A friendly reminder that basketball is beautiful, and so are Fridays.

 5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Dec. 13, 2024

More C’s 3s: Pritchard catches fire off the bench as Boston earns a bounce-back win

Double Trouble: Sabonis & Bam lead their teams to dubs with monster double-doubles

Joker Genius: Reliving Jokić’s masterful start to 2024-25, from career-highs to historic stat lines

Worst To First: How Memphis went from 30th in scoring to first in one season

All Eyes On Vegas: The fundamentals of each Emirates NBA Cup semifinals matchup

BUT FIRST … ⏰

With the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals just one sleep away…

Tonight: Friday features an eight-game slate, headlined by a West showdown on NBA TV as Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets host James Harden and the Clippers (9 ET).

Tomorrow: The Emirates NBA Cup semifinals tip off in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena. To open, the Hawks take on the Bucks in the East (4:30 ET, TNT). Then, the Rockets face the Thunder in the West (8:30 ET, ABC).

Tuesday: The NBA Cup championship will also be held in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and you can witness it live. Don’t miss out — grab tickets here for both the semifinals and the championship!

The NBA Creator Cup tips off at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, Dec. 15 (7:30 ET, YouTube / NBA App). The always-electric 5×5 pickup game features your favorite hoop creators, including the Professor, Lethal Shooter, Jesser, Tristan Jass and more. Secure your tickets here.

1. PRITCHARD LEADS CELTICS’ 3-POINT BARRAGE

Last season, the Celtics went 14-4 following a loss en route to an NBA title.

This season, they’re 5-0 in such instances. 

Celtics 123, Pistons 99: Payton Pritchard splashed seven 3s on his way to a game-high 27 points and 10 dimes, as Boston jumped out to an 11-point lead in the 1st quarter and never looked back to improve to 20-5 on the season. | Recap

• Race To 20: The C’s are the second team in the NBA to reach 20 wins on the season, joining Cleveland, who hit the mark last Thursday
• Pritchard’s Record Night: Pritchard, who leads the NBA in total bench points (413), is the first Celtic to record 25+ points, 10+ assists, and 5+ 3s in a game off the bench
• Elite Company: Pritchard (2x) joins Antoine Walker (4x) and Jayson Tatum (2x) as the only Celtics in franchise history to notch 25+ points, 10+ assists, and 5+ 3s in multiple games
• White Joins In: Derrick White joined Pritchard with seven 3s on 12 attempts for 23 points
• Pistons Fuel: Rookie Ron Holland II tallied a career-high 26 points for Detroit, while Cade Cunningham finished with 18 points, eight boards and eight assists

Boston 3-Party: Leading the NBA in both 3-point attempts (51.3) and makes (19.0), Boston went 20-of-48 (41.7%) from deep, marking the 10th time they’ve hit 20+ triples in a game this season.

• Winning Formula: In those 10 games, the Celtics are 10-0, with an average of 126.5 ppg
• Downtown Cooking: The team with the next most games of 20+ 3s? The Bulls, with six
• Secret Ingredient? The Celtics have won eight straight games where Pritchard has scored 25+ points
• “He doesn’t really play to a scoreboard,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla on Pritchard. “He just plays to compete. It’s a beautiful gift that he has.”

2. MONSTER DOUBLE-DOUBLES KEEP KINGS & HEAT HOT

Kings 111, Pelicans 109: Domantas Sabonis went off for a season-high 32 points and 20 boards, while DeMar DeRozan poured in 29 to help the Kings stave off CJ McCollum and the Pelicans for their third straight dub. | Recap

• Domantas Dominates: It’s Sabonis’ second 30+ point, 20+ rebound game of his career, and it’s the first 30/20 game in the NBA this season
• Double-Double Leader: Sabonis’ 22nd double-double of the season broke a tie with Karl-Anthony Towns for the most in the league
• Sizzling CJ: McCollum scored 17 of his season-high 36 points in the 4th quarter, but Sacramento held New Orleans scoreless for the final 1:24 to secure the win

