Category: NBA

Happy Holidays! We’ve got another unusual week in the association, with zero-game slates and Christmas Day games on deck.

Let’s get into what we might expect moving forward.

→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock! The Nuggets take on the Mavericks at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Rockets at the Clippers at 11 p.m. ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Is the time ‘now’ for Kel’el Ware?

Ware had an outstanding Week 9, culminating with a 28-point, 19-rebound effort against the Knicks.

• Raphielle Johnson,

STOCK UP

Brook Lopez — C, Clippers

The Clippers ended their five-game losing streak with a win over the Lakers this past weekend, but lost arguably their most durable player, Ivica Zubac, in the process. With Zubac out for at least the next few weeks, that provides Lopez a massive opportunity to become a relevant fantasy basketball option. In his first year with the Clippers, Lopez has underwhelmed and been completely out of the rotation for stretches while the team struggled. Yet, he took advantage of his increased playing time against the Lakers and finished with 11 points, three three-pointers, and a pair of blocked shots — anything along those lines should be expected as he presumably steps into the starting lineup for the time being. The veteran center has the potential to log some even better performances if the three-point volume remains. Nonetheless, Lopez is in a good spot, and if he plays well over the next couple of games, he could be a worthwhile fantasy option.

Russell Westbrook — PG/SG, Kings

It’s not all bad for everyone on the Kings; just ask Westbrook, who remains a nightly triple-double threat in his 18th NBA season. The BIG numbers aren’t there as frequently as once before, but the former league MVP is still getting the job done in several categories — he’s averaging his most points and assists since the 2022-23 season, and his most rebounds since Year 1 with the Lakers. And on high volume, Westbrook is shooting the best three-point percentage of his career. He’s taking advantage of his starting role with Sacramento and has been one of the team’s most productive players. His stock should continue to rise as he gets more comfortable and grows in his role.

Kyshawn George — SG/SF/PF, Wizards

George has hardly slowed down after a very fast start to his sophomore season. The scoring has fluctuated over the past week, mostly due to inefficient three-point shooting, but he has made up for it by functioning as an impactful passer, productive rebounder, and a disruptive defender who consistently collects stocks. The bottom line is that George is proving he can remain an impactful fantasy basketball player on any night, given his ability to be involved in several areas of the game — this is his floor. His ceiling is the occasions when he’s got it all clicking. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists over his last three.

Fantasy Basketball Week 10 Schedule Primer: Navigating the holiday chaos

Christmas Week is always somewhat awkward in fantasy basketball because of the unusual schedule.

• Raphielle Johnson,

STOCK DOWN

Malik Monk — SG, Kings

It’s been a down season for the Kings and several of their veteran players. Of the many established names on the roster, Monk is the latest to find himself in an unfavorable spot. Before logging five minutes of game action in Sacramento’s recent come-from-behind win in overtime over Houston, he had spent the previous two in uniform but unable to crack the rotation. The versatile combo guard has, admittedly, been confused by the sudden lack of playing time, as have many followers, such as myself. Monk had combined for 34 points, eight assists, and six three-pointers in the two games prior to being benched, and also had 25 points and five threes in a game against the Rockets earlier this month. It doesn’t appear as though a return to the rotation is imminent, leaving him firmly in this “Stock Down” category.

Mark Williams — C, Suns

Williams’s lack of involvement and production on the offensive end has been both surprising and concerning, following an eight-game streak of double-digit scoring performances, which included four with at least 15 points. He hasn’t played more than 19 minutes in three of the last four games, resulting in five or fewer shot attempts and less than 10 points in said games. Williams is also collecting just 5.1 rebounds per game in December, far below the 9.1 he tallied in November and the 9.4 in October. Perhaps a more favorable matchup with the Lakers, whom he logged 20 points against in between his three recent low-scoring games, could get him back on track.

