Nikola Jokic recorded the 176th triple-double of his career [Getty Images]
Nikola Jokic recorded a 56-point triple-double and broke a record set by Steph Curry as the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 142-138 on Christmas Day.
The Serb hit 56 points, recorded 16 rebounds and 15 assists - becoming the first player in NBA history to hit at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a triple-double.
Three-time MVP Jokic hit 18 of his 56 points in overtime, breaking Curry's record of 17 overtime points from 2016.
The Timberwolves took the game in Denver to overtime after clawing back a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes of the game.
Anthony Edwards top-scored for the Timberwolves with 44 points, including the game-tying three that took the game to overtime.
But the 24-year-old was ejected in the extra period for arguing over foul calls as the Nuggets clamed the win.
The Nuggets are third in the Western Conference, with the Timberwolves in fifth.
The early-fantasy-basketball-season shenanigans are now behind us, and our focus shifts to solidifying rosters and narrowing our categorical needs. Injuries continue to be a narrative that no one likes to see, yet one that presents players with unexpected opportunities. As always, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the fantasy basketball rankings. And remember, never assume a player is rostered. It always pays to double-check, just in case they have been overlooked.
Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles — whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and 3s or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals — is vital as you navigate the season.
Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.
Yahoo High Score Leagues
Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns (33% rostered)
For whatever reason, Gillespie continues to be under-rostered across all formats, including High Score leagues. He typically provides adequate production on both ends of the floor, while also playing starter-level minutes. In three games over the past week, Gillespie has averaged 41.3 fantasy points per game, on the back of 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.7 steals.
While the eventual return of Jalen Green will have some sort of an impact, that time doesn't appear to be coming any time soon. If Gillespie has been dropped or is simply floating around in your league, now is the time to rectify that.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Toronto Raptors (16% rostered)
With Jakob Poeltl continuing to deal with back issues, Mamukelashvili has been able to make the most of his opportunities thus far. Despite questionable defensive contributions, steady offensive production has seen Mamukelashvili pop up on the points-league radar, scoring at least 32 fantasy points in three of his past four games.
During that span, he has averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 combined steals and blocks, good enough for 28.7 fantasy points per game. While his overall ceiling is somewhat limited, he is worth picking up, at least until we get some clarity regarding Poeltl's availability.
Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers (15% rostered)
Having just returned from a multi-game absence, Merrill has already moved into the starting lineup, supplanting Jaylon Tyson. While it has been a very small sample size, it appears as though Merrill is going to play a sizeable role for the Cavaliers, at least for the foreseeable future. Over his past two games, Merrill has averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals, totaling 34.5 fantasy points per game. Assuming he can hover around the 28-minute mark, Merrill makes for a low-upside, yet relatively safe option, even in High Score leagues.
Standard 9-Category Leagues
Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets (9% rostered)
Trusting anyone on the Brooklyn roster can be a risky decision. However, perhaps now is the time to have some faith when it comes to Demin's role going forward. He has scored at least 14 points in four straight games, averaging 16.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.5 3-pointers in 29.5 minutes per game.
Common sense tells us that the Nets should be prioritizing Demin as the point guard of the future, a fact that could very well translate into immediate fantasy value. While there will almost certainly be some ups and downs, fantasy managers could get ahead of the situation by snapping him up now, then re-evaluating in the near future.
Hugo González, Boston Celtics (5% rostered)
González has been somewhat of an unlikely hero of late, having carved out a sizeable role in the Boston rotation over the past three games. During that time, he has averaged 8.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks in 31.4 minutes per game, seemingly moving ahead of players like Jordan Walsh and Josh Minott. There are no guarantees when it comes to the Celtics' frontcourt rotation, although González certainly brings it on both ends of the floor, endearing himself to the Boston faithful. This run could come to an end at any point, but for now, González is worth picking up, just to see if his production is sustainable.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets (30% rostered)
Since returning from a 14-game absence, it's been challenging to get a read on what Eason's role might look like moving forward. In three appearances over the past week, Eason has averaged 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 3-pointers in 20.0 minutes per game. Perhaps even more encouraging is the fact that he started during Thursday's win over the Lakers, playing at least 26 minutes for just the fourth time all season. Eason has proven that he can contribute on both ends of the floor in limited minutes, making him a viable asset across most formats. If he can consistently chalk up at least 25 minutes per game, top-70 upside could be back on the table.
