Today: Records falling. Red-hot teams getting hotter. And one more sleep until the Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals tip off. 

Need to catch up? Scroll to sections 4 & 5 to get up to speed on the NBA Cup and some of the biggest storylines around the league right now.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Dec. 9, 2024

Unmistakable Greatness: Jokić joins Elgin & Wilt, CP3 passes Kidd on the all-time assists list

Here To Stay: Magic, Grizzlies & Bucks keep climbing, Heat & Rockets make statements

Sunday Roundup: Warriors & Lakers bounce back, Embiid returns & more

What’s Trending — NBA Cup Quarters: 8 teams, 8 stories & everything you need to know

What’s Trending — Leaguewide: Opposites atop the standings, hot streaks & the MVP race

BUT FIRST … ⏰

One more night before the bracket begins…

Monday Spotlight: After seeing their four-game win streak snapped on Saturday, the Knicks will look to rebound tonight against the Raptors in a standalone showdown (7:30 ET, NBA TV).

Win Or Go Home: On Tuesday, the Emirates NBA Cup single-elimination Quarterfinals tip off, as the Bucks host the Magic (7 ET, TNT), before the Mavs face the Thunder in OKC (9:30 ET, TNT).

The Cup Quarterfinals continue Wednesday as the Knicks square off against the Hawks (7 ET, ESPN), followed by the Rockets hosting the Warriors (9:30 ET, TNT).

The Emirates NBA Cup champion will be crowned in Las Vegas, following the Semifinals and Championship on Dec. 14 and 17, respectively. And you can be there to witness it live. Don’t miss your shot — tap here to secure your tickets now!

1. SUNDAY HISTORY: JOKIĆ’S ALL-TIME WEEKEND & CP3’S MILESTONE MOMENT

On Saturday, Nikola Jokić dropped a career-high 56 points while becoming the first-ever player to total 55+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 3+ triples in a game. But the Nuggets weren’t able to outlast the Wizards.

Less than 24 hours later, he added to his historic weekend — completing a two-game stretch that hasn’t been seen in over 60 years — while leading Denver to a win.

Nuggets 141, Hawks 111: In another masterpiece, Jokić went off for 48 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Nuggets to a wire-to-wire win over Trae Young (15 pts, 10 ast) and the Hawks, snapping their six-game win streak. | Recap

• Simply, Special: Jokić joined Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record 45+ pts, 10+ reb, and 5+ ast in back-to-back games — a feat unseen since 1963
• Can’t Miss: Jokić went 17-of-29 from the floor (58.6%), including this 1st-half buzzer-beater from half-court, and only played four minutes in the 4th quarter
• Record Weekend: The Joker’s 104 points over Saturday and Sunday are the most in a two-game span in Nuggets franchise history
• “You really marvel at just how efficient he is,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “He isn’t just out hunting and taking bad shots. He’s doing it all for his team.”

Another transcendent playmaker made history on Sunday, as Chris Paul further cemented himself as one of the greatest floor generals ever to lace ‘em up.

Spurs 121, Pelicans 116: With his third assist of the night, Paul passed Jason Kidd (12,091) for No. 2 on the all-time assists list and added seven more dimes to help San Antonio edge out New Orleans — the franchise where his 20-year career began. | Recap

• The Moment: On a feed from one generational talent to another, Paul found Victor Wembanyama for 3 to notch his milestone assist
• 600 Club: It was also Paul’s 600th career game with 10+ dimes, a mark only John Stockton — the NBA’s all-time assists leader (15,806) — has eclipsed
• “I’m so grateful,” an emotional Paul told his team in the locker room postgame. “To be away from my family — y’all became my family…
• “I know I’m a lot to deal with on the court. But I just love to hoop. I hope y’all get this opportunity to play as long as I have.”
• Wemby, who had missed the last two games (back), returned and posted a team-high 25 points, 10 boards and three blocks

2. ON THE RISE: MAGIC, GRIZZ, BUCKS & HEAT STAY HOT, ROCKETS REBOUND

Magic 115, Suns 110: Despite being without Franz Wagner (oblique), the Magic notched their 14th win in 17 games behind Jalen Suggs’ 26 points. Devin Booker tallied 25 points in the loss. | Recap 

• “Same team that came into the year,” said Suggs on the Magic’s mentality no matter who’s on the court. “You don’t have to change anything on what or how we’re approaching the game.”

