Starting 5: An all-time Jokić performance & a patented Curry flurry

Hesi, slip and slide for fifty-five.

Jokić only needed three quarters to make history.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Third Gear: How two greats made 3rd-quarter history in one night

Red-Hot: Pistons win 8th straight, Thunder ace an offensive test, Suns & Rockets roll

East Statements: Magic top Knicks at MSG, Cavs beat Heat in Round 2, Hawks win big

Roundup: Shaedon & Deni join Blazer royalty, C’s dub, Hornets unleash the hive

Tonight On NBA TV: Two of November’s best, Raptors vs. Cavs highlights 3-game slate

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Tonight’s three-game slate opens on NBA TV as the Cavs host the Raptors (7 ET | Tap to Watch). Catch The Association pregame show at 6:30 ET to lock in before tip-off (NBA TV).

Up Next: The third Emirates NBA Cup Night of the season delivers nine games on Friday, including a Prime doubleheader: Heat-Knicks (7 ET), Warriors-Spurs (9:30 ET).

ICYMI: The 2026 All-Star Game brings a new format – a U.S. vs. World round-robin tournament featuring three teams squaring off in four mini-games at LA’s Intuit Dome.

1. JOKIĆ REDEFINES EFFICIENCY, STEPH REIGNITES WARRIORS

On Tuesday, Nikola Jokić dropped a season-high 35 points.

Twenty-four hours later, he was two points shy of that total at halftime.

And he was just getting started.

Nuggets 130, Clippers 116: In a display that bordered on basketball sorcery, Jokić piled up a preposterous 52 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists in the first three quarters, building Denver a 106-90 lead.

After a breather – to let everyone attempt to process what they had just witnessed – he finished the job late in the 4th, closing the night with a historic 55/12/6 on 18-of-23 shooting for Denver’s sixth straight dub. | Recap

For a man who nightly prints a long receipt of records, this one stretches across its own aisle – a masterpiece even by Jokić’s impossible standards.

It started with something he had never done – 25 points in the 1st quarter. It finished with something nobody had ever done: 55 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists on at least 78% shooting.

• One Of Three: Only Luka and Wilt had ever posted 55/10/5 on at least 75% shooting in a game before Wednesday
• One Of One: Jokić was there in three quarters – becoming the first player to hit 50/10/5 before the 4th since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1997-98
• One After The Other: And he did it on the second leg of back-to-back, becoming just the 4th player in NBA history to tally 55/10/5 after playing the day before
• “Our game plan was to make him score,” said Clippers coach Ty Lue postgame. “Take away his passing … I didn’t think he’d score 55.”

That can be the problem – you can’t take away anything. Because the league’s best playmaker just authored one of the most efficient scoring nights ever – becoming just the third player in the shot clock era to drop 55+ with more assists than missed field goals.

• “He was extraordinary tonight,” said Nuggets coach David Adelman. “It’s one of those performances you won’t forget.”

Staring at their sixth loss in eight games, down 56-49 at the half, the Warriors needed a spark.

Instead, they got a storm.

A Curry flurry.

Warriors 125, Spurs 120: In an epic duel with Victor Wembanyama (31 pts, 15 reb, 10 ast), Steph erupted in the 3rd for 22 of his season-high 46 points to put the Dubs in control, despite San Antonio’s first-ever dual triple-doubles. | Recap

• Feeling Better: Held to a season-low 11 pts on Tuesday while recovering from illness, Steph surged to log his 73rd career 40-point game
• The Driving Force? Another patented outburst, marking his 43rd quarter with 20+ points – the most of any player in the play-by-play era
• Seasoned Scoring: Curry (43) trails only Michael Jordan (44) for the most 40+ pt games at 30 years or older
• “He’s the sun in our solar system,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Curry postgame
• Golden Satellites: Jimmy Butler (28 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl) and Moses Moody (19 pts) joined Curry with 5 3s apiece

Curry’s “routine” night, as Kerr joked, stole the spotlight from a pair of truly historic Spurs performances.

