Category: NBA

Observations after Sixers lose to Hawks despite George's 35-point performance  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers couldn’t turn Paul George’s biggest scoring night of the season into a victory in Atlanta.

Despite George’s 35 points, the Sixers fell to a 120-117 loss to the Hawks on Sunday at State Farm Arena. 

Joel Embiid posted his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds. VJ Edgecombe had 26 points and six boards.

The 15-12 Hawks got 27 points and 10 rebounds from Dyson Daniels. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds. Jalen Johnson had a triple-double with 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

The 14-11 Sixers were without Tyrese Maxey (illness), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

Atlanta’s absences included Trae Young (right knee MCL sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness). 

The Sixers will next play on Friday night when they visit the Knicks. Here are observations on their loss to the Hawks:

Unorthodox off the bench 

The Sixers were forced to make an early sub after Edgecombe committed two fouls as the last man back on defense following live-ball Sixers turnovers. 

Jared McCain checked in with 7:28 left in the first quarter. Soon after entering, he fouled Vit Krejci on a three-point attempt. Krejci burned the Sixers in the first period, scoring 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting. The Sixers fell behind 35-26 on a Krejci three.

On the Sixers’ side, the team posted zero bench points in the first.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse shifted to a very veteran guard option about four minutes into the second quarter. Kyle Lowry replaced McCain, appearing for his fourth game of the year. Nurse used perhaps his most unconventional lineup yet this season for a couple of minutes in the second quarter, playing an Embiid-Andre Drummond frontcourt with Lowry on the back line of the Sixers’ zone defense. 

Nurse returned to McCain in the second half and Lowry stayed on the bench. McCain continued to come up empty as a shooter. He finished with no points on 0-for-5 shooting, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes. Justin Edwards also had an 0-for-5 night.

George still trending up 

George was happy to take charge with Embiid on the bench at the start of the second quarter.

He drained consecutive three-pointers, converted an and-one leaner, and ran the offense in smooth, confident fashion.

The 35-year-old forward has talked often about the value of stringing games together and gaining rhythm. He’s certainly trending up as a scorer. After posting a season-best 23 points Friday in a win over the Pacers, he stormed past that number in Atlanta and scored his most points as a Sixer.

Led by George, the Sixers made a second-quarter run and went up on 42-41 on an Edgecombe driving layup. 

Hawks hold on

The Hawks double teamed Embiid after just about every one of his catches inside the arc.

He frequently tried to attack from the middle of the floor before Atlanta could bring help defense. The idea was sound, but Embiid’s execution was uneven. He fell to 4 for 15 from the floor early in the third quarter when he missed a contested lefty attempt inside. 

On a positive note, Embiid had his best rebounding game of the season, exceeding his prior high of nine boards Friday vs. Indiana. He had good instincts and activity on the offensive glass.

Edgecombe carried the Sixers’ offense in the third quarter.

The 20-year-old hit his second straight 20-point performance with an and-one layup that cut Atlanta’s lead to 89-86. He took available jumpers without hesitation, drove hard and piled up 17 points in the third period.

Zaccharie Risacher’s three early in the fourth quarter extended the Hawks’ advantage to 106-96. George then scored five points in a row, including a long-range jumper from the left wing. He sunk a season-high seven three-pointers and only missed three. George even banked one in and swished a tightly guarded fourth-quarter jumper just before the shot clock expired.

Through 10 games, he’s at 43.3 percent beyond the arc on the season, which is 7.5 percent better than last year.

The game remained tight down the stretch. With an Edgecombe layup and a Quentin Grimes three, the Sixers pulled within one point.

They had a late chance to grab the lead. George missed a corner three over Krejci, but Edgecombe leapt high for the offensive rebound. Nurse elected not to use a timeout and Grimes eventually tried a three from the right wing. It bounced off the back rim.

Grimes wound up getting one more clutch three-point shot, but his game-tying corner attempt at the final buzzer didn’t drop.

Observations after Sixers lose to Hawks despite George's 35-point performance  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers couldn’t turn Paul George’s biggest scoring night of the season into a victory in Atlanta.

Despite George’s 35 points, the Sixers fell to a 120-117 loss to the Hawks on Sunday at State Farm Arena. 

Joel Embiid posted his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds. VJ Edgecombe had 26 points and six boards.

The 15-12 Hawks got 27 points and 10 rebounds from Dyson Daniels. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds. Jalen Johnson had a triple-double with 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

The 14-11 Sixers were without Tyrese Maxey (illness), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

Atlanta’s absences included Trae Young (right knee MCL sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness). 