Grizzlies 140, Wizards 112: Twenty days ago, the Grizzlies were in 10th place in the West. Now, they’re in second. Jaren Jackson Jr. (21 pts) led seven Memphis players in double figures, and the Grizz pulled away from the Wizards to earn their ninth win in 10 games. | Recap 

Bucks 118, Nets 113: Giannis Antetokounmpo (34 pts, 11 reb) notched his league-best 13th 30/10 game of the year, and the Bucks closed on a 17-7 run to rally past the Nets, improving to 8-2 in their last 10 games. | Recap 

Heat 122, Cavaliers 113: Tyler Herro dropped 34 points on five 3s, and the Heat picked up their third straight win by handing the NBA-best Cavs just their fourth loss this season, ending their four-game win streak. | Recap 

Rockets 117, Clippers 106: After dropping back-to-back games for the first time this season, the Rockets got back on track thanks to Jalen Green’s 31 points, including one vicious jam. At 16-8, the win bumped Houston up to third in the West. | Recap

3. SUNDAY ROUNDUP: DUBS & LAKERS BOUNCE BACK, EMBIID RETURNS & MORE

Warriors 114, Wolves 106: Steph Curry (30), Buddy Hield (27) and Jonathan Kuminga (20) combined for 77 points and 13 3s as the Warriors beat Anthony Edwards (27 pts) and the Wolves to avenge Friday’s loss while ending Minnesota’s four-game heater. | Recap

Lakers 107, Blazers 98: Anthony Davis turned in 30 points, 11 boards and five blocks, and the Lakers used a 37-17 2nd quarter to race past the Blazers, halting their three-game slide. | Recap 

Kings 141, Jazz 97: Kevin Huerter came off the bench for a game-high 26 points, and the Kings outscored the Jazz 79-52 in the 2nd half to roll to a big win. | Recap 

• “Possession After Possession”: Kings coach Mike Brown seemed to get his point across to the Kings after back-to-back 140+ performances 😂

76ers 108, Bulls 100: In his first game back since Nov. 20, Joel Embiid dropped 31 points, while Tyrese Maxey (25 pts, 11 reb, 14 ast) posted a triple-double to earn the Sixers’ fourth win in five games. | Recap

Hornets 113, Pacers 109: Brandon Miller capped a 26-point performance with a pair of game-sealing free throws to beat the Pacers and end Charlotte’s eight-game skid. | Recap 

4. WHAT’S TRENDING: NBA CUP QUARTERS TIP TOMORROW

The Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals get underway Tuesday and continue Wednesday, with four tickets to the Semifinals in Las Vegas on Dec. 14 up for grabs.

With eight teams left standing in the chase for the Cup, let’s catch up on how they got to the Knockout Rounds – and the storylines entering this week’s win-or-go-home matchups.

East | (WC) Magic at (1) Bucks | Tuesday (7 ET, TNT)

East No. 1 seed Milwaukee & MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo earned the right to host the wild card. Their reward? The Magic’s smothering defense.

• Watch The Paint: Giannis averages a league-high 21.4 PITP per game, while the Magic are third in defending the paint, allowing just two players to score 20+ PITP on them in a game this season
• Bucks Hitting Their Stride: After a 2-8 start, the Bucks have won 10 of their last 13 games to climb from the 12th seed in the East to the 5th
• Magic in Orlando: The league’s best defensive team (103.3 opp ppg) has yet to lose at home this season. With a 10-0 record, the Magic have the best home NetRtg (15.1) in the NBA

East | (3) Hawks at (2) Knicks | Wednesday (7 ET, ESPN)

Trae Young at the Garden. Need we say more? Young averages 25.6 ppg and 9.6 apg against the Knicks, including two 40-pt games at MSG.