Andrew Wiggins — SG/SF/PF, Heat

It’s difficult to say exactly what’s caused the Heat to sputter over the past few weeks and lose seven of their last nine games. However, receiving minimal scoring production on offense from one of the team’s more proven players could be part of the issue. Whether due to low volume or inefficient shooting, Wiggins has scored better than 13 points only twice so far in December — he’s been even less productive as a scorer recently, averaging 9.0 points on 9-of-31 shooting over the past three games. Contributions on the defensive end have helped keep the fantasy production from falling off. Still, fantasy managers would like to see the former NBA champion pick up his scoring production and put together more well-rounded performances.

Whatever is happening with domestic expansion, the NBA Europe league is moving full speed ahead.

The NBA and FIBA announced Monday that they "will in January move forward in their joint exploration of a new professional, pan-European men's basketball league by engaging prospective teams and ownership groups in the process to join the league." While for the last year there have been informal meetings with potential teams — and J.P. Morgan has looked into the financials of potential investors — things are now about to become much more formal.

The 12-16 team league is projected to have several "permanent" members — Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have been mentioned as teams the league met with — but also will provide "a merit-based pathway" to qualify each year, either through FIBA's Basketball Champions League or another European league tournament. The new NBA league will need some big-name existing clubs to get the fan buy-in it seeks across Europe.

"[The NBA has met with] a combination of existing clubs, organizations that own clubs in other leagues, city officials, many of whom I've met with, as well, governmental leaders of states in terms of their interest," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in Las Vegas last week before the NBA Cup final. "I'd say we've heard a lot of very positive interest in our moving forward.

"I think we at the league office are still working on the economic model, want to make sure it makes sense. As I've said before, many of the cities we'd like to be in don't have a sufficient arena infrastructure, so that's something that we would need to work on in terms of private investment, maybe work with those municipalities, as well."

What the NBA will want is a formal salary structure (likely with a hard cap) to build out this league, and the NBA is banking on its business model — and ability to get some new arenas constructed — to turn this into a profitable venture for both the teams involved and the league.

With its announcement, the league also said both it and FIBA "plan to dedicate financial support and resources to the continued development of Europe's basketball ecosystem, including domestic leagues, club team academies, and the NBA and FIBA's existing programs to develop aspiring players, coaches and referees at all levels of the game."

The goal has been a fall 2027 launch for the new NBA Europe league.

The weather outside is frightful (well, maybe not in Miami and Los Angeles, but most places) so let's focus on seeing what's in Santa's bag for the 30 NBA teams.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

(25-3, last week No. 1)
The hardest person to buy gifts for is the person you know who has everything. What Oklahoma City really wants for Christmas is not handed out until June. Do they also want to win 73 or more games this season and challenge the Warriors' record? "Absolutely," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Winning matters, and no matter what form it looks like to me. So absolutely." SGA is also in the mix for another MVP award because of all those wins and how he is playing — he has scored 30+ points in less than 30 minutes of play 10 times this season, already an NBA record (and he's played in just 27 games).

2. New York Knicks

(20-8, last week No. 2)
What the Knicks want for Christmas can't be handed out until June — a ring. A championship they would actually host a banner for. That said, the NBA Cup title showed why this team has to be considered the favorite to come out of the East. It's not simply that they have Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, it's that when Towns' calf is sore, he takes an extended rest in the game, Mitchell Robinson comes in and grabs 10 offensive boards. It's the Spurs' length keeping Brunson in relative check much of the night (although he fully deserved the Cup MVP award), it's Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek coming in with energy and big games off the bench. The Knicks showed real depth and grit, which is exactly what they will need in May and June. Jalen Brunson dropped a personal MSG-best 47 on the Heat on Sunday. New York is once again playing the opening game on Christmas Day, taking on Cleveland.

3. Detroit Pistons

(22-6, last week No. 3)
Do the Pistons need one more ball handler and shot creator for Christmas? Cade Cunningham has taken a step forward and looks like a guy who could end up on the MVP ballot this season — 27 points, 9.2 assists and 6.5 rebounds a game — while Jalen Duran is now a lock All-Star in the East and earned himself a big payday this summer. This team has stars. But come the playoffs, when good defenses load up on Cunningham, do they have the guy who can step up and be the secondary shot creator they will need? Or, do they need to make a trade? Lauri Markkanen would be a perfect fit on paper, but Utah may not be willing to part with him (or at least at a fair price). Is there anyone else? Detroit can be patient in looking for that player, because this already looks like a team ready for a deep playoff run.