The Sixers will next play on Friday night when they visit the Knicks. Here are observations on their loss to the Hawks:

Unorthodox off the bench 

The Sixers were forced to make an early sub after Edgecombe committed two fouls as the last man back on defense following live-ball Sixers turnovers. 

Jared McCain checked in with 7:28 left in the first quarter. Soon after entering, he fouled Vit Krejci on a three-point attempt. Krejci burned the Sixers in the first period, scoring 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting. The Sixers fell behind 35-26 on a Krejci three.

On the Sixers’ side, the team posted zero bench points in the first.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse shifted to a very veteran guard option about four minutes into the second quarter. Kyle Lowry replaced McCain, appearing for his fourth game of the year. Nurse used perhaps his most unconventional lineup yet this season for a couple of minutes in the second quarter, playing an Embiid-Andre Drummond frontcourt with Lowry on the back line of the Sixers’ zone defense. 

Nurse returned to McCain in the second half and Lowry stayed on the bench. McCain continued to come up empty as a shooter. He finished with no points on 0-for-5 shooting, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes. Justin Edwards also had an 0-for-5 night.

George still trending up 

George was happy to take charge with Embiid on the bench at the start of the second quarter.

He drained consecutive three-pointers, converted an and-one leaner, and ran the offense in smooth, confident fashion.

The 35-year-old forward has talked often about the value of stringing games together and gaining rhythm. He’s certainly trending up as a scorer. After posting a season-best 23 points Friday in a win over the Pacers, he stormed past that number in Atlanta and scored his most points as a Sixer.

Led by George, the Sixers made a second-quarter run and went up on 42-41 on an Edgecombe driving layup. 

Hawks hold on

The Hawks double teamed Embiid after just about every one of his catches inside the arc.

He frequently tried to attack from the middle of the floor before Atlanta could bring help defense. The idea was sound, but Embiid’s execution was uneven. He fell to 4 for 15 from the floor early in the third quarter when he missed a contested lefty attempt inside. 

On a positive note, Embiid had his best rebounding game of the season, exceeding his prior high of nine boards Friday vs. Indiana. He had good instincts and activity on the offensive glass.

Edgecombe carried the Sixers’ offense in the third quarter.

The 20-year-old hit his second straight 20-point performance with an and-one layup that cut Atlanta’s lead to 89-86. He took available jumpers without hesitation, drove hard and piled up 17 points in the third period.

Zaccharie Risacher’s three early in the fourth quarter extended the Hawks’ advantage to 106-96. George then scored five points in a row, including a long-range jumper from the left wing. He sunk a season-high seven three-pointers and only missed three. George even banked one in and swished a tightly guarded fourth-quarter jumper just before the shot clock expired.

Through 10 games, he’s at 43.3 percent beyond the arc on the season, which is 7.5 percent better than last year.

The game remained tight down the stretch. With an Edgecombe layup and a Quentin Grimes three, the Sixers pulled within one point.

They had a late chance to grab the lead. George missed a corner three over Krejci, but Edgecombe leapt high for the offensive rebound. Nurse elected not to use a timeout and Grimes eventually tried a three from the right wing. It bounced off the back rim.

Grimes wound up getting one more clutch three-point shot, but his game-tying corner attempt at the final buzzer didn’t drop.

Steph Curry 40-piece vs. Blazers breaks scoring record tie with Michael Jordan originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Baby-Faced Assassin is the most prolific over-the-age-of-30 scorer in NBA history.

Steph Curry‘s latest 40-plus point performance gave him 45 such games since turning 30 years old, moving him ahead of Michael Jordan for the most ever.

The 37-year-old achieved the feat with his 40th point and 10th 3-pointer in the Warriors’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at Moda Center.

Curry has been on fire in his two games since returning from a quad injury that kept him sidelined for five contests.

In Golden State’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Chase Center, Curry dropped a game-high 39 points on 50-percent shooting from the field, including 6-of-15 shooting from 3-point range.

Curry is far from done and he’s not slowing down, so expect him to add several more 40-point performances to his resume before he hangs up his sneakers.

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Five things we want to see from the Celtics before 2025 ends originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

About the only thing that can slow down the Boston Celtics lately is the NBA schedule.

Boston had won five straight and 10 of its last 12 while screaming into the NBA Cup slowdown, a stretch that includes just two games in 11 nights. The Celtics stumbled in a visit to Milwaukee on Thursday, the only game they will play in a seven-day stretch. Things (finally) start to crank back up Monday with a visit from the East-leading Pistons, even if three more (agonizing) days off will follow.