Heat 114, Raptors 104: Bam Adebayo also turned in a jumbo-sized double-double (21 pts, 16 reb), and Tyler Herro added 23 points as the Heat rallied past the Raptors for their fourth win in a row, despite RJ Barrett’s triple-double (13 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast). | Recap

• Herro 🤝 Heat Legends: Herro (556) joins LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Alonzo Mourning as the only Heat players to total 550+ points in the first 23 games of the season
• Spo Moves Up: Meanwhile, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra passed Nate McMillan (762) for 18th on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list

3. JOKER GENIUS: A THREAD OF JOKIĆ’S 2024-25 BRILLIANCE

For Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, there’s only one explanation behind Nikola Jokić’s wizardry with the basketball:

• “He’s a genius, man,” said Gordon. “He’s a basketball genius. That’s really what it comes down to. He’s playing it like it’s chess, seeing it three steps ahead.”

Fresh off his third Kia NBA MVP award, Jokić has turned the 2024-25 season into his personal masterclass, opening the year with a string of performances that are as dazzling as they are historic.

From unprecedented stat lines to career highs, the habitual history maker continues to make the extraordinary feel routine.

Before he takes the floor tonight against the Clippers (9 ET, NBA TV), let’s relive some of his greatest hits so far this season:

Oct. 24: Jokić opens his 2024-25 season with the NBA’s first triple-double (16 pts, 12 reb, 13 ast), offering a glimpse of the brilliance to come.

Oct. 26: Just one game later, Jokić explodes for 41 points on a career-high seven 3s, becoming the first center in Nuggets history to post 40+ points and 7+ triples in a game.

Nov. 6: In Denver’s eighth game, Jokić tallies his fourth triple-double with 23 points, 20 rebounds, 16 assists, plus two steals and two blocks.

• Unprecedented: He becomes the first player since steals and blocks began being tracked in 1973-74 to record — deep breath — 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, 15+ assists, 2+ steals and 2+ blocks in a single game

Nov. 10: Jokić adds another one-of-one triple-double, becoming the first player in NBA history to record at least 37 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists while leading Denver to its fifth straight victory.

Nov. 22: The Joker notches his fifth consecutive triple-double — and his third straight with 30+ points — while joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players ever to total 150+ points, 80+ rebounds and 60+ assists in a five-game span.

Dec. 7: Jokić posts yet another unprecedented stat line with a career-high 56 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and three 3s.

• More History: The performance makes him the first player to tally 55+ points, 15+ boards, 5+ dimes and 3+ triples in an NBA game

Dec. 8: Less than 24 hours later, Jokić delivers another masterpiece: 48 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, becoming the first player in over 50 years to record back-to-back games with 45+ points, 10+ boards and 5+ dimes.

• “What can Nikola Jokić not do?” asked Michael Malone postgame. “I can’t say I’m surprised … Every night — I never take it for granted.”

Tonight, Jokić suits up for the first time since his historic weekend as Denver hosts LA. Will he add another chapter to his legendary start?

4. GRIZZLIES’ SCORING SURGE: FROM WORST TO FIRST

Last season, the Grizzlies finished 13th in the West, averaging a league-low 105.8 points per game. 

This season? They lead the NBA in scoring (122.1 ppg) and boast a 17-8 record, tied for second in the West after winning nine of their last 10.

• Historic Turnaround: No NBA team has ever gone from the lowest-scoring offense to the highest-scoring offense from one season to the next
• Memphis’ +16.3 ppg increase would be the greatest one-year jump since 1954-55 — the first season with a shot clock
• Historic Pace: The Grizzlies have already scored 140+ points twice this season, tying their single-season franchise record. They’ve also never led the league in scoring over an entire season

The Key: Ranking third in rebounding (47.6) and second in pace (104.64), Memphis thrives in the open floor, leading the NBA with 36.8 transition ppg — 5+ more than the next closest team and 10+ beyond the third.