4. Denver Nuggets

(20-7, last week No. 5)
All the Nuggets want for Christmas is to get healthy, but credit the team for going 8-4 with Christian Brian and Aaron Gordon sidelined. The team had won six in a row before falling to Houston over the weekend (the Rockets and Nuggets split two games last week. Denver remains the team that is the biggest threat to Oklahoma City this season, but it needs to be healthy in May to have a shot. Usually, you can bank on the massive advantage the Nuggets have in their mile-high arena, except Denver is 12-2 on the road this season and just 8-5 at home. It will be interesting to see how that plays out the rest of the season.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

(19-10, last week No. 6)
The Timberwolves are finding their footing and playing well of late (9-2 in their last 11), but could use a point guard for Christmas. We're not talking about a big, expensive and ball-dominant one (not Ja Morant, Trae Young, James Harden or LaMelo Ball), but just a floor general who can help organize the offense at times and hit a few shots. The question is, where is that guy? Derrick White would be perfect, but Boston isn't giving him up. Coby White's name comes up, as does Darius Garland (although his health and play this season are a concern), but in an unforgiving West Minnesota feels like it needs one more guy to have a shot at returning to the conference finals (or beyond).

6. Houston Rockets

(17-9, last week No. 4)
What Houston wants for Christmas is to start taking better care of the ball. This was the biggest concern after point guard Fred VanVleet went down — Houston turns the ball over 16.3 times a game, second most in the league (to Portland), and their 13.8 turnover rate is seventh in the league. This is why the Rockets are mentioned in point-guard trade talks, but don’t expect them to go after a ball-dominant one (such as Ja Morant or LaMelo Ball). If they make a move, it will be more low-key than that. What I want for the Rockets for Christmas came after two great showdowns last week — especially Monday's amazing game (on Peacock) — I want Denver and Houston to finish as the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the West, setting up a second-round playoff series between Alperen Sengun and Nikola Jokic. Catch the Rockets on Tuesday night on Coast 2 Coast on NBC and Peacock when they travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers.

7. San Antonio Spurs

(21-7, last week No. 8)
What the Spurs want for Christmas is just more time. Becoming the team the Spurs want to be — a championship team — is a process. One that requires patience (and not a quick fix at the trade deadline). The NBA Cup final four showed all of that for San Antonio, starting with the impressive win against Oklahoma City, where Victor Wembanyama provided a spark. Then, in the title game, they looked more inexperienced, not taking advantage of their superior play through most of the first three quarters and lost to the gritty Knicks. “Playing really competitive games against really, really good teams…” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of what the Spurs took away from Las Vegas. “I'm not sure about all the Cup experience of all teams. But to be able to feel those games, work those games, be in the moment in those games, I think is a valuable experience." Another valuable experience comes this week in two games against those Thunder — Tuesday night on NBA Coast 2 Coast on NBC and Peacock, and then again on Christmas Day.

8. Boston Celtics

(17-11, last week No. 7)
Celtics fans may have to wait a few more weeks — until after the All-Star break — but it looks like they are going to get their Christmas wish: Jayson Tatum back on the court. Behind the best season of Jaylen Brown's career, the Celtics sit third in the East, have won 7-of-10, have a top-five offense. This is a good team in a relatively wide-open conference, adding its best player and... Celtics fans can dream for Christmas.

9. Los Angeles Lakers

(19-8, last week No. 9)
What the Lakers want for Christmas is a high-level point-of-attack defender who can also hit some 3-pointers. Jarred Vanderbilt returning to the rotation helps, but it's just a start. This is a team with an elite offense when healthy — and with Austin Reaves out the last three games LeBron James has stepped up and averaged 30 points a night — but it's the defense, particularly against teams with attacking guards (such as recent losses to Phoenix and San Antonio) that do them in. The problem is 3&D wings are in high demand around the league. Herb Jones would be perfect, but the Pelicans' asking price is outside what the Lakers will pay. Keon Ellis with the Kings has been linked to the Lakers, but he is in demand, and the price may be higher than expected for him.