Here are five things we’d like to see from the Celtics when things eventually kick back into high gear: 

1. Hauser finds his groove

The lasting image from Thursday’s loss in Milwaukee will be Wisconsin native Sam Hauser missing two quality looks from beyond the arc, then smoking an even more wide open layup off a solid cut to the basket on the very same possession. 

Hauser, now in the first year of a four-year, $45 million extension, is shooting career lows at 34.2 percent beyond the 3-point arc and 34.5 percent overall. He’s generating 101.2 points per 100 shot attempts, which is a staggering 27 points per 100 worse than his average over the last three seasons, per Cleaning the Glass data. 

After opening the 2025-26 season as a starter, Hauser is averaging just 22.3 minutes per game in a reserve role. The Celtics are 6.8 points per 100 possessions worse with Hauser on the court versus off, the worst on/off difference on the team among regulars this season. 

The good new is that it doesn’t feel possible that these shooting woes can persist. Hauser seems as exasperated as anyone when his shot isn’t falling. Defensively, he’s quietly held up well, holding opponents to 4.6 percent below expected output over the last 13 games. Hauser is defending well without fouling, ranking in the 93rd percentile in the NBA in fouls per shot attempt contested (7.3 percent). 

Hauser’s shooting woes were slightly masked when Derrick White and Payton Pritchard struggled to find their shots out of the gate. As those two start to settle in a bit, it’s time for Hauser to do the same.

2. Give us more Hugo

Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez has played in six straight games and nine of Boston’s last 10. Boston is outscoring opponents by a team-best 16.3 points per 100 possessions during that stretch (the next closest is White, at +11.3). 

Gonzalez singlehandedly flipped the energy against the Knicks as Boston rallied out of an early hole to start the month with a win. He’s made 12 of 14 shots over his last four outings. Playing time is earned not given under Joe Mazzulla, but it feels like Gonzalez is making good things happen whenever he gets his opportunity. 

Gonzalez is generating steals on 3.3 percent of team plays, which ranks in the 99th percentile among wings, per Cleaning the Glass data. Only Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace generates more at that position (3.6 percent). That steal rate ranks Gonzalez fourth in the entire NBA behind only Alex Caruso (4.1), Wallace, and Miami’s Dru Smith (3.5). 

3. Wanted: One more reliable big

The Celtics have now played 217 total minutes without a pure center on the court. Boston owns a +8.7 net rating in that span while putting up a video game-like offensive rating of 133.6. That’s 12.2 points per 100 possessions higher than Boston’s No. 3 ranked offensive rating for the season. 

The question is whether that’s sustainable, and whether Boston is OK just trying to outgun opponents whenever Neemias Queta isn’t on the floor. The Celtics have leaned into the luxury of having Josh Minott and Jordan Walsh play center-like roles with their length and athleticism. But a 124.8 defensive rating in those minutes is less than ideal. 

Maybe the solution for Boston is as simple as letting president of basketball operations Brad Stevens tinker with the roster when trade season formally launches on December 15 (the day most players signed this offseason can officially be moved). 

We suspect Boston’s other veteran big men — Chris Boucher, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman — will get their occasional chances, and they must be ready to maximize them. Rookie two-way center Amari Williams could get time once he’s healed from a hand fracture. 

The bottom line is that, with Queta averaging 24 minutes per game, there’s another 24 minutes for this team to fill at the center spot. Going small has produced Boston’s best non-Queta basketball, but it gets clunky when the Celtics are struggling with their own offensive efficiency.

4. Getting defensive

The Celtics rank 18th in the NBA in defensive rating while allowing 115 points per 100 possessions. That number has actually slid backwards a bit to 116.6 over the last 13 games, masked by Boston’s offensive output in that stretch. 

Boston lingering in the back half of the league actually feels like a bit of a surprise. The Celtics rank seventh in opponent effective field goal percentage (53.1) and eighth in opponent turnover rate (15.4 percent). They’ve actually defended the rim well despite their lack of size.

In fact, Boston has been hurt most by a rise in opponent 3-point success. Celtics opponents shot 35.4 percent last season (fourth-best in the NBA) and are up to 37.5 percent this year (24th overall). 

The Celtics have one of the best half-court defenses in the league, limiting opponents to a defensive rating of 96.5 points on first-shot defense, per Cleaning the Glass data. They’ve simply been hindered by an inability to secure rebounds and limit second-chance opportunities. 

Finishing off possessions and cooling opponents on the perimeter could go a long way toward Boston surging into the top half of the league in defensive rating. 

5. Taking care of business

The Celtics have a league-best nine wins against teams over .500. They are just 6-3 against teams under that mark.

