Starting 5: Bulls, Thunder keep rolling along

New night. New comeback. New game-winner.

Another Bulls dub.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Best Of The Best: Bulls battle back for 1st place, Shai tallies 80 straight for 8-0

Taking Flight: Hawks rebound on NBC, Pelicans earn first win in thrilling fashion

Tuesday Roundup: Pure Warriors basketball and the roaring Raptors

ESPN Doubleheader: Randle returns to MSG, Wemby’s Spurs visit the red-hot Lakers

All Engines Running: Pistons & Rockets look to extend their win streaks on NBA League Pass

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Eleven games tip off tonight, headlined by an ESPN doubleheader as Julius Randle and the Wolves visit the Knicks (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch), before Wemby and the Spurs face the Lakers (10 ET | Tap to Watch).

The New NBA 2K League: A new-look NBA 2K League is here, bringing together NBA players, creators and fans in a new format. Follow the season on the NBA 2K League social channels @nba2kleague.

1. BEST FROM EAST TO WEST: BULLS RALLY, THUNDER ROLL

A showdown between two of the hottest teams – and stars – in basketball ended with a bang.

And the largest comeback this season.

Bulls 113, 76ers 111: Fueled by Tyrese Maxey (39 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast), Philly erupted with 45 points in the 1st quarter, before going up by 24 in the 2nd.

But Josh Giddey (29 pts, 15 reb, 12 ast) willed the Bulls back, and Chicago finished the 4th on a 13-2 run, capped by Nikola Vučević’s game-winning triple with 3 seconds left to secure a gutsy win. | Recap

• Locking In: After allowing 75 1st-half points, Chicago gave up just 36 in the 2nd and held Philly without a field goal for the final 6:26
• Standing Tall: That included eight straight stops before Vučević’s winner, followed by one last stand at the buzzer to stamp the Bulls’ largest comeback since Feb. 2021
• Battling Bulls: Chicago now has three 12+ point comebacks this season – tied for the most in the NBA – as it moves to an East-best 6-1 and 5-0 at home

Surging Star: The Bulls have only been 6-1 two other times this century: 2021 and 2011.

To get there – against a Philly team that entered with an NBA-best three wins in games decided by 5 points or fewer – they needed one more bucket with the clock winding down.

So they went to Giddey.

• The Read: Already with his second triple-double in two games, the Bulls star drove to the rack, drew a double, then found Vučević in the corner
• The Reax: The vet did the rest, draining his third career game-winner in the final five seconds for Giddey’s 12th assist of the night – and an electric call from Bulls announcer Stacey King
• The Company: With the performance, Giddey passed Scottie Pippen (6) for the second-most 20-point triple-doubles in Bulls history
• The Only Player With More? The last Bull to post back-to-back triple-doubles, Michael Jordan

Out West, OKC’s perfect record appeared to be in jeopardy.

Then SGA caught fire – and made history.

Thunder 126, Clippers 107: With his team down 1 at the half, Gilgeous-Alexander took over, dropping 18 of his 30 points and 5 of his 12 assists in the 3rd, as the Thunder seized control and never looked back to improve to 8-0 for the first time in the OKC era. | Recap

• 80 For 8-0: It’s SGA’s 80th consecutive 20+ point game, surpassing Oscar Robertson for the third-longest streak all-time
• Alone With Greatness: Only one other player has strung together a longer run: Wilt Chamberlain – over 60 years ago – with 126 games from 1961-63 and 92 from ‘63-64
• Consistent Cash: It’s SGA’s seventh 30-piece this season, the most in the NBA, and he did it in just three quarters, going 9-of-14 from the field and 4-of-5 from deep
• “I just put in the work,” said SGA postgame on staying consistent. “I take care of my body. I get enough rest. And I do it all over again.”
• The Routine Continues: SGA and the unbeaten Thunder take their streak to Portland tonight on NBA League Pass (10 ET)

2. HAWKS’ FIRST WIN ON NBC, PELICANS’ FIRST WIN OF SEASON

Meeting for the second time already this season — and the first time on NBC in decades for both teams — the Hawks moved to 2-0 against their Southeast Division rivals.

Hawks 127, Magic 112: Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 pick in 2024, led five Hawks starters with 15+ pts each, as his season highs (21 pts, 3 3s) moved him past the 1,000 career points mark in the win. | Recap

• Stealing History: Dyson Daniels (18 pts, 8-9 FG, 6 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl) missed just once for the hot-shooting Hawks (55.6%), and logged his 60th straight game with a steal – one shy of tying Doc Rivers for the longest such streak in franchise history
• Paolo Posts: Banchero netted a game-high 22 pts with 11 reb and 9 ast, but Orlando couldn’t catch Atlanta after the 9:10 mark in the 1st quarter

Pelicans 116, Hornets 112: Jose Alvarado’s clutch 3 with 16 seconds left delivered the Pelicans’ first win this season, as they surpassed Charlotte with an 11-0 run to end the game. Trey Murphy III’s 21 points led eight Pelicans in double figures. | Recap

• Closeout Win: Alvarado scored 8 of his 18 points in the 4th, including two triples that erased the Hornets’ lead
• Rook Cooks: No. 13 pick Derik Queen joined in with 12 4th-quarter points along with 8 reb, 7 ast and 4 stl in 18 minutes
• Karlo Show: Karlo Matković channeled his inner Zion (above) with Williamson out, turning in his best game this season (13 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast)

3. TUESDAY ROUNDUP: WARRIORS WIN, RAPTORS ROAR

Warriors 118, Suns 107: Steph Curry (28 pts) and Moses Moody (24 pts) each splashed five triples to lead five Warriors in double figures as Golden State overcame Devin Booker’s 38-point outburst to move to 4-3. | Recap