10. Philadelphia 76ers

(16-11, last week No. 12)
What the 76ers want for Christmas may be just to get (and keep) Joel Embiid and Paul George healthy enough to make this team a playoff threat. Tyrese Maxey is playing at an All-NBA (maybe even bottom of the MVP ballot) level this season and the backcourt with him, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain is one of the best in the league. Embiid and George can help this team's defense — Philly's defense is 9.3 points per 100 possessions better this season with George on the court — and any offense is a bonus. If Philly is healthy, this is a very tough out in the postseason for any team in an open East.

11. Orlando Magic

(16-12, last week No. 10)
Can Santa have something, anything in his bag that can help the Magic keep their stars healthy? Desmond Bane can hit some game winners, as he did in Utah, but until we get a lengthy stretch with both Franz Wagner (out with a high ankle sprain) and Paolo Banchero together, it's hard to get a great read on this team's ceiling. The Magic are 2-2 since Wagner went down with this latest injury, and that latest win is thanks to Bane.

12. Toronto Raptors

(17-13, last week No. 14)
What Toronto wants for Christmas is some help in the front court. It has been linked in trades to Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford from Dallas, as well as Nick Richards in Phoenix and Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento. Both Sabonis and Davis have injury histories and more expensive contracts, which make a trade for Gafford or Richards (or another solid but less pricey big) more likely. The big issue in Toronto is the offense, which has been the worst in the league over the last 11 games when Toronto is 3-8. RJ Barrett's injury is part of that, as is Jakob Poeltl being in and out of the lineup due to injuries. Good test in Miami on Tuesday for the Raptors.

13. Miami Heat

(15-14, last week No. 13)
Miami wants the return of its pace and mojo from early in the season for Christmas. The Heat's pace has fallen off significantly of late, and with that, so has the offense, which is 25th in the league over the last five games. Miami is 1-7 in its last eight games and is sliding down the East standings (they currently sit eighth). The one bright spot is Kel'el Ware, who has started the team's last three games and averaged 24.7 points and 15 rebounds a night.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers

(15-14, last week No. 11)
What do the Cavaliers need for Christmas? How about some intensity against the Knicks on Christmas Day? Part of why the Cavaliers have stumbled out of the gate — and why there are people watching how hot the seat of coach Kenny Atkinson gets (although the organization is being patient right now, it's still a cool chair) — is because the Cavaliers look uninspired and listless on the court most nights, then ask Donovan Mitchell to do too much to bail them out. It's never just one thing that leads to a disappointing season like the one in Cleveland, it's always more of a perfect storm. There are injuries causing Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Max Struss to miss time (and in Garland's case, his play has fallen way off when on the court, he is not healthy). There is the shooting — last season the Cavaliers were second in the league shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc, this season that has fallen to 33.9%, 27th in the league. There is Evan Mobley being good but not taking the step forward this franchise needed (he is on the bubble to make the All-Star team this season). Can the Cavaliers find that intensity and turn things around?

15. Phoenix Suns

(15-13, last week No. 15)
What the Suns want for Christmas is to get Devin Booker and the offense back on track. The Suns have gone 2-4 in their last six and have the second-worst offense in the league over the last five games. This is more of just a slump (in part because Booker missed a few games) but it's a concern, as is this team's weakness on the glass. Starting the day after Christmas, the Suns head out for four on the road.

16. Golden State Warriors

(14-15, last week No. 17) 1-1
For Christmas, the Warriors just want to give Stephen Curry one more chance at a ring. Right now, this team is not close to that and Curry will be the first to say so, as he did after a loss last week to the Suns: “We're obviously not a good team right now because of what our record says and the fact that we found ourselves in these kind of positions.” It's going to take a roster change to make that Christmas wish a reality, which is why Golden State is being active on the trade market, dangling Jonathan Kuminga in trade talks looking for a player that better fits their needs and can change the tide of this season. But for a team hard-capped at the second apron and with little financial wiggle room, that change may be hard to come by.