On one hand, it’s encouraging that the Celtics play their best basketball against top competition. Over the course of two weeks, they handed losses to the Pistons, Knicks, Magic, Cavaliers, and Raptors — five of the top seven teams in the East standings. But losses to the Bucks, Jazz, and Nets have left the Celtics in a crowded pack behind Detroit and New York in the East. 

Good teams don’t play with their food. They handle business against inferior opponents. The margins are simply too thin for the Celtics to downshift at all this season. They need to stay locked in regardless of who’s on the other side.

The Celtics play seven straight games against sub.-500 opponents from December 22 to January 5. They can either maintain their run up the East standings, or diminish how good they’ve been against the conference’s best.

December 15th is the unofficial start of NBA trade season, as free agents that were signed this offseason become eligible to be dealt. The rumor mill is already hard at work, with the Knicks a headliner in multiple rumors.

In recent days, Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints reported New York is interested in acquiring Donte DiVincenzo or Jose Alvarado, and ESPN1320’s James Ham reported they have shown interest in Dennis Schroder. DiVincenzo remains a fan favorite from maybe the best single-season Knick career in franchise history, while the other two are reliable, defensively stout guards, making for a natural group of targets.

What’s notable are their salaries: DiVincenzo earns $12 million and Schroder $14 million. If the Knicks are truly aiming to acquire one of them, in order to match salaries they’ll have to ship out half of their bench or one key player. 

Mitchell Robinson has been the longest tenured Knick throughout the Leon Rose era, making a huge impact on multiple playoff runs. But this is the final year of his contract, they didn’t agree to an extension, and historically the Knicks have traded players in similar situations before allowing them to walk in free agency.

Maybe this time is different, but Robinson’s health has been a major concern, his defense has dropped off dramatically, and his contract just so happens to be the only one that aligns with these reported trade targets. Are the Knicks gearing up to trade Robinson, and if so, should they?

If the former is true, it can’t be gleaned from reports of trade interest. On the rare occasion the Knicks have made a midseason trade, they weren’t pre-linked to their targets, and a report from an opposing team’s beat can easily be juicing the local player’s value for future talks. 

It’s possible New York wants the offseason flexibility and still re-signs Robinson this summer. He was immensely effective in the postseason and even with his struggles this year has been a beast on the offensive glass. 

The fact that his salary happens to match potential trade acquisitions means little, as complicated as combining salaries or roping in third and fourth teams are it still happens, and is an alternative route to secure these names. They could also just be interested yet not willing to move on from Robinson.

Should they be? The concerns about his health are legitimate, not having played a 60-game season since 2022 and being restricted this year. 

When he has played, he hasn’t looked the same defensively, with his mobility taking a big hit. With Robinson on the court, the Knicks are allowing 114.2 points per 100 possessions compared to 110.3 with him off, when historically he’s had the opposite impact.  

He’s been the same monster on the glass as usual, and is still their best option at backup center. Without Robinson, the Knicks are down to Guerschon Yabusele, Ariel Hukporti, and Trey Jemison III.

That’s one concern about trading him, though the Knicks could theoretically fill that gap in another move. Does moving Robinson and a Yabusele/ Pacome Dadiet/picks package for DiVincenzo/Schroder and a new backup five provide enough extra value to shake up team chemistry and avoid losing a free agent?

The answer likely depends on who New York can acquire on both ends. If DiVincenzo is actually in play, it’s hard for the Knicks not to consider this pattern of moves.

DiVincenzo would provide a jolt of shooting and creation in a system he’s especially equipped for, not to mention the narrative and aura surrounding such a reunion would take the city by storm. Schroder ironically may be the even better fit as a reliable ball handler and nosier defender. 

But if New York can’t backfill Robinson, it gets tougher. Perhaps they believe in Yabusele and Hukporti enough, or can somehow swindle a Daniel Gafford or JalenSmith. 

Even then, the upside and game-breaking impact Robinson can deliver in the Playoffs makes it hard to justify even a marginal on-paper improvement during a championship hunt. What’s more realistic is the Knicks are doing their due diligence on every front and exploring all avenues to maximize these upcoming playoff runs.

What that actually materializes in vis-a-vis a trade will more than likely be nothing from what we’ve seen. New York is especially low on chips and flexibility here, and won’t want to upset a 17-7 rolling Knicks team headed for the NBA Cup Championship. 

Still, anything is possible in this wild league and with this unforgiving franchise desperately pursuing its first title in 50 years. We’re sure to hear plenty more between now and February, but don’t read too much into it unless something finally happens. 

