Category: NBA

After the Lakers’ third straight loss Thursday, JJ Redick promised things would get “uncomfortable.” The second-year coach, frustrated after the team delivered a lump of coal in a Christmas Day blowout by the Houston Rockets, said he couldn’t stand to rewatch the same tired story. Leaning his elbow on the table at his postgame news conference, Redick called out players who don’t give enough effort on defense or play hard.

Two days later he stood in front of reporters with a different tone.

“Recalibration,” Redick said calmly of the message he delivered during Saturday’s team meeting. “Reconnection.”

Redick has cooled, but the Lakers still are under fire. Not only are they trying to snap a season-high three-game losing streak at home Sunday against the Sacramento Kings (6:30 p.m.), but also the Lakers (19-10) still are looking for their first home win in December and must navigate this defining moment without guard Austin Reaves.

Reaves was diagnosed with a grade 2 strain in his left calf Friday and will be reevaluated in four weeks. The latest setback comes less than two weeks after he was sidelined because of a “mild” strain in the same calf that kept him out for three games.

Reaves is averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2) and his ascent from undrafted rookie to potential first-time All-Star was one of the team’s feel-good stories of the season. Reaves scored a career-high 51 points against Sacramento in October, rescuing the Lakers in a game without LeBron James or Luka Doncic and showing Reaves’ potential in a starring role.

Read more:Lakers guard Austin Reaves out for at least a month because of calf injury

Now without their second-leading scorer, the Lakers are looking for their supporting cast to step up.

“We just need our guys to be stars in their roles,” Redick said. “Certainly from a top-end talent standpoint, it diminishes that. But it doesn't change the non-negotiables or how we're trying to play.”

After losing the last three games by an average of 20.7 points per game, the Lakers needed to get reacquainted with their non-negotiables during Saturday’s meeting. The session was uncomfortable in the way confronting truth can be uncomfortable, Redick said. It wasn’t just coaches lecturing, but also players speaking up.

The top priority was creating more clarity, Redick said. The team needed to get back to building its defensive fundamentals after so many lineup changes because of injuries. The Lakers have used 16 different starting lineups in 29 games and have to readjust their rotation again in Reaves’ absence.

“Togetherness is going to have to be emphasized to where it looks like an exaggeration,” center Deandre Ayton said, “where it becomes a habit. And that's what winners do. And it's pretty easy for this team. It's just that there's always a different group out there and we're going to get it for sure.”

Forward Rui Hachimura said coaches reminded players of the team’s three pillars that again were displayed on a screen in the practice gym Saturday — championship habits, championship communication, championship shape.

Read more:'We don’t have it right now.' Takeaways from the Lakers' third straight loss

“We just talk about everybody, players, coaches, we just gotta kind of tighten up,” Hachimura said. “We had a good stretch in the beginning and now we kind of, I don't know, we relaxed or we kind of got tired of winning, you know, but we just stopped doing what we're supposed to do.”

The Lakers are 29th in the NBA in defensive rating in the last 15 games, giving up 122.2 points per 100 possessions. It’s a significant drop from their rating of 113.7 in the first 14 games in which they went 10-4.

Since James returned from, the Lakers’ preferred starting lineup — Doncic, Reaves, James, Ayton and Hachimura — has a net rating of minus-19.9 in seven games.

Offensively the Lakers have lacked organization since James came back, Redick acknowledged. James declined to speak to reporters after practice.

“Too many random possessions,” Redick said. “That's on me.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Russell Westbrook not considering retirement after new milestones in Kings' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – It seems almost every time an NBA discussion involves Stephen Curry or LeBron James, inevitably their age gets brought up. Seems reasonable enough considering what the two superstars are doing at this stage of their respective careers.

At 37 years old and in his first season with the Kings, Russell Westbrook also is showing he still can get it done at a high level, though his age is rarely brought up.

Retirement is not something the nine-time NBA All-Star is even remotely considering.

“I just take it day by day,” Westbrook said after Sacramento’s 113-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday at Golden 1 Center. “I make sure I take care of my body and make sure I’m able to play at a high level. And then I’ll keep going until I feel like I had enough.”

Clearly Westbrook hasn’t had enough.