• Golden Dimes: Led by Draymond Green (8), 10 different Warriors recorded 2+ assists, including this lob from Brandin Podziemski for a monster Jonathan Kuminga jam
• Neighbors Collide: Golden State visits Sacramento tonight on League Pass (10 ET) for the NorCal Rivalry, which has seen the two teams split their last eight meetings (4-4)

Raptors 128, Bucks 100: Scottie Barnes (6 ast, 4 stl) and RJ Barrett (8 reb, 4 ast) posted 23 points apiece, and four more Raptors scored 13+ as Toronto topped Giannis Antetokounmpo (22 pts, 8 reb) and Milwaukee for its third straight win. | Recap

4. TONIGHT ON ESPN: RANDLE RETURNS TO MSG, WEMBY’S SPURS VISIT LAKERS

A momentous trade was finalized late in October 2024.

The Knicks acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from the Timberwolves in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Swapping a pair of basketball stars, the move altered the complexion of the two contenders.

Tonight (7:30 ET, ESPN), Randle and Towns matchup as the Knicks welcome the Timberwolves to Madison Square Garden.

• Thunder: Dating back to Towns’ debut, New York is 50-29 in the regular season, and reached the East Finals as he earned All-NBA Third Team honors
• Lightning: Minnesota’s track record is eerily similar — a 48-28 regular-season record and West Finals berth ever since Randle entered the fold

They got a taste of their former teams in 2024-25. Both succeeded at old stomping grounds.

• KAT Attack: He racked up 32 pts and 20 reb facing the Wolves on Dec. 19, 2024, becoming the 2nd player ever to post 30/20 in a first game against his old squad
• Good Juju: Including a win in his return to MSG, Randle played two contests against the Knicks last season, averaging 16.0 points while shooting 40.0% from beyond the arc
• Mirrored Matchup: Now, each squad stands at 4-3, seeking its third consecutive win

The nightcap on ESPN (10 ET) features the Spurs trading blows with the Lakers. Luka Dončić (41.3 ppg) and Victor Wembanyama (26.7 ppg) have balled out, playing like two of the league’s most show-stopping talents.

• Walk Of Fame: Wemby, whose 4.7 blocks per game top the Association, has faced Los Angeles six times and averaged 23.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks
• In The Trees: The 7-foot-4 Frenchman – also owning 13.7 rpg thus far – will test his resume against not one, but two seven-footers in Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes
• Whirli-Guard: Dylan Harper (calf) is out for multiple weeks, so Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell are poised to handle the bulk of minutes in the backcourt – keeping pace with Luka and Austin Reaves (31.1 ppg, 9.3 apg)
• Fuel To Fire: Dončić (leg) and Reaves (groin) missed Monday, but have combined for 71.3 ppg and 17.0 apg — getting even one of them back could be big

5. ALL ENGINES RUNNING: PISTONS & ROCKETS STAR ON LEAGUE PASS

The four hottest win streaks in the league are all on the line tonight, and League Pass brings you three in Detroit (W3), Houston (W4), and OKC (W7).

While the champs have yet to falter, the progressing Pistons and Rockets have course-corrected early.

Houston hasn’t lost (4-0) since a head-to-head matchup between the two on Oct. 24th, while Detroit is 4-1 since that igniting win.

Rockets at Grizzlies (8 ET): Eyeing its fifth straight win, Houston is the second-biggest mover in this week’s NBA.com Power Rankings, jumping seven spots from 11th to 4th.

• To The Stars: Kevin Durant (24.3) is clicking with his new co-stars, Alperen Sengun (20.3) and Amen Thompson (18.5), combining for 63.1 ppg amid the win streak
• Rocket Range: Sengun (8.8 reb, 7.5 ast) leads the league with a +15.7 plus-minus, while Thompson (6.8 reb, 6.8 ast) is the Power Rankings Plus-Minus Player of the Week (+77)
• Fueling Wins: Houston ranks 1st in FG% (53.8) and 3P% (46.7) during its streak, while lifting its assist rate (29.3 apg) into the top five, and maintaining its defensive identity (109.9 DefRtg, 7th-best)

Jazz at Pistons (7 ET): Red-hot road warriors seek a fourth straight victory as Detroit returns home after a successful stop in Mexico City vs. Dallas and a home win vs. Memphis. Cade Cunningham’s elite playmaking has led the way.

• Clutch Cade: The fifth-year All-Star is coming off his best outing of the season, scoring 19 of 33 pts in the 4th quarter, including nine straight points in winning time to close out the Grizz
• Lifting Up: During Detroit’s streak, Cunningham has boosted his scoring average nearly 10 ppg – up to 28.0 – while also doubling his assists to 12.0 apg
• Detroit Rising: Since falling to the Cavs on Oct. 27, the Pistons have been a top-10 team, ranking 3rd in ppg (123.7), with the 3rd-best net rating (13.8) and 7th-best DefRtg (110.3)

Elsewhere on League Pass, a 2023 Finals rematch features premier bigs. Averaging a triple-double, Nikola Jokić (22.7 ppg, 13.2 reb, 11.3 ast) leads the Nuggets against Bam Adebayo – fresh off 25 pts and 10 reb – and the Heat (9 ET).

• 76ers at Cavaliers (7 ET)
• Nets at Pacers (7 ET)
• Wizards at Celtics (7:30 ET)
• Pelicans at Mavericks (8:30 ET)
• Warriors at Kings (10 ET)
• Thunder at Blazers (10 ET)