Victor Wembanyama made his return from injury for the San Antonio Spurs and helped them reach the NBA Cup final with a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The French sensation, who missed 12 games with a left calf issue, scored 22 points as the Spurs dramatically beat the NBA champions 111-109 in Las Vegas.

Wembanyama also registered nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks during his 21 minutes on court as the Thunder lost for only the second time in 26 games this season.

"I knew I had limited minutes so I had to make the most out of it," said 21-year-old Wembanyama, whose team-mate Devin Vassell scored 23 points.

"Winning against a team like this, it might seem like it's just a game but it's a collective effort and it's not an easy thing.

"It's only their second loss of the season. It means something."

• Chess, monks & Nasa - Wembanyama's unusual pre-season

The NBA Cup is the competition's annual in-season tournament, with all matches except the final also counting towards the regular season standings.

The Thunder were beaten in last year's final by the Milwaukee Bucks and had a 16-game winning run ended by the Spurs as they exited this season's competition.

Oklahoma City had equalled the best 25-game start to a season when they went 24-1 by beating the Phoenix Suns in the quarter-finals, but they have now made the second best start to a campaign after 26 games as the Golden State Warriors were 25-1 at the same stage in 2015-16.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, top scored for the Thunder against the Spurs with a game-high 29 points.

San Antonio will play the New York Knicks in the final after they beat the Orlando Magic 132-120.

Jalen Brunson scored a season-high 40 points to inspire the Knicks to victory, while team-mate Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points.

"We came out here and did exactly what we said we wanted to do, which was play Knicks basketball," said Towns.

The stage at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is set.

The Knicks will face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup Championship on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 p.m.

New York beat the Orlando Magic in the semifinals on Saturday night, 132-120, with Jalen Brunson scoring a game-high 40 points.

After the Knicks' victory, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama upset the Oklahoma City Thunder and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 111-109, to advance to the finals. The former No. 1 overall pick had 22 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes off the bench in his first game back from injury.

The Spurs snapped OKC's 16-game winning streak and handed them just their second loss of the season. San Antonio has now won three straight to improve to 18-7, while New York has won five straight games this month, owning an 18-7 record as well.

It'll be the first matchup between the two teams this season. Both franchises are looking to win their first in-season tournament title.

While the championship game result will not impact either team's regular season record, the players on the winning team will earn $530,933 in prize money, per Front Office Sports. The players on the runner-up team will earn $212,373.

Jalen Brunson's first 40-point game of the year couldn't have come at a better time.

The All-Star point guard dropped a season-high on Saturday night to lead the Knicks over the Orlando Magic and advance to the NBA Cup Championship on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Brunson's scoring outburst came on 16-of-27 shooting (59.3 percent), despite going 2-of-5 from three-point land and only making six free throws. He also added in eight assists, four rebounds, and a steal over 39 minutes in the 132-120 win. 

After the victory, Brunson spoke with the NBA on Prime crew about his performance and how his game continues to improve, especially on the big stages.

"I think the way we've been playing, I've been able to get a couple more catch and shoots. I have a lot of confidence in my shot," Brunson said. "I work way too hard not to be confident. Sometimes it's going to go in, and when it's going in I'm just going to keep firing them."

The 29-year-old was then asked by former two-time MVP Steve Nash about his "touch around the rim" and how that keeps getting better over the course of his career.

"It's something I had to learn," Brunson said. "Obviously I'm not the tallest and I'm not jumping over people... My game's unique. I play off balance. I'm on balance, but most people wouldn't be. That's the stuff I work on, just be deceiving. I've done it for a long time and it keeps getting better and better like you said."

Brunson's previous season-high in scoring was 37 points, which he's had twice this year (against the Heat on Oct. 26 and vs. the Bucks on Nov. 28). He's now averaging 28.3 points per game over 22 contests and has scored 30-plus points in four consecutive games.

New York, winners of five straight games, will need Brunson to continue playing with that confidence to keep their streak going on Tuesday night in the NBA Cup Championship against the winner of the Thunder-Spurs semifinal game.

"I work way too hard not to be confident ... my game is unique."

Jalen Brunson tells the crew about the parts of his game that keep getting better. pic.twitter.com/D83qzUnMmF

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) December 14, 2025

The Knicks beat the Orlando Magic, 132-120, on Saturday night in Las Vegas to move on to the NBA Cup Finals for the first time.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Things got off to a fast start in this one as both teams shot over 60 percent from the field in the first quarter which featured nine lead changes. Both squads did most of their damage in the paint early on with guys running up and down the court for easy transition buckets or creating their own shot in the mid-range. 