Standard Points Leagues
Bruce Brown, Denver Nuggets (12% rostered)
In what is simply a case of last man standing, Brown has to at least be considered, given that Denver is currently without three regular starters. With Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cam Johnson all sidelined, Brown's versatility is going to be crucial for the Nuggets. Although his production during Thursday's overtime win over the Timberwolves was somewhat underwhelming, he has now played at least 27 minutes in six straight games. His ability to chip in across multiple categories lends itself to most fantasy formats, including points leagues.
Tyler Kolek, New York Knicks (6% rostered)
With New York now at least open to the idea of dipping into its depth, Kolek has been able to carve out a meaningful role in recent times. He has played at least 22 minutes in four of the past five games, scoring at least 16 points in three.
Although some of his value has come as a result of injuries to other players, Kolek may have done enough to remain in the rotation on a regular basis. An ankle injury Josh Hart suffered during Thursday's win over the Cavaliers could provide Kolek with yet another window of opportunity, adding to his potential fantasy value.
Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets (27% rostered)
As a player who should have been rostered across most formats for at least the past month, Clowney remains available in far too many leagues. He continues to provide adequate production on both ends of the floor, averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 combined steals and blocks in three games over the past week. He has been consistently logging starter-level minutes, at least when the game is moderately competitive. Nightly production has been an issue for Clowney in the past, perhaps giving managers cause for concern when attempting to evaluate his rest-of-season value. However, based on what we have seen thus far, it looks as though he could be here to stay.
SAN FRANCISCO – Everything the Warriors imagined when they pinpointed Al Horford as a main offseason target in NBA free agency came together in a Christmas culmination for the 39-year-old who missed the previous seven games over the last three weeks.
The ability to stretch the floor as a center who’s a legitimate 3-point threat came back to life immediately upon Horford’s return in a 126-116 win against the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center. So did his basketball smarts in Year 19, his rebounding, being a difference maker defensively and imprinting his impact in multiple ways. This was what made the Warriors sink even further into trusting experience instead of Father Time’s worries.
Horford, in only 11 minutes off the bench, scored a season-high 14 points and had four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
His coaches and teammates after the win spoke to what a healthy Horford does for them.
“It’s the vision of what he would add to our team from the jump,” Steph Curry said. “I know that he’s battled a lot of injuries and absences and he’s trying to, personally, I’m sure, find a rhythm. That availability is huge.
“But it’s why he is who he is. Why he’s had the career that he’s had and why he’s such a coveted big man, because what he can do.”
The Warriors took off shortly after Horford entered his first game since Dec. 4. They were ahead 18-15 when he came in with five and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter. He played the rest of the quarter and the Warriors were then up by 12 points going into the second. Golden State scored 22 points the rest of the first quarter with Horford, and he scored 12 of them.
All from behind the 3-point line, fitting right into the Warriors’ plans from months ago.
Horford’s first two threes pushed the Warriors’ lead from two to five on catch-and-shoot opportunities. The third he made gave the Warriors a nine-point lead off a perfect pick-and-pop with Jimmy Butler. And the fourth came with some old-school flair in the final seconds.
Each of Horford’s last three 3-pointers was assisted by Butler.
“Got Al (Horford) back, big gator,” Butler said.
“Definitely spreads the floor, challenges shots at the rim, high-IQ type player,” he continued. “Then he’s just really, really fun to play with. As long as you’re out there having fun, being joyful, ball’s moving, you’re guarding, you’re competing, that’s who he is, that’s who he’s always been.”
Butler and Horford’s games really click. They go together and make sense whenever they share the floor. For seven-plus minutes, Butler and Horford were part of a lineup alongside De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard that outscored the Mavs 26-17.
There was a sequence in that span where Horford pivoted from guarding a driving Caleb Martin to picking his pass off in the paint and taking it down the court before dishing a bounce pass for Butler to take off two feet for a two-handed jam.
In a 10-point win, Curry believes Horford’s stretch of making four threes in three minutes and 43 seconds changed the game.
“That run that they had basically won us the game at the end of the first quarter, start of the second,” Curry said. “That was the difference in giving us a little bit of separation where we could also have that cushion the rest of the game.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr indicated during his pregame press conference that he wasn’t sure if Horford was even going to play despite finally being medically cleared and having gone through practices and scrimmages. Kerr wants to keep building continuity after landing on a starting lineup that includes 7-foot center Quinten Post. Trayce Jackson-Davis also has come on strong and re-entered the center rotation.