• Hawks Soaring: Winning 6 of the last 7 games, Young has put up 2 of his 3 career 20+ point, 20+ assist games during that span. Its bench has added to its success, outscoring its opponents by 29 points in the last 7 games
• Big Apple Buckets: 9-3 in its last 12, New York is on pace to set franchise records in PPG (118.0), APG (27.9), FG% (50.0), 3P% (39.8), OffRtg (121.1) and NetRtg (7.0)
• The Knicks’ starting 5 of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges – college teammates at Villanova – plus OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns is scoring an NBA-best 97.5 ppg

West | (WC) Mavericks at (1) Thunder | Tuesday (9:30 ET, TNT)

A rematch of last season’s West Semis that saw Luka Dončić and the 4th-seeded Mavs oust Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the top-seeded Thunder in six games en route to the NBA Finals.

• Team vs. Team: OKC’s defense is on a historic trajectory (more on that below), but will they stymie a Dallas squad averaging a league-best 124.0 ppg in its last 12 outings?
• Star vs. Star: SGA (29.8 pts, 50.8 FG%, 32.6 3P%) and Luka (28.7 pts, 45.0 FG%, 34.8 3P%) are two of four players this season to average 28+ points on 45% shooting and 30% from 3

West | (3) Warriors at (2) Rockets | Wednesday (9:30 ET, TNT)

On Thursday, the Warriors edged out the Rockets for their 15th straight victory over Houston, marking the longest active winning streak one team has over another.

• Houston’s Energy: The Rockets have four players logging 20+ min/g at 22 or younger in Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Green
• Complimentary Ball: While Green leads the team in scoring, Sengun, Thompson and Smith have a 99.0 DefRtg — the second-best among trios who’ve played 24+ games and 175+ minutes together
• With hardware on the line, will the youthful Rockets make a statement by earning their first win over Golden State since 2021, or will Steph Curry (29.4 pts in 14 career win-or-go-home games) and the proven Warriors make it 16 straight?

5. WHAT’S TRENDING: AROUND THE LEAGUE

While the spotlight shines on the Emirates NBA Cup this week, the entire NBA landscape is buzzing with the storylines.

Catch up on a few more of the top headlines around The Association entering this week:

Best, But Different: The Cavs (21-4) and Thunder (18-5) currently sit atop the East and West standings, respectively – and they’re doing it with opposite winning formulas.

• Can’t-Miss Cavs: Tied for its best 25-game start in franchise history, Cleveland leads the league in FG% (50.7) and 3P% (40.4), while ranking second in PPG (121.4)
• Storming OKC Defense: OKC ranks first in defensive rating (103.3), opponents FG% (42.5) and steals (12.1), 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

Wild West Race: Chasing OKC are Memphis, Houston and Dallas, separated by just 2.5 games. The Grizzlies and Mavs have surged up the standings with a combined record of 20-2 record in their past 22 games. Behind them are eight teams separated by just three games.

• Roaring Grizz: Memphis has gone 9-1 in its last 10, and ranks first in scoring (122.1 ppg) and PITP (58.9) this season while ranking second in assists (30.3)
• Dallas Streak: The Mavs started the year 5-7. Since then, they’ve won 11 of their last 12 and currently own the longest active win streak in the NBA with seven straight Ws

Multi-Time MVPs Atop MVP Ladder: The last two players to win back-to-back Kia MVPs, Nikola Jokić (32.3 pts, 13.6 reb, 10.2 ast) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.5 pts, 11.6 reb, 6.2 ast), currently lead the Kia MVP Ladder and are coming off monster weeks.

• Jokić is amid a historic stretch, averaging 39.4 pts, 14.8 reb and 8.8 ast in his last five games while passing Magic Johnson for No. 3 on the all-time triple-double list
• The only other players to average 39/14/8 in a five-game span? Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor
• Giannis has averaged 33.0 pts, 10.4 reb and 5.8 ast on 62.5 FG% in his last five games, including three straight 30+ point games
• The league’s leading scorer now has 14 30+ point games this season, the most in the NBA, as he seeks his first scoring title

C’s Stay Hot From 3: The third player on the MVP Ladder? Jayson Tatum, who’s helped lead the Celtics to the second-best record in the NBA (19-5). The defending champs have stayed true to their winning formula this season, leading the NBA in 3PA (51.4) and 3PM (19.0) after doing so last year.

The King Flexes On Father Time: Just two weeks shy of turning 40, LeBron James became the first-ever player to record at least 39 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk, and 6 3s in a game on Friday. James is averaging 23.0 pts, 8.0 rebs, and 9.1 asts this season, marking the second-highest APG of his career.