-- In fact, New York only made two threes (on eight attempts) in the opening 12 minutes -- both by OG Anunoby and one with 4.8 seconds left in the quarter -- but still scored 33 points. However, the Magic, led by Jalen Suggs, did even better and put up 36 points.

-- Suggs continued to lead Orlando in the second quarter and scored a career-high 25 points in the first half, although he seemed to injure himself slightly just before the break. The Magic needed every bit of it, too, because the rest of the team's hot shooting from the first quarter largely disappeared as they shot under 40 percent in the second, although they still scored 28 points.

-- The Knicks, particularly Jalen Brunson, took advantage of Orlando's poor shooting and continued to lean on points in the paint to get it done, taking the lead by doing whatever they wanted near the basket. From Brunson to Mikal Bridges to even Tyler Kolek, everybody got involved. Still, it was Brunson who was matching Suggs' offensive output with 24 of his own in the first half.

-- After another quarter shooting over 60 percent from the field and scoring 38 points, New York went into halftime with a 71-64 lead.

-- Needing help from players not named Suggs and no Franz Wagner in the lineup, Paolo Banchero got more involved out of the gates after a quiet first half and helped the Magic get closer. After tying it, Orlando even took the lead on Desmond Bane two-pointer with 5:24 left in the quarter that made it 87-85 and forced head coach Mike Brown to call a timeout.

-- The Knicks regrouped after the pause and closed out the quarter on a 14-3 run to be up eight going into the fourth quarter.

-- With a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line, New York put Orlando away in the final frame, never allowing the Magic to get back into the game. Karl-Anthony Towns had 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and put the exclamation point of a convincing win with a dunk in the final seconds.

-- Brunson went for a game-high 40 points on 16-for-27 from the field and added eight assists, four rebounds and a steal. Every other Knicks starter finished with double-digit points as the team shot 61 percent from the floor. 

-- With Josh Hart once again in the starting lineup, New York improved to 9-1 this season with him as a starter compared to 9-6 with Hart coming off the bench.

-- After his phenomenal first half, Suggs disappeared in the second half and scored just one point as the injury sustained likely played a role.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

Brunson was doing whatever he wanted all game, getting to his spots and knocking down shot after shot from start to finish.

Highlights

What a feed from KAT to Mikal 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/sWNRq72Q6x

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

Jalen Brunson breezes by the defense for the bucket 🫡 pic.twitter.com/BNL9CzFKQX

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

Ball movement ➡️ OG open 👌 pic.twitter.com/NXfN1v4B2p

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

and now a feed from Mikal to KAT 🤩pic.twitter.com/uag4Zh3R3s

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

Mitch 💥 pic.twitter.com/fdxdhFqUyU

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

OG nails the three as the first quarter ends 🎯 pic.twitter.com/lrw78yzHC3

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

TYLER. KOLEK. 🔥
What a sequence. pic.twitter.com/vXD7208Dqy

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

Josh Hart finds Mikal Bridges in stride for the lay ✨ pic.twitter.com/1UqtMCX9AM

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 13, 2025

What's next

The Knicks will play the winner of the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 p.m. in Las Vegas.

Perhaps Jarred Vanderbilt and his ability to defend can help the Lakers and their reeling defense.

Perhaps Vanderbilt can return to the rotation to help the Lakers’ defensive woes while guard Austin Reaves is out for approximately a week because of a mild left calf strain.

And perhaps Vanderbilt and the Lakers can get some immediate results for shoring up their defensive shortcomings when they face the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.

The 6-foot-8 Vanderbilt is hopeful that his opportunity will come against the Suns and he turns that into a positive for the Lakers.

"Oh, yeah, I'm pretty eager,” he said after practice Saturday. “I mean, obviously, I think a lot of the stuff we lack, I think I can help provide on that end."

In the last 10 games, Vanderbilt had only a three-minute stint against the Philadelphia 76ers because Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.

Read more:Lakers look to sharpen defensive focus for Suns; Austin Reaves sidelined by injury

The return of LeBron James and Vanderbilt’s offensive deficiencies left him out of the rotation. During much of that time the Lakers were winning, which meant Vanderbilt spent time on the bench.

In 15 games, Vanderbilt is three for 10 (26.6%) from three-point range. He was asked how he has been handling things.

"Good,” Vanderbilt said. “Controlling what I can control. Keep showing up to work, doing my part, supporting the team."

Vanderbilt was asked if coach JJ Redick or any assistants have spoken to him about his role.

"Kind of here and there, I guess,” Vanderbilt said.

Vanderbilt was seen after practice Saturday working with an assistant coach on his shooting, just like he did after practice Friday and like he has done while not playing.