Kerr even admitted after the win that he couldn’t have predicted Horford would look as good as he did. He and Horford talked before the game and Kerr told him he really didn’t know when he’d go in the game because of wanting to keep Jackson-Davis’ rotation.
Well, he was able to accomplish both. Kerr went to Horford at the 5:27 mark of the first quarter, replacing Moses Moody and keeping Jackson-Davis in the game. Always the smaller team, the Warriors all of a sudden had two 6-foot-9 centers on the floor, one who can get busy from downtown and another who throws down dunks.
“That’s a big lineup. Two-big lineup today,” Melton noted.
Jackson-Davis’ first dunk was off a screen for Curry at the top of the arc one possession before Horford made his first three. The two played with each other for a little more than two minutes on a night where they combined for 24 points, with Horford hitting four threes and Jackson-Davis being a threat at the rim, where he had three dunks, a cutting finger roll and a tip-in.
“We can be more active on defense, honestly,” Melton also said. “Having those bigs out there, and with Al, especially the way he came back and was ready to shoot – we love it. We’ve been missing it. [Shooting from 3-point range] 4-for-6 is definitely something that we need. And also defensively, it allows us to sometimes grab rebounds and let Trayce run the floor and get all our wins out in transition, too. Al being out there and having more size allows us to finish possessions off.”
It’s not just that Horford missed the Warriors’ last seven games. It’s that he had only played in two since playing four straight games in six days five and a half weeks ago from Nov. 12 through the 18th. It’s that he isn’t playing both games of a back-to-back and the start of the schedule was full of them, which has been one of many factors why Horford has found trouble in getting his rhythm.
Really, it’s that Horford in his first 13 games couldn’t buy a bucket if he won the Powerball and was shooting 32.1 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent on threes while looking his age more often than not.
As celebrated and displayed on Christmas, the story now can be a reminder of who Horford still can be when healthy. If he can maintain that health and build some rhythm, a new element of the Warriors is unlocked. The sizable one they dreamt of this past summer.
“We have a rotation, we’re healthy,” Kerr said. “Getting Al back today was huge. The way he shot it the first half, just creating that separation. Our centers are all playing well. I think QP, it’s funny because QP has not shot the ball well but he’s played really, really well defensively. To have Trayce Jackson-Davis out there doing the same, defending, blocking shots, and then to have Al … suddenly we have a pretty solid front line, should we choose to go big.”
At halftime in Minnesota on Tuesday night, Knicks head coach Mike Brown lit into Tyler Kolek. The coach watched Kolek miss seven of his 10 shots in the first half and he wasn’t happy about it.
“You’ve taken 10 shots, the second most on the team, only made three; three or four of those shots were airballs,” the coach said. “If you want to take that many f------ shots, you gotta make (them).”
Kolek didn’t wilt from the criticism. He embraced it, going 6-for-12 in the second half of the Knicks’ loss.
At one point in the second half, he knocked down a three-pointer that led to a Timberwolves timeout. Walking over to the bench, Kolek looked Brown in the eye and delivered a message.
“I’m gonna knock that m---------er down,” he said to his coach.
Kolek carried that confidence with him back to New York. He entered the fourth quarter of a nationally televised game with the Knicks down 12 and 7:42 to play.
Five minutes and three Kolek three-pointers later, the Garden crowd was engaged in long, loud ‘Ty-ler Kol-ek’ chants.
Every fan in the building seemed to be stunned watching the Kolek show.
His teammates weren’t surprised though.
“It’s a testament to his mental strength, his mental fortitude and the work that he puts in,” Karl-Anthony Towns said.
Kolek’s 11 points in the fourth quarter were pivotal in the Knicks coming back from 17 down with 10:26 to play.
What you saw on Christmas Day was consistent with how Kolek has been playing of late.
He entered Christmas Day averaging nine points, five rebounds and five assists in his previous five regular season games. Those numbers don’t include Kolek’s 14-point, five-rebound, five-assist night in the NBA Cup title game against San Antonio.
You wonder how this run from Kolek will impact the Knicks’ approach at the trade deadline. Based on his recent playing time, logic tells you that Guerschon Yabusele is a candidate to be moved. The Knicks have also had interest in backup guards like New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado – an NYC native.
But does Kolek’s recent surge change how they view the backup point guard position? Does it make the team less inclined to spend assets on a backup guard? We’ll find out answers to those questions over the next six weeks or so. Right now, sit back and enjoy the Tyler Kolek show.