• Twin TDs: Wemby’s fourth career triple-double teamed with Stephon Castle’s first (23 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) to become the only Spurs duo with triple-doubles in the same game
• Wemby What!? Victor is the third youngest player in NBA history to record 30+ pts, 15+ reb, 10+ ast, trailing Magic and Luka

2. RED-HOT: DETROIT, OKC, HOUSTON & PHOENIX KEEP ROLLING

Seven players out, eight straight wins.

With even more regulars inactive than in its thrilling OT win against the Wizards, Detroit found a way to extend its win streak.

Pistons 124, Bulls 113: Paul Reed was the next Piston to step up into the spotlight with a career night, leading all scorers with 28 points to help Detroit win its eighth game in a row. | Recap

• All Hands: Both Reed and Daniss Jenkins (18 pts, 12 ast) – whose Monday buzzer-beater led to an OT win – set a career-high in dimes as nine Pistons scored 6+
• “He didn’t want to let his teammates down,” coach JB Bickerstaff said of Reed. “There is not a selfish bone in that locker room.”
• All Paul: The 6th-year forward is the first player in NBA history to record a statline of 28 pts, 13 reb, 6 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk and 2 3s on 84.6% shooting
• Seriously Good: Detroit’s 8-0 run matches the Thunder for the longest win streak this season, improving it to an East-best 10-2
• Chi-Town Check In: Matas Buzelis led Chicago with 21 pts and 14 reb with Josh Giddey out

In a high-powered matchup of scoring savants, defense won the day.

Thunder 121, Lakers 92: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit 30 pts for the 11th time in 13 games while OKC limited Luka Dončić to a season-low 19 pts, as the Thunder improved to a franchise-best 12-1. | Recap

• Shai Ties Russ: SGA’s 189th 30+ pt game ties Russell Westbrook for 2nd most 30+ pt games in franchise history, trailing only Kevin Durant (246)
• Resounding Thunder: The 29-point win puts OKC at a point differential over 200. Only one other team in the last 50 years has eclipsed that total through 13 games: the 1996-97 Bulls
• “Look at how they swarm.” ESPN’s Richard Jefferson broke down how OKC forced 20 turnovers, holding Los Angeles to a season-low 40.3% shooting

That’s not a bird soaring past your window – it’s the Houston Rockets.

Or maybe, Amen Thompson.

Rockets 135, Wizards 112: A no-look alley-oop from Alperen Sengun (16 pts, 13 reb, 6 ast), a blur of a jam up-and-around a defender, then another right through one.

Those were just three of Thompson’s eight buckets – on only 11 shots – as he stuffed the stat sheet (18 pts, 8 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk) alongside Sengun and Kevin Durant (23 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), powering Houston to its seventh win in eight games. | Recap

• Deep Delivery: Reed Sheppard (21 pts, 5 3s) and Tari Eason (20 pts, 4 3s) combined for 41 on 7 3s, as Houston nailed 17 triples at a 48.6% clip
• Scoring Spread: Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 pts and 8 reb – the sixth Rocket to score 16+
• Red-Hot: That balance has fueled one of the league’s most potent attacks, with Houston averaging an NBA-best 125.6 ppg amid its 7-1 run

The Suns are heating up.

Suns 123, Mavericks 114: Cooper Flagg did it all (16 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk) and got the best of Devin Booker on this block, but Dallas couldn’t contain him for long, as Book poured in a game-high 26 points along with 9 dimes to notch the Suns’ fourth straight W. | Recap

• Still Splashing: Grayson Allen followed up his 42-point outburst on Monday with 23 more on four triples

3. EAST STATEMENTS: MAGIC TOP KNICKS, CAVS RESPOND, HAWKS STAY HOT

After a 1-4 start, Orlando has rediscovered its magic.