Now in his 18^th NBA season, Westbrook is doing the same things he’s always done. The Kings are his seventh team in eight seasons, and he’s playing at times like he’s still in his 20s.

Against the Mavericks, Westbrook slipped past the great Magic Johnson into seventh place on the NBA career assist list and inched closer to moving past Dominique Wilkins on the all-time scoring list.

Russell Westbrook moves into No. 7 on the NBA's all-time assists leaderboard 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tql32a6cUz

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

Whenever he does decide to call it quits, Westbrook is guaranteed an invitation into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. That’s unquestioned.

Until then, though, the mercurial point guard wants to keep cooking like he always has.

Westbrook grew up watching Johnson work his own magic on the court, so to pass the Hall of Famer in any statistical category was kind of mind-boggling.

“Before I speak and say anything, I’m truly blessed and thankful to the man above for just allowing me and gifting me with the time to go out and play basketball,” Westbrook said. “As for passing Magic … it’s an honor. Magic is one of the greats. I’m grateful to be able to pass him just because he’s such a legend in so many different ways.”

Ironically, Westbrook as become a legend in a sport that wasn’t even his first love.

“I grew up wanting to play football,” Westbrook said. “I grew up playing football, taking a bus, going to the park, playing just being a normal kid in the city. And things happened so fast to me. I always knew if given the opportunity to be able to be somebody, I would take full advantage of it. That’s why every time I step on the floor, I don’t take anything for granted. I don’t take plays or anything for granted.

“This was given to me, not just for basketball, but to use as a platform to be able to help and inspire other people. So I hope the way I play the game, I hope the way people see it be competing. Yes, the records are all great, but I hope it inspires other people, people across the world, to do great things in their lives as well.”

Westbrook clearly is comfortable in the state capital. He averaged 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists with four triple-doubles in Sacramento’s first 30 games.

Against the Mavericks, he was in vintage form with 21 points, five rebounds and nine assists. Westbrook also recorded the 2,000th steal of his career, one of 14 players in NBA history to reach that plateau.

More history today for Russell Westbrook 🐐 pic.twitter.com/vD25H5xdlH

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 28, 2025

Kings coach Doug Christie didn’t sound very surprised considering the work ethic that Westbrook has shown during his time in Sacramento.

“He gets in, he gets his work when you see him at practice, but he also comes back at nighttime,” Christie said. “That’s how you get to be that great. He truly believes in himself. He works his butt off, on his game and on his body. He watches film like he does.

“He’s a pro. He wants to win more than anything, and that’s where you see that nastiness at and I’m all for it. His ability to go out on a night-to-night basis and compete the way that he does just says so much about him as a professional. And I think that his teammates also really, really respect that.”

Westbrook owns the record for most triple-doubles – currently with 207, with the great Oscar Robertson next with 181 – and is getting closer to moving ahead of the Big O as the NBA’s top-scoring point guard. Robertson has the top spot with 26,710 while Westbrook is closing in quickly with 26,659.

There’s a good chance that record will be broken this season. If not, Christie is all in favor for bringing Westbrook back for another run for the 2026-27 NBA season.

“I’m a big fan,” Christie said. “I hope that he’s here because I think everything that he stands for, how he goes about his business, for our young players, as we build this thing out, is super, super important. The competitiveness, the anger after a loss … the things that they see with him are really good, so it’s an honor and a blessing to have him.”

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What we learned as Russell Westbrook, Keon Ellis power Kings' win vs. Mavericks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SACRAMENTO – The Kings have been playing a lot like the weather lately. Gloomy, depressing and not much reason to go outside.

The sun broke through the clouds Saturday, and ironically or not, the Kings followed suit and lit up the Mavericks, dropping a 113-107 hammer on Dallas at Golden 1 Center.

Russell Westbrook led the way with another monster game (21 points, five rebounds, nine assists). Keon Ellis, back in the starting rotation for the first time in two months, added 21 points with five 3-pointers. Maxime Raynaud had 19 points and six rebounds.

Brodie and Keon go back-to-back from deep 💦 pic.twitter.com/8i222zVQrN

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

The Kings only trailed once in the first half and went on a 20-10 run in the third quarter after the Mavericks pulled within 68-60. Ellis made a pair of threes and scored eight points as part of the run.