TOUGH TEAM
Kolek and the Knicks showed remarkable resilience and fortitude against Cleveland on Christmas Day. They trailed by 15 points with six minutes to go in the first quarter. They were down 17 with 10:26 to play.
The Christmas comeback featured strong play from all rotation players, but it doesn’t happen at all without Jordan Clarkson.
The veteran had 25 points off the bench, hitting five three-pointers on 10 attempts. Kolek (16 points, nine assists) and Mitchell Robinson had four huge offensive rebounds in a three minute span of the fourth quarter. He assisted on two threes off of offensive rebounds in that stretch, which saw the Knicks cut Cleveland’s lead from 13 to three.
Josh Hart had challenged the bench after the Minnesota game to play aggressively. They obviously responded well on Thursday.
“Our group is extremely, extremely connected,” Brown said after the Christmas Day comeback. “Everybody believes in each other no matter who is out on the floor. When you feel that type of belief from your teammates, from your peers, the sky’s the limit.”
HART CONCERN
Hart exited the game in the fourth quarter with a leg injury. It’s rare to see Hart leave a game due to injury. The Knicks had no update on Hart after Thursday’s game. Losing Hart for any period of time would be difficult for New York. The club is already playing without Miles McBride (ankle) and Landry Shamet (shoulder).
Dec 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) dunks for the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Gary A. Vasquez/Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Amen Thompson scored 26 points to lead six players in double figures and the Houston Rockets never trailed in beating Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers 117-96 on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant added 25 points and nine assists for the Rockets, who ended a two-game skid while improving to 7-7 on the road. Thompson had seven rebounds and five assists.
Doncic scored 25 points and LeBron James added 18 points for the Lakers, who fell to 25-27 in their 27th consecutive appearance on Christmas and 52nd overall in a tradition that began in 1949. They’ve dropped three in a row overall.
Doncic and James were a combined 4 of 11 from 3-point range. They also combined for nine of the Lakers’ 16 turnovers. Doncic returned after missing a loss at Phoenix after injuring his left leg in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last weekend.
James and Durant squared off in the highest-scoring matchup in NBA history. No two opposing players ever entered a game with more combined career points.
Alperen Sengun had 12 rebounds in helping the Rockets dominate the boards, 48-25. He had as many as the Lakers’ entire starting lineup combined.
The Rockets led by 14 points in the first quarter and were up 63-53 at halftime, when James had just eight points. Durant and Thompson had 16 each in the half.
Houston opened the third with an 18-5 run that extended its lead to 23.
The Lakers got no points from starter Rui Hachimura while losing starter Austin Reaves to a sore left calf. He had 12 points and didn’t return after halftime.
Lakers star Austin Reaves runs on the court after making a three-pointer against the Houston Rockets on Thursday. (Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
The Lakers felt good about their starting lineup Thursday when Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura returned from injury to restore their normal starting unit for only the seventh time this season.
But the good times didn't last long. Coming out of halftime down 10 points to the Houston Rockets, the Lakers announced Austin Reaves wouldn't play in the second half because of left calf soreness.
With another apparent setback for Reaves adding to the Lakers' desperate search for continuity, the team put up another inconsistent performance on defense in a 119-96 loss to the Rockets at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers, who've lost three in a row for the first time this season, allowed the Rockets to shoot 53% from the field. Amen Thompson led the way with 26 points and Kevin Durant scored 25 as the Rockets out-rebounded the Lakers 48-25.
Reaves missed three games with a left calf strain before returning against Phoenix on Tuesday. He scored 17 points off the bench in the Lakers’ loss to the Suns.
Against the Rockets, Reaves started and played 15 minutes in the first half, scoring 12 points on five-for-eight shooting.
Reaves entered Thursday averaging 27.3 points per game, ranking him 11th in league scoring.
Doncic, who had been out with a lower left leg contusion, had 25 points and seven assists and LeBron James had 18 points. Hachimura (right groin injury management) didn’t score in his 28 minutes.
With so many players rotating through the lineup because of injuries, the Lakers have struggled to find solutions to their defensive issues.
They entered Thursday allowing 117.4 points per game, 19th most in the league. They were allowing the 26th highest field-goal percentage (48.4) and the highest three-point shooting percentage (40.1). They were next-to-last in rebounds, averaging 40.1 per game.
That was a real issue against the Rockets team that entered the game first in offensive rebounds (16.1).
And in this game, the Rockets got 17 offensive rebounds.
The Lakers didn’t have key role players Jaxson Hayes (left ankle soreness) and Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain), adding to their woes.