17. Memphis Grizzlies

(13-15, last week No. 18)
Can Santa bring the Grizzlies some wins against good teams? Memphis is 2-12 this season against teams over .500 (and 11-3 against teams below that mark). The Grizzlies only play one team over .500 this week, but it's a team way over that mark in the Thunder (a game you can watch on Peacock NBA Monday). Also, Santa, bring Brandon Clarke some health luck — he made his season debut on Wednesday and now is going to be out three weeks (at least) with a calf strain.

18. Chicago Bulls

(13-15, last week No. 24)
Can Santa bring the Bulls some defense? This was a concern about this roster entering the season and giving up 150 to Atlanta (in a win) Sunday is just the tip of the iceberg. The Bulls have the 25th-ranked defense in the league this season and have allowed 110+ points in each of their last nine games (their D is 26th-ranked over the last two weeks). That said, the Bulls are finally fully healthy, have won three in a row, and would be in the play-in if it started today.

19. Atlanta Hawks

(15-15, last week No. 16)
For Christmas, can we all give Jalen Johnson some more love? He should not be on the bubble for the Eastern Conference All-Stars, he should be a lock. He's averaging 23.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists a game this season, recently had a run of four-straight triple-doubles, and has had 7+ points, rebounds and assists in 17 straight games. Trae Young is back and dropped 35 on the Bulls in a loss Sunday, and the Hawks have dropped three straight. The Hawks are home against the Bulls, Heat and Knicks this week.

20. Portland Trail Blazers

(12-16, last week No. 20)
Can Santa get Deni Avdija on the All-Star Team? If he were in the East, his averages of 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists a game would make him a lock, but in the deep West he's on the bubble. In recent games he has been getting downhill (as has Shaedon Sharpe) which has sparked the offense. Portland sits 10th in the West but has a home-heavy stretch of the schedule coming up that could help them move up the standings into a more secure play-in spot. That home stretch this week includes the Pistons, Magic, Clippers and Celtics.

21. Dallas Mavericks

(11-18, last week No. 19)
Christmas came early to Dallas in the form of Cooper Flagg, and while what it could really use this holiday is depth at the point guard spot Ryan Nembhard has at least plugged that hole until Kyrie Irving returns. Anthony Davis is going to grab the headlines here and elsewhere heading into the trade deadline — right now, he is the best player actually available — and there will be talk about Klay Thompson, but the reality is that a Daniel Gafford trade is far more likely.

22. Milwaukee Bucks

(11-18, last week No. 21)
There are times someone you know asks for a gift you wish you could get for them, but know you can't. What Bucks fans want for Christmas is an end to Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, and while that's a fair thing to ask for, it's not happening. The only way it does happen is if Antetokounmpo agrees to sign an extension with the team next summer, and he has said before he reconsiders his position with the franchise every offseason, so no decision along those lines comes until then. What we can wish for in the short term is a few wins while he remains out with a calf strain, and then a trade that vaults this team back up to being a threat in the East (once Antetokounmpo gets healthy).

23. Charlotte Hornets

(9-19, last week No. 22)
For Christmas, Charlotte could use some players to go around Kon Knueppel. The No. 4 pick leads all rookies in scoring at 19.4 points per game, and he's already second on the team in scoring. As noted by the NBC Sports research team, Knueppel is on pace to become the first rookie in Hornets franchise history to average 19+ points per game since Alonzo Mourning averaged 21 in the 1992-93 season. By the way, the LaMelo Ball trade rumors are not going to go away, but there isn't much of a market for him at his salary (with his injury history and lack of production this season).

24. Utah Jazz

(10-17, last week No. 23)
You have to love what LeBron James said about what is different about Keyonte George this season after he dropped 34 on the Lakers: "Confidence." Sorry to say this Jazz fans, but as great as George has been he is not likely to make the All-Star team in an insanely deep West where a lot of good players are going to miss that cut. Utah continues to shoot down teams calling about trades for Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen, we'll see if the Markkanen part changes closer to the deadline, but the Kessler part will not.