Read more:Lakers' Austin Reaves to miss at least a week because of calf strain

Redick said Reaves, who played against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, wasn’t sure when the calf became an issue, and “we’re obviously gonna be cautious with it.”

“It's a mild strain, Grade 1, and he'll be out for a week,” Redick said, adding, “I would venture to say every player is a little bit different, but players now are becoming more cautious — to use that word again — more cautious when they get those diagnosis with the calf. Everything looks clean. It's not in the deep part.”

The Lakers have looked at the last 10 games during the film sessions as a barometer for their defensive problems. But in reality, the Lakers have not been very good on defense all season while producing a 17-7 record because of their stellar offense.

"It's been a trending thing even when we was winning, so I think like you said, the defense still wasn't there, but we was just outscoring everybody,” Vanderbilt said. “So, I think obviously during the loss, it's an appropriate time to address certain things just so it won't keep lingering and get worse."

The Lakers are 18th in the NBA in points given up (116.8), 22nd in opponents' field-goal percentage (48.1%) and 27th in opponents' three-point shooting (38.2%).

They will face a Suns team that defeated them Dec. 1 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers were unable to stop Collin Gillesipie, who had 28 points and was eight for 14 from three-point range, and Dillon Brooks, who had 33 points.

It hasn't gotten better in the ensuing days. The Spurs loss was the Lakers' third in the last five games.

"Nobody likes to go watch film after you get your ass kicked,” guard Marcus Smart said. “It's tough because the film never lies. And it exposed us a lot, which we already knew. We were just winning a lot of games. So it was mitigated that way, but it was straight to it: We have to be able to guard.

“The scouting report against us is we're not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we're trying to do, you have to be able to guard, especially in the West. These guys are no joke, and they're coming. And especially [if] you got the Lakers across your jersey. They're definitely coming with everything they have. So you can't be expecting any surprises. And that's what it was. It wasn't no sugarcoating anything. It was, 'This is what we got to do.' We've been asked. Let's fix it.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

As paramilitary fighters from the brutal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) overran the largest city in western Sudan – carrying out mass executions, rapes and ethnic cleansing with weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates – the NBA’s annual in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup, tipped off on Halloween night, proudly sponsored by the very same Gulf state.

The tournament is the most visible example of the NBA’s expanding partnership with the UAE – a partnership that includes annual preseason games in Abu Dhabi, a lucrative sponsorship deal with Emirates airlines, and plans for a new NBA Global Academy at NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus.

Larger deals are expected to follow. The NBA is reportedly seeking Abu Dhabi’s investment in a new NBA-branded European league, which could launch as early as 2027.

This blossoming partnership has already paid dividends for both sides: the NBA has gained a deep-pocketed investor, while the UAE has found a willing partner to help further normalize its autocratic regime, especially now that it is facing accusations of inflaming genocide in Sudan.

For its part, the NBA says it is following advice from the US government on its relationship with the UAE.

“Basketball has a century-long history in the Middle East, and our activities in the UAE – which include bringing live NBA games to fans in the region and teaching the fundamentals and values of the game to thousands of boys and girls annually – are consistent with our efforts to engage fans and aspiring players in more than 200 countries and territories around the world,” a league spokesperson told the Guardian. “We will continue to rely on US state department guidance everywhere we operate.”

Beneath its image of opulence and modernity, the UAE enforces silence with an iron fist. Dissidents and human rights advocates languish in prisons on arbitrary charges, punished for daring to oppose the state. The nation’s economic prosperity rests on the backs of migrant laborers, who make up 88% of the workforce and who toil with few rights and little recourse against abuse.

The UAE’s influence extends into bloodier terrain beyond its borders. A growing body of evidence links the Emirati government to Sudan’s RSF, the paramilitary faction behind many of the atrocities and crimes against humanity being committed in Sudan.

Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023, when tensions between the Sudanese military (SAF), under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF paramilitary group, led by his former deputy chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, plunged the country into a state of all out war. Urban centers such as the capital Khartoum were transformed into battlefields, destroying critical infrastructure and creating the world’s largest displacement crisis.

As the civil war approaches its third year, death toll estimates vary widely. The United Nations and other aid agencies have recorded 20,000 confirmed deaths. A more recent report by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Sudan Research Group claimed that more than 61,000 people have died in Khartoum state,26,000 as a direct result of the violence. Meanwhile, former US special envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello claimed last year that up to 150,000 people had been killed.

The civil war has also been marked by horrific atrocities such as sexual violence, torture, mutilation and ethnic cleansing. This was further underscored when the Sudanese military’s last remaining stronghold in Darfur fell to the RSF recently. The militia embarked on a mass killing spree so severe that images of the blood saturating the ground could be seen from space.