“It’s the modern NBA where there’s injuries and then there’s not a lot of time to practice," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "So, when you have continuity, you can kind of capture what you’re trying to do and you feel comfortable and good about it."
Dec 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots against Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (left) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Darren Yamashita/Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Stephen Curry scored 23 points and knocked down a key 3-pointer with 3:45 left to help seal it, Jimmy Butler added 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-116 on Thursday.
Mavericks rookie star Cooper Flagg had 27 points on 13-for-21 shooting, six rebounds and five assists in his Christmas Day debut, while Brandon Williams scored 26 off the bench.
Klay Thompson returned to face his former Warriors team in the holiday matinee after missing Tuesday’s home game against the Nuggets with soreness in his left knee.
And former Splash Brother Curry kept sneaking a peek at Thompson’s warmup before they met at midcourt for a greeting and embrace. Thompson received a warm ovation when he entered the game for the first time with 5:51 remaining in the opening quarter.
Mavericks center Anthony Davis didn’t return after exiting in the second quarter with groin spasms. Davis had three points, three rebounds and two blocked shots in 11 minutes.
Draymond Green started and contributed seven points and five rebounds playing in foul trouble two days after he and coach Steve Kerr had a heated exchange during a third-quarter timeout against Orlando — with both later apologizing to each other.
Golden State started 0 for 6 from 3-point range before the Mavericks even attempted their first shot from deep. Moses Moody connected at the 6:05 mark of the first quarter and that helped the Warriors get going — along with Al Horford.
Horford returned from a seven-game absence because of sciatica in his right leg. He came in at the 5:27 mark of the first and made all four of his 3-pointers as the Warriors led 40-28 after one quarter. He finished with 14 points, De’Anthony Melton scored 16 and Brandin Podziemski contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists off the bench.
Up next
The Mavericks play at Sacramento on Saturday, while the Warriors hit the road to face Toronto on Sunday.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - DECEMBER 25: De’Aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on December, 25, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points, and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-102 on Thursday for their third win over the defending NBA champs in the past two weeks.
The Spurs also defeated the Thunder in an NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13 and in San Antonio on Tuesday. The teams meet again on Jan. 13 in Oklahoma City.
Victor Wembanyama had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Stephon Castle had 19 points and seven assists for the Spurs (23-7). San Antonio shot 53.6% from the field and held the Thunder to 38.9% shooting.
It was San Antonio’s eighth straight win and Oklahoma City’s second home loss of the season. The Thunder entered the day at the top of the Western Conference standings, with the Spurs in second.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points, but the reigning league MVP made just 7 of 19 field goals. He scored at least 20 points for the 102nd consecutive game.
Isaiah Hartenstein had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Chet Holmgren added 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City started the season 24-1, tied for the league’s best record through 25 games. The Thunder are 2-4 since, including the three losses to the Spurs.
The Thunder made their first seven field goals and went up 18-12 before Fox helped the Spurs fight back. His 21 points in the first half helped San Antonio head into the break with a 69-60 lead.
The Spurs pushed the lead to 85-68 midway through the third quarter, and a dunk by Dylan Harper late in the third quarter put the Spurs up 91-74. The Spurs led 95-79 at the end of the period and maintained control from there.
With the Knicks down 17 points early in the fourth quarter on Thursday afternoon against the Cleveland Cavaliers, it looked like fans were going to leave the Garden without a Christmas Day win.
That was until New York mounted their largest comeback of the season, finding a way to beat the Cavs, 126-124, and deliver the best present of the day.
Leading the comeback as per usual was Jalen Brunson, who finished with a team-high 34 points in the win, but he didn't do it alone. Jordan Clarkson scored a season-high 25 points off the bench, making five three-pointers, Mitchell Robinson grabbed what felt like every offensive rebound (eight of his 13 boards), and Tyler Kolek scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help pull off the victory.
When asked about his mindset coming off the bench and how he can make a difference, Kolek shared something that a former teammate taught him last season.
"Change the game," Kolek said. "That's what I always say. Cam Payne actually taught me that last year whenever we won a game. You got to change the game, you got to do something different to make the game flow differently."
Kolek did exactly that in the fourth quarter, making three clutch three-pointers and getting a block on Donovan Mitchell to swing the momentum New York's way. The play was initially called a foul, but the second-year guard was confident he blocked it and the call was eventually overturned.
"We always talk about next play speed," Kolek said. "I saw him running, and honestly if he ran and just did a regular layup, I wouldn't have caught up to him. But he wanted to do some windmill s--t. He slowed down, he was trying to do something crazy."