25. New Orleans Pelicans

(7-22, last week No. 29)
Give this team a direction for Christmas. Maybe we started to see that last week, when the Pelicans won four straight, including coming from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Rockets in overtime — all of that comeback with Zion Williamson on the bench and healthy. Interim coach James Borrego chose to sit Zion when the team thrived without him on the court, and one has to wonder whether we are starting to see that the franchise is recognizing the direction it should take next. While trade rumors swirl around Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, league sources told NBC Sports that the Pelicans' asking price is high. Very high.

26. Brooklyn Nets

(8-19, last week No. 25)
What do the Nets want for Christmas? One of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer. The Nets are looking ahead to the draft but have been good enough this season to have "only" the sixth-worst record in the league (and with that a 27.6% chance at a top-three pick). Brooklyn is 5-3 so far in December, largely due to improved defense and rebounding.

27. Los Angeles Clippers

(7-21, last week No. 27)
Everyone has that one person they don't know what to get for Christmas, so you fall back on gift cards to a favorite spot. That's the Clippers. They can't tank because OKC controls their pick, and while people love the rumors, the logistics of a James Harden or Kawhi Leonard trade at the deadline are next to impossible. Several teams are interested in Ivica Zubac, but the Clippers are shooting down those calls. Zubac is now out for a few weeks with a sprained ankle, which means Brook Lopez is back in the rotation as the starting center. The Clippers are a team that is going to try to turn it around and make the postseason, with Tyronn Lue this week laying out the path for the team to finish .500 at the end of the season (which would mean the Clippers going 34-20 the rest of the way).

28. Washington Wizards

(5-22, last week No. 30)
What do the Wizards want for Christmas? Same as Brooklyn and some other teams in this range: One of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer. The Wizards have the worst record in the league so far, although in the last three years, the team with the worst record came out of the lottery with the No. 5 pick. There are good young players on this roster, such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Bilal Coulibaly, but this team needs a No. 1 option, and they are going to have to get that through the draft.

29. Sacramento Kings

(7-22, last week No. 28)
Can Santa bring some hope to the deserving Kings fans? It was good to see them celebrate a dramatic win over the Rockets Sunday (Houston's Tari Eason is not going to enjoy the next team film session after sagging off Dennis Schroder for no good reason), and the team does have the easiest remaining schedule in the league (although not this week with the Pistons and Lakers coming up). What the Kings could use is a young star, and if the season ended today they would have a 38.6% chance at a top-three pick.

30. Indiana Pacers

(6-22, last week No. 26)
Can Santa bring Rick Carlisle his 1000th win as an NBA coach? The future Hall of Famer is stuck on 999 and has been for four games as the Pacers' offense has struggled (again), and the team has dropped four straight. The team that couldn't seem to miss from 3-point range during last season's playoff run is shooting 32.3% as a team from beyond the arc this season, dead last in the league.

After a two-week hiatus, NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday continues with a doubleheader featuring two star-studded showdowns.

In the 10:30 p.m. ET game, the Houston Rockets and 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant will continue their six-game road trip with their second matchup against 11-time All-Star James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers, who just snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday with a 103-88 victory over the Lakers.

It's the second of five games between the teams. On Dec. 11, Houston won 115-113 at home after Amen Thompson's three-point play with 17.2 seconds left put the Rockets ahead.

In the 8 p.m. ET tipoff Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks and No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg will try to snap the road winning streak of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, who have won a team-record 11 consecutive games away from home. It's second of two meetings for the teams; Dallas won 131-121 at Denver on Dec. 1.

See below for additional information on how to watch both games and a breakdown of the Rockets-Clippers matchup.

How to watch Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers:

• When: Tuesday, Dec. 23
• Where: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California
• Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV Channel: NBC (check local listings)
• Live Stream: Peacock

Houston Rockets storylines:

The Rockets (17-9), who have the third-best offense in the league, are led by Durant, eighth on the all-time scoring list with more than 31,000 points, and Alperen Sengun, who became a first-time All-Star last year.