The win was Sacramento’s fourth straight over Dallas and upped Doug Christie’s record to 35-48 since taking over as coach when Mike Brown was fired last season.

Coincidentally, Christie’s first win for the Kings came against the Mavericks nearly a year ago to the day, with De’Aaron Fox leading the way with 33 points.

Fox is gone, but the Kings’ backcourt once again proved too much for the Mavs to handle.

Here are the takeaways from Saturday:

Russ Chasing Milestones

Westbrook already was one of the greatest point guards in NBA history before signing with the Kings, and the 37-year-old added another layer to his Hall of Fame resume in front of the G1C crowd Saturday.

Westbrook surpassed legendary Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson (10,141) for seventh place on the NBA’s all-time assist list. Westbrook now has 10,149 career assists.

Russell Westbrook moves into No. 7 on the NBA's all-time assists leaderboard 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tql32a6cUz

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

Westbrook also inched closer to another historical milestone and is now nine points shy of tying Dominique Wilkins (26,668) for 16^th all-time.

Westbrook hits his fourth triple of the afternoon 🤩 pic.twitter.com/hbmRUa4L4D

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

Keon Gets The Start

Keon Ellis might be the second-most popular player among Kings fans, and he got a chance to show out in front of the home crowd while making his second start of the 2025-26 NBA season and first since Oct. 26.

Keon connects for an early trey 👌 pic.twitter.com/57YHUfHdH9

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

What a start for Keon Ellis 🔥 pic.twitter.com/y8cu65Ygcp

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

Ellis had a nice game (21 points on 8-of-15 shooting with three steals and two blocks), but his most impressive play might have been a running block he had against Max Christie. Christie appeared to have an open look before Ellis raced over to knock the shot away.

Ellis has had an up-and-down campaign, partially due to the way he has been used this season. It will be interesting to see what the Kings plans are for him for next season.

Raynaud, Interior D Step Up

Ever since losing Domantas Sabonis to a knee injury, the Kings have been very vulnerable when defending the paint. That changed a little bit against the Mavericks, with Raynaud providing a nice spark in the key.

Raynaud finishes the fast break in style 💥 pic.twitter.com/UOJsMrhieR

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

Dougie McDimes to the rookie 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/7JSRlFzI4G

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 27, 2025

Making his ninth straight start, the rookie played steady all afternoon in 27 minutes. It helped that Dallas was without Anthony Davis, but Raynaud has been making steady progress all season no matter who he has faced, although he did miss an easy bunny in the third quarter.

Given where the team is in the standings and where Sabonis is in his recovery, it would make sense for Sacramento to shut the big man down for the remainder of the schedule and give him a full offseason to heal. At the same time, that would open the door for Raynaud to get increased minutes on the court to continue his path on the learning curve.

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I’ve seen enough: Give the San Antonio Spurs the keys to Santa Claus’ workshop. Put Stephon Castle in charge of toy assembly. Let De’Aaron Fox toss presents into chimneys, from whatever range he’d like. Devin Vassell can customize the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the army of elves covered. And, of course, Santa Claus’s sleigh must immediately be resized for a taller, thinner pilot so that the towering Victor Wembanyama can drive it comfortably. The sensational Spurs have felled the Oklahoma City Thunder three times in two weeks, and in doing so revitalized this NBA season. I now have more faith in the Spurs’ ability to grant joy to the masses than any holiday legends of old.

It looked dire for a while there. The Thunder might have won the Larry O’Brien trophy in June, but began this season in even more ominous form. They reeled off 24 wins in their first 25 games (the lone loss was a fluky 20-point comeback). In most of them, Jalen Williams, their second-best player, was on the sidelines recovering from wrist surgery. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their best, seldom had to play in fourth quarters. The Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings by 31. The Los Angeles Lakers, who some expected to be a plausible rival, lost by 29; their basketball savant Luka Doncic looked like he was playing against ten men. The Phoenix Suns’ valiant first earned them a close loss, by just four points. When they met again 12 days later, the Thunder won by 49. This game knocked all the remaining leaves off the trees and started winter 10 days ahead of schedule. Oklahoma City looked capable of shredding anything in its path, even the 2016 Golden State Warriors’ legendary regular season record of 73-9.