• Its Engine? Ja Morant. After missing 73 games last season, Morant has reignited Memphis’ early offense, averaging 7.4 transition ppg, second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo
• The Ja Effect: With Morant pushing the tempo, the Grizzlies are getting better looks, ranking third in wide-open FGA (26.0) and second in assists (30.3), fueled by Morant’s career-high 8.5 dimes per game
• Another Result? Balanced scoring. Seven Grizzlies have hit double figures in 12 games this season, while no other team has more than five such games

Controlling the Paint: In the half-court, Memphis gets inside with Morant’s athleticism and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s strength, leading to an NBA-best 58.9 points in the paint per game.

• Thunder & Lightning: Jackson Jr. (11.3) and Morant (11.1) are one of only three duos in the league each averaging over 11 points in the paint this season
• Pick Your Poison: Stop Morant’s acrobatics at the rim (see his jaw-dropping 360 layup above), and you still have to slow down his connection with Jackson Jr.

The Grizzlies have scored 115+ points in 10 straight games, tied for the third-longest streak in franchise history. 

But the Nets have limited them to just 105.0 ppg in their two meetings this year, leading to two Brooklyn wins.

Tonight, the two sides will square off for a third and final time this season (8 ET) as part of a seven-game slate on League Pass.

• Wizards at Cavaliers (7 ET)
• Pacers at 76ers (7 ET)
• Lakers at Wolves (8 ET)
• Hornets at Bulls (8 ET)
• Suns at Jazz (9:30 ET)
• Spurs at Blazers (10 ET)

5. ALL EYES ON VEGAS FOR SATURDAY’S EMIRATES NBA CUP SEMIFINALS

The Emirates NBA Cup semifinals are just one sleep away, and the buzz is building as the league turns to Las Vegas for two semifinals this Saturday, followed by the championship on Tuesday.

Before we dive into each semifinal further tomorrow, here’s a basic breakdown of everything you need to know:

East | (1) Bucks vs. (3) Hawks | 4:30 ET, TNT

Two of the hottest teams in hoops enter Saturday’s semifinals with a combined record of 15-5 over their last 20 games, thanks to a pair of star duos.

• Bucks’ Bounce-Back: After a 2-8 start to the season, the Bucks have won 11 of their last 14 games to climb from 12th in the East to 6th
• Giannis & Dame: Ranked second and third on the Emirates NBA Cup MVP Ladder, respectively, Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.3) and Damian Lillard (29) are combining for 60.3 ppg in Cup play — the most of any remaining duo
• Hawks Soaring: Atlanta has gone 7-1 in its last eight games to jump from the 11th seed to the 7th seed in just two weeks, led by Trae Young (21.0 ppg, NBA-best 12.2 apg) and Jalen Johnson (19.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg)
• Back Again: While it’s Atlanta’s first appearance in the NBA Cup semifinals, Milwaukee is back for the second straight year, looking to avenge its loss to Indiana in the 2023 semis

West | (1) Thunder vs. (2) Rockets | 8:30 ET, ABC

Out West, the top two defensive teams in the league square off, with OKC ranking first in defensive rating (103.4) and Houston ranks second (105.1).

• West Leaders: The Thunder (19-5) and Rockets (17-8) also hold the top two seeds in the West, with a combined record of 15-5 in their last 20 games – just like Milwaukee and Atlanta
• Thunderous Defense: OKC ranks first in opponents’ FG% (42.7) and steals (12.2), and is on pace to become the first team to notch more steals than turnovers in a season since steals were first tracked in 1973-74
• Rigid Rockets: Houston is directly behind OKC in opponents’ FG% (43.4), and its trio of Dillon Brooks, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson own the best defensive rating in the NBA among 3-man lineups (min. 100 minutes played together)

We’ll be back tomorrow with further breakdowns of both matchups. Stay tuned, and happy Friday!