Since the start of the conflict, the Emirates have helped fund and arm the paramilitary group, effectively sponsoring the group’s war crimes and atrocities. Sudan’s military government even brought a case to the International Court of Justice accusing the UAE of genocidal complicity in West Darfur. Despite substantial evidence to the contrary, the UAE continues to deny any role in the conflict, carrying on as though business were proceeding as usual.

In the past few months, the UAE has staged the Asia Cup in cricket, NBA preseason matchups, a Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event, and Formula 1’s year-end race, which featured a performance by Katy Perry. Next come the Abu Dhabi HSBC golf championship and a major padel tournament. Outside of Grammy-award winning rapper Macklemore, who canceled his Dubai concert in protest last year, no other entity attempted to distance itself from the controversial Gulf state.

The UAE has reaped enormous benefits from the sports world’s apathy. Abu Dhabi’s investment in Manchester City FC was a masterstroke, recasting the Al Nahyan ruling family as savvy investors rather than ruthless autocrats. Its stake in cricket carries a diplomatic edge, given the sport’s popularity across South and Southeast Asia, the same regions that supply much of the UAE’s migrant labor force. Meanwhile, investments in artificial wave pools, tennis and motorsports have broadened its growing sports tourism strategy.

And yet, the ongoing massacre in Darfur seems to have garnered some rare bad publicity for the UAE. Some Manchester City fans have even condemned their owner for “his country’s role in the Sudan conflict, where civilians continue to suffer.”

The silence around the NBA’s new partnership with the UAE is concerning. One of the few to call out the NBA for normalizing the UAE’s role in Sudan is Refugees International, an NGO that advocates for the rights of displaced people. “The Emirates NBA Cup COULD bring out the best in everyone. Instead, it’s being used to sportswash atrocities fueled + funded by the UAE in Sudan,” read the tweet. “The NBA shouldn’t let itself be a pawn in the UAE’s normalization of famine + genocide.”

Nevertheless, sports teams and organizations rarely sever lucrative partnerships without resistance. At FC Bayern Munich’s annual general assembly last week, lawyer and activist Michael Ott, who previously led a successful campaign to end Bayern’s sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways, was heckled by attendees after raising concerns about the club’s new agreement with the UAE’s Emirates Airlines.

Ott accused Bayern of “buttressing the image of sketchy political regimes that contradict our values” and warned that the deal with Emirates risked causing “lasting damage to the reputation of our club”. For his remarks, he was openly mocked by board chairman and CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen.

Despite ending previous sponsorship agreements with Qatar and Rwanda, the fact that Bayern Munich’s leadership refused to budge on its ties to the UAE further emphasizes how effective the Gulf state’s brand management and public relations strategies have been.

Don’t expect the NBA, which also maintains partnership with other autocrats like Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, is unlikely to speak out about the UAE’s human rights record … but imagine if they did. Imagine if genocide, war crimes and entrenched authoritarianism were red lines for global sports.

• Karim Zidan writes a regular newsletter on the intersection of sports and authoritarian politics. He is also the Sports & Dictators fellow at the Human Rights Foundation.

DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half to go with 14 rebounds and three blocks, and Cooper Flagg had 22 points and eight assists as the Dallas Mavericks rallied to beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-111 on Friday night.

The Mavericks (10-16) have won five of their last six games and two straight at home for the first time this season. Naji Marshall scored 17 points.

Michael Porter Jr. had 34 to lead the Nets (6-18), who had won three of four following a 3-16 start. Porter has scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games for the first time in his seven-year NBA career.

Brooklyn rookie Danny Wolf added 17 points, 12 in the second half. Nic Claxton had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks outscored the Nets 66-44 in the paint despite Davis playing center instead of power forward with Dallas missing pivotmen Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford because of injuries.

The Nets shot a season-best 43.6% from behind the arc, hitting 17 of 39. Porter was 6 of 10 on 3-pointers.

The Mavericks outscored the Nets 29-19 in the fourth quarter, with Brooklyn shooting 28.6% in the period — including 2 of 9 from 3-point distance. With the score tied at 110 with three minutes left, Dallas’ Brandon Williams hit a second-chance 3 following Flagg’s rebound, and Davis followed with a floater following a turnover by Porter.

It was the Mavericks’ first game since Wednesday’s announcement that the oft-injured Lively will miss the remainder of the season following foot surgery. Gafford missed his third consecutive game because of a right ankle injury.

Up next

Nets: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Mavericks: At the Utah Jazz on Monday.