The Thunder do not play a particularly appealing style of basketball. They skillfully exploit the referees’ dilemma over which fouls to call (a consistent whistle interrupts the flow of the game, an absent one lets players get away with blatant violations), often resulting in Gilgeous-Alexander shooting free throws after whistles that would be better swallowed, while personified mosquito swarm Alex Caruso seems to have free rein to do whatever he likes on defense. Some profess to enjoy, or admire, Gilgeous-Alexander contorting his body to draw slight bumps from defenders; I can only assume those same people also like being kicked hard between the legs. That’s not to mention man-mountain Luguentz Dort flying off his feet and into opponents after plenty of suspiciously light touches. This chicanery enables haters to harbor the fantasy that in a world with ideal officiating, the Thunder would be a mediocre team. True basketball heads know it’s far more exasperating than integral to the Thunder’s success, but the general irritation is sufficient to nudge some fans who might otherwise be neutral into rooting for Oklahoma City’s downfall.

Dominance can be coldly thrilling to watch, but a historically great performance tends to evoke less awe the more times it repeats. How many times does anybody really want to watch one team beat another by 35? Eventually you remember that the drama is the point. The Thunder were draining the season of suspense, running up leads on other teams in the table as well as on the floor.

Through 21 minutes of the first Spurs-Thunder game this season, San Antonio trailed by 16 and looked likely to go the same way as every other team. Instead, they have wrought hell upon the Thunder ever since.

Against the Spurs, the Thunder look mortal. Each member of their core deserves immense credit for that, but this is Victor Wembanyama’s team, and the Thunder know it. “There’s this guy on their team that’s seven-foot-five and takes up a lot of space on the court,” Jalen Williams said, with some exasperation, when asked what made the Spurs such a tough out. The Thunder’s professional beanpole, 7ft 1in Chet Holmgren, is the tallest player on the floor in most games, free to grab rebounds and swat down opposing shots. Next to Wemby, he’s short, crude, and even timid. Wembanyama’s contempt for Holmgren is evident in how he celebrates each time Chet misses a free throw, as though he’s won the lottery; the way he fouls him with a bit of extra venom; the way he told reporters he doesn’t consider Holmgren a rival. (There is indeed no debate over which player is better.) At this rate Holmgren must expect Wemby to burst out of the cupboard, talking smack, when he reaches up for a snack.

Wembanyama and the Spurs made their most definitive statement yet on Christmas, thumping the Thunder by 15 on their home floor. San Antonio took the inevitable early punch well yet again, recovering to pile 41 points on the league’s best defense in the first quarter. Fox effortlessly found the miniscule holes in that defense to the tune of 29 points. The Spurs even held Gilgeous-Alexander to a season-low 22. He tried to make up for it by zipping passes to open teammates behind the arc, but they let him down by bricking almost every single attempt.

A Thunder optimist would say that enough of those threes will go in next time to produce a win or a tighter loss, but I found the misses symptomatic of a flaw. Off the strength of his silky-smooth stepback jumper, Gilgeous-Alexander is the steadiest scoring engine in the league. He is difficult to guard and impossible to stop. (LeBron James recently offered some advice on how to slow him down: “you gotta keep him off the free throw line. Which is hard.”) But even he can’t carry an offense entirely on his own. The Spurs put Gilgeous-Alexander under enough pressure that he had to delegate more than usual, and his supporting parts broke down under the heavier burden. Caruso and Dort are good for the occasional three-pointer, but relying on them to hit the long shot is the last place the Thunder want to be.

The Spurs’ surge couldn’t have come at a better time. Not only have they emphatically established themselves as title contenders – some say they’re too young, and inexperience has indeed undone plenty of fabulous teams in the playoffs, but the 23-7 Spurs aren’t contenders, hardly anyone is – but they’ve allowed fans to see the Thunder in higher definition other teams couldn’t come close to revealing. Oklahoma City, potentially the best team in history two weeks ago, is merely exceptional. If you take Gilgeous-Alexander’s word for it, the Spurs are better right now. 74-8 is off the table. With the Spurs just two and a half games behind, OKC has its hands full just holding onto its lead in the Western Conference. Even if only against one team, the Thunder have assumed the unfamiliar role of chaser, trying to solve a squad who torments them the way they torment so many others. In their newfound vulnerability, the Thunder are a little easier to enjoy and a little harder to hate. And any future wins against the Spurs will be a lot more meaningful.