In its third season under head coach Ime Udoka, Houston has emerged as the league's best team on the boards and ranks first in rebounds, offensive rebounds, rebound margin and second chance points. Steven Adams ranks second in the NBA in offensive rebounding.

What NBA games are on Christmas Day 2025: Schedule, how to watch, preview, tipoff times

There are five marquee matchups featuring four of the past six league champions.

• Nate Ryan,

Los Angeles Clippers storylines:

The Clippers (7-21) are trying to avoid their first losing season since 2010-11 — a streak of 14 consecutive winning years that is best among active teams. Tyronne Lue, who coaches the oldest team in the league, has set a goal of ending the year on a 35-19 run to finish with a winning year (at 42-40).

Los Angeles is among three teams with multiple players averaging more than 24 points with Harden (25.8 points per game) and Kawhi Leonard (25.2) both topping that mark.

What other NBA game is on Peacock tonight?

How to watch Denver Nuggets vs. Dallas Mavericks:

• When: Tuesday, Dec. 23
• Where: American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV Channel: NBC (check local listings)
• Live Stream: Peacock

How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits on Peacock for whatever suits your mood.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.

After a two-week hiatus, NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday continues with a doubleheader featuring two star-studded showdowns.

In an 8 p.m. ET tipoff, the Dallas Mavericks and No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg will try to snap the road winning streak of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, who have won a team-record 11 consecutive games away from home. It's second of two meetings for the teams; Dallas won 131-121 at Denver on Dec. 1

In the 10:30 p.m. ET game, the Houston Rockets and 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant will continue their six-game road trip with their second matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers and 11-time All-Star James Harden.

Watch Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg become first 18-year-old in NBA history to score 40+

Flagg’s brilliance wasn’t enough, the Mavericks fell to the Jazz in overtime.

• Kurt Helin,

The Mavericks will be appearing on NBC for the first time since Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference semifinals (a 115-113 defeat to the Sacramento Kings on May 11, 2002).

See below for additional information on how to watch both games and a breakdown of the Nuggets-Mavericks matchup.

How to watch Denver Nuggets vs. Dallas Mavericks:

• When: Tuesday, Dec. 23
• Where: American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV Channel: NBC (check local listings)
• Live Stream: Peacock

Denver Nuggets storylines

The Nuggets (20-6) are off to their best start in franchise history, outdoing a 19-7 start to the 2009-10 season (which ended in a first-round loss to Utah).

Ranked first in the league in points (125.6 per game) and offensive rating (124.4), the Nuggets remain led by the star tandem of Jamal Murray (on track for career highs in scoring at 25.2 points per game and assists at 6.6) and Jokic, who is averaging a triple-double with 29.6 ppg (fifth in the NBA), 10.9 assists (first) and 12.3 rebounds (first). The Serb is trying to become the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967-68 to lead th league in assists and rebounds.

Head coach David Adelman, who is in his first full season, earned his first ejection for confronting the officials during a 115-101 loss Saturday to Houston (which snapped a six-game winning streak for Denver).

Dallas Mavericks storylines

The Mavericks, who were 6-2 in their past eight games entering Monday night, have bounced back from a 5-15 start with the return of Anthony Davis, who missed the first three weeks of November with a left calf strain.

Davis has been averaging more than 18 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks since his return, and the Mavericks are above .500 when he plays (though Davis has missed 37 of 58 games since his acquisition from the Lakers in February).

Dallas coach Jason Kidd also has benefited from the improvement of Flagg, who turned 19 on Sunday. The budding superstar out of Duke is averaging more than 25 points and shooting more than 50% from the field over his last eight games. Dallas also is 6-3 since Kidd began starting Ryan Nembhard at point guard. The undrafted rookie leads all first-year players with 5.3 assists per game.

What other NBA game is on Peacock on Tuesday night?

How to watch Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers:

• When: Tuesday, Dec. 23
• Where: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California
• Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV Channel: NBC (check local listings)
• Live Stream: Peacock

How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits on Peacock for whatever suits your mood.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.