting the Grizzlies (8 ET).