They’ll get a few, maybe (or probably, but it’s thanks to the Spurs that choosing a word is difficult) as soon as this season. The Thunder are too good to stay down for long. When they rise the Spurs will eventually have to make their own adjustments. How’s this for terrifying: Wemby’s probably still a few years out from his peak. Christmases and NBA seasons can blend together, with only the most meaningful sticking out in the memory years later. Whatever happens next, the Spurs have given me enough reason to look back on these ones and smile.

Keegan Murray diagnosed with mild calf strain, to miss more time for Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After missing the first 15 games of the season with a UCL injury, Keegan Murray again will be sidelined for the Kings.

The young forward underwent MRI imaging on his right calf after exiting Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons early, and imaging revealed Murray has a mild calf strain.

He will be listed as out and re-evaluated in one week.

The one-week timeframe will put Murray out for at least the Kings’ games against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday and likely the Boston Celtics next Thursday.

Murray, while maintaining his defensive dominance, has struggled to find a consistent rhythm offensively since returning from his thumb injury.

In 15 games this season, he’s averaging 14.9 points on 43.8-percent shooting from the field and 26.3 percent from 3-point range, with 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 37.1 minutes.

The Kings (7-23) now must rely on the next man to step up in Murray’s absence.

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Lakers guard Austin Reaves will miss at least a month with a grade 2 strain in his left calf, the team announced Friday, one day after he left the game against the Houston Rockets at halftime.

Reaves, averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2), had already missed three games with what the team called a “mild” calf strain. He returned off the bench while playing on a minutes restriction against Phoenix on Dec. 23 and reprised his starting role on Christmas Day in a loss to the Rockets. But after scoring 12 points in 15 minutes in the first half, he was ruled out for the second half with “left calf soreness.”

Calf injuries have been major concerns across the NBA since three stars — Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum — suffered Achilles tears during last year’s playoffs. Haliburton and Lillard have previously dealt with calf injuries.

Lakers star guard Luka Doncic suffered a calf injury on Christmas Day last year while with the Dallas Mavericks and missed two months, during which he was traded to the Lakers.

“I know how it is to go to a calf injury. It's not fun at all,” Doncic said Thursday after the game. “[I’ll] just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous so take your time.”

The Lakers (19-10) are losing their second-leading scorer at a critical time of the season. They have lost three consecutive games, their only losing streak of the season, and their defense in the last 15 games has been among the worst in the league.

Read more:'We don’t have it right now.' Takeaways from the Lakers' third straight loss

After the third consecutive blowout loss, coach JJ Redick questioned how much his players cared. He promised an “uncomfortable” film session and team meeting at practice on Saturday before the Lakers face Sacramento at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.

After a difficult stretch of the schedule that included eight out of 10 games against teams with winning records, the Lakers have four of their next five against teams in the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Outside of a home game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, the Lakers play the Sacramento Kings, the Memphis Grizzlies (on Jan. 2 and 4) and at New Orleans on Jan. 6.

Reaves’ absence could extend until the beginning of the Lakers’ Grammy road trip that begins on Jan. 20 against Denver.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Observations after Sixers falter down stretch, open road trip with loss to Bulls originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers were thoroughly outplayed in crunch time Friday night in Chicago.

They kicked off a five-game road trip by faltering late in the fourth quarter and dropping a 109-102 contest to the Bulls.

Chicago extended its winning streak to five games and moved to 15-15 overall. The Sixers dipped to 16-13. They’ll face the Thunder on Sunday afternoon.

Joel Embiid scored 31 points and Tyrese Maxey added 27. 

The Bulls had six double-figure scorers. Zach Collins and Tre Jones posted 15 points each. 

Here are observations on the Sixers’ loss to the Bulls:

Three key pieces back in action 

VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow and Quentin Grimes were back in the fold after all three players missed the Sixers’ loss Tuesday to Nets because of an illness. 