Magic 124, Knicks 107: Despite losing Paolo Banchero in the 1st half (groin), Orlando never trailed after the opening minute, as Franz Wagner (28 pts, 9 reb) and Desmond Bane (22 pts, 8 ast) took control to hand the Knicks their first loss at MSG while ending their five-game heater. | Recap

• Winning Recipe: After leading the league in scoring defense last season, Orlando has held its last seven opponents to 109.7 ppg, fueling a 5-2 stretch
• Brunson Exits: Jalen Brunson led New York with 31 points and 6 dimes, but left the game late in the 4th after rolling his ankle

Cavaliers 130, Heat 116: Two days after falling to Miami at the buzzer in an instant classic, Cleveland got its revenge, erasing a 14-point deficit with a 37-19 4th quarter, getting back on track for its fifth win in six games. | Recap

• Big Boost: Jarrett Allen (30 pts, 10 reb) and De’Andre Hunter (21 pts, 6 reb) powered Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland out
• Cav Clamps: Norman Powell  (27 pts) led Miami, which Cleveland held to 47 points in the final two quarters after a 69-point 1st half

After beating the Lakers and Clippers, the Hawks soared into Sacramento to pick off a third straight Cali club.

Hawks 133, Kings 100: Jalen Johnson (24 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast) paced seven Hawks in double figures as Atlanta never trailed for its third straight win. Keon Ellis hit a career-high six 3s to lead Sacramento with a season-high 20 pts. | Recap

4. ROUNDUP: PORTLAND DUO DOMINATES, BOSTON & CHARLOTTE DUB

Blazers 125, Pelicans 117: Shaedon Sharpe (35 pts, 13-18 FG) and Deni Avdija (32 pts, 12-18 FG) joined Clyde Drexler & Terry Porter (1994) as the only Blazers duos to each score 30+ on at least 65% shooting, as Portland edged New Orleans to move to 6-5. | Recap

• Queen’s Cookin’: No. 13 pick, Derik Queen, continues to emerge for NOLA, posting a career-high 26 points, 7 boards and 4 dimes

Celtics 131, Grizzlies 95: Payton Pritchard (24 pts, 9 ast, 5 3s), Derrick White (20 pts) and Jaylen Brown (19 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) led 12 different Celtic scorers as Boston earned a wire-to-wire win over Memphis. | Recap

Hornets 111, Bucks 100: Once again, Ryan Rollins (25 pts, 6 ast) stepped up with Giannis out, but a complete effort from Charlotte secured the dub, led by Miles Bridges (20 pts, 6 reb), Ryan Kalkbrenner (17 pts, 9 reb), Collin Sexton (16 pts, 8 reb) and Kon Knueppel (16 pts, 3 3s). | Recap

5. RAPTORS & CAVS FACE OFF ON NBA TV, HIGHLIGHTING 3-GAME THURSDAY

A handful of teams in the East are using big Novembers to storm the standings.

Just behind the red-hot Pistons and home-happy Knicks sit the Cavaliers (5-1) and Raptors (4-1) with the next-best records in the East this month.

They’ll meet tonight on NBA TV to bookend their current hot streaks, which started the last time they faced off on Oct. 31.

Raptors at Cavaliers (7 ET): Something’s gotta give as Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs’ top-5 scoring offense (122.9 ppg) take on Toronto’s mounting defense, which ranks 3rd-best since that Oct. 31 meeting.

• Turn The Page: After back-and-forth starts in October – 3-3 for Cleveland, 2-4 for Toronto – both teams have found themselves, with the Cavs 7-3 over their last 10 and the Raps 5-1 in their last 6
• Defensive Difference: Toronto’s turnaround comes with defense, holding all opponents under 110 ppg in the five wins of their current stretch
• Playing As A Pack: The Raptors rank second in assists (29.7 apg) and are the only team with 5 players averaging 4+ assists per game (Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, Jamal Shead, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram)

• Super Scorer: Mitchell is lifting the Cavs’ offense in a career year, averaging over 30 ppg for the first time
• Spida Support: Evan Mobley (20.1 ppg) and De’Andre Hunter (19.2 ppg) join Mitchell, along with Jarrett Allen’s 16.5 pts and 7.9 reb
• Winning Number: While the 110-pt threshold is a Raptors defensive key, Cleveland is 8-2 when scoring over that mark, and hasn’t been held under it since last playing Toronto

Elsewhere on League Pass, the Suns host the Pacers, eyeing a 5th straight win and league-leading 6th home win in The Valley (9 ET).

And Utah looks to follow up its 152-point outburst Tuesday, a top-5 scoring night in Jazz history, welcoming in the streaking Hawks (9 ET).