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse had highlighted that his team felt the absence of that trio’s considerable collective athleticism. Their boost was noticeable right away in Chicago. 

Edgecombe opened the game guarding Josh Giddey and Barlow defended Matas Buzelis. Both Edgecombe and Barlow featured in the Sixers’ strong start. Barlow had an early put-back layup and Edgecombe turned a steal into an easy slam. Two free throws apiece by Edgecombe and Barlow gave the Sixers a 13-2 lead.

Grimes scored a slick bucket on the Sixers’ last possession of the first quarter, gliding along the baseline and converting a graceful reverse layup. 

Boards help Sixers offset more shooting troubles

Maxey sunk a long-range jumper for the night’s first points. He was coming off of his worst shooting game of the season, a 3-for-14 outing vs. Brooklyn.

Seeing one drop didn’t spell an immediate return to form; Maxey missed his next six field goals. As a team, the Sixers started 1 for 13 beyond the arc. 

Their early superiority on the glass mitigated those shooting struggles. The Sixers grabbed the game’s first six offensive rebounds and scored the first nine second-chance points. Paul George reached a new season high in rebounds by the end of the first half. He finished with 12 rebounds — his most in a game since 2021
— and also tallied 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting and five assists. 

The Sixers have improved substantially on the offensive boards so far this season. According to Cleaning the Glass, they entered Friday night ranked eighth in the NBA in offensive rebounding rate. 

Bulls dominate off the bench, down the stretch

With Maxey, George and Embiid all sitting, the Sixers’ defense was very leaky in the first few minutes of the second quarter. Chicago routinely had the Sixers on their heels and created high-quality looks in the half court with little resistance. Ayo Dosunmu’s wide-open corner three put the Bulls up 41-30. 

The Sixers’ stars prevented that deficit from growing.

Embiid had another efficient, aggressive first quarter offensively and also churned out plenty of points in the second and third. Maxey eventually rediscovered his jumper to some extent, knocking down five threes. He wound up 9 for 24 from the field.

Chicago leaned heavily on its bench and got a ton of production. The Bulls’ second unit racked up 59 points. On the other side, Nurse tried a variety of bench options and ultimately used 11 players. No Sixers bench player did much in the scoring department. Overall, the team’s second unit had just 12 points on 5-for-19 shooting.

The Sixers and Bulls traded runs throughout the night. Thanks to threes from George and Maxey late in the third quarter, the Sixers held an 85-81 edge going into the fourth.

Like so many Sixers games this year, the contest came down to the final minutes. The Sixers went up 102-99 with 2:45 to play when Embiid scored on Nikola Vucevic in the post.

The Bulls then closed the evening with a 10-0 spurt, making all the clutch plays and out-hustling the Sixers on several occasions.

Jalen Smith jammed in a huge dunk over Embiid and Coby White nailed a step-back three on the Sixers’ superstar big man. Jones scored inside after the 6-foot-1 guard somehow snagged two offensive boards on one possession.

Offensively, the Sixers appeared rushed and panicky at times as Chicago seized control of the game. No one had any answers to stop the bleeding.

December has been far more kind to the Nets than November, and their month on the relative upswing will soon include the return of a key contributor.

Cam Thomas, who missed nearly eight weeks nursing a hamstring strain, is slated to take the court again on Saturday against the Timberwolves, head coach Jordi Fernandezrevealed on Friday.

The 24-year-old guard last played on Nov. 5 against the Pacers, and the hamstring injury cost him 20 games. Before the injury, Thomas averaged 21.4 points on 40 percent shooting across eight contests.

While the Nets have yet to see Thomas score in a win this season -- they were 0-7 at the time of his injury -- he's rejoining a group that's discovered some ways to build momentum.

In their 20 games without Thomas, the Nets went 8-12, rattling off back-to-back victories on two separate occasions. They've heavily relied on offense from veteran Michael Porter Jr., averaging a career-high 25.7 points with 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists (24 games).

This wasn't Thomas' first time recovering from a prolonged hamstring injury -- he dealt with similar troubles last season, missing a whopping 57 games.

Thomas is slated for unrestricted free agency next summer, after signing a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to the Nets this past offseason.