After the block, Kolek assisted Mikal Bridges to put the Knicks up 118-117 with 1:29 left in the game. Darius Garland put Cleveland back up briefly before Brunson scored to give New York the lead for good.
Kolek was rewarded for his stellar play by getting his name chanted by the MSG crowd, saying he's "grateful" for the moments like that.
"It's fun, man," Kolek said. "Playing at The Garden on Christmas, it doesn't get much better than that. I'm grateful for the fans that come out and support us every night."
Jalen Brunson scored 34 points, reserve Jordan Clarkson had 25 and the New York Knicks came from 17 down in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124 on Thursday and win on Christmas Day for the third straight year.
Reserves Tyler Kolek and Mitchell Robinson sparked the comeback after the Cavaliers led 103-86 early in the final period. Kolek had 16 points and nine assists, and had fans chanting his name after a late block on Donovan Mitchell that originally was called a foul but was overturned on review. Robinson hustled after offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive and finished with 13 boards.
Brunson made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining, after he, Kolek and Clarkson all hit from behind the arc in a 13-2 run that cut Cleveland’s 12-point lead to 111-110.
Mitchell had 34 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Darius Garland added 20 points and 10 assists, but the Cavaliers blew their chance at a third straight win.
The Cavs raced to an 18-3 lead behind 10 points from Mitchell and led 38-23 after one quarter. But Clarkson opened the second with consecutive 3-pointers, and after a Cavs 3-pointer, the Knicks ripped off an 18-0 burst to take a 47-41 lead.
The Knicks made 12 of their first 14 shots in the second, before Mobley had Cleveland’s final four baskets as New York took a 60-58 edge into the break.
Cleveland quickly regained control in the third. Mitchell slammed down a lob pass that Garland threw from beyond halfcourt to cap a 10-3 burst to open the period, and Mitchell later hit a 3-pointer to cap an 18-4 spurt that turned a 71-all tie into an 89-75 advantage for the Cavs.
The Knicks trailed by 17 points with about 10 minutes left in the game and found a way to complete their biggest comeback of the season, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day, 126-124.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two fouls within the first three minutes of the game, forcing head coach Mike Brown to call timeout with the team down 5-0. Mitchell Robinson came in for Towns and then OG Anunoby, back after missing Tuesday's loss, got New York on the board with an and-one layup. In the blink of an eye, the Cavs built an 18-3 lead as Donovan Mitchell made four of his first five shots while the Knicks as a whole missed 14 of their first 16 shots.
Jalen Brunson nailed a wing three and completed the four-point play to wake the team up. Jordan Clarkson and Mohamed Diawara helped out, both hitting three-pointers to cut the Cleveland lead down to six points. Brunson stayed in a groove and scored with under 30 seconds left on a scoop layup, but De'Andre Hunter hit a three of his own with the clock winding down to give the Cavs a 38-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.
-- Cleveland shot a ridiculous 68 percent from the field and 55 percent from three (6-for-11) in the first quarter, while New York struggled at just 38 percent from the field and 25 percent from deep (3-for-12).
-- Clarkson opened the second quarter with two quick three-pointers, getting the Garden crowd on their feet and forcing a Cavs timeout. The Knicks rode the momentum and went on a 15-3 run to cut the Cleveland lead down to three points, 41-38. Mikal Bridges hit back-to-back jumpers to give New York their first lead of the game and Towns kept it going, extending their 18-0 run to make it a 47-41 game midway through the second quarter.
-- Evan Mobley, playing in his first game since Dec. 12, began to find his footing and scored eight straight points for the Cavs to keep it a close game. Brunson connected on another four-point play and then Josh Hart's three-pointer with 32.8 seconds left put the Knicks up 60-58 heading into halftime.
New York outscored Cleveland, 37-20, in the second quarter thanks to making seven three-pointers. Brunson and Clarkson each scored 14 points in the first half.
-- The Cavs came out of the locker room hot, going on a 10-3 run capped off by Darius Garland delivering a gift-wrapped pass to Mitchell from halfcourt for the alley-oop jam. Hart tied the game at 71-71 with a three-pointer, but the Cavs went on another run as Jaylon Tyson scored six straight points to make it an 86-73 game with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter. Tyson kept it going with a three-pointer and a dunk to give him 11 points in the quarter.
Cleveland nearly duplicated their first quarter, outscoring New York 38-24 and building a 96-84 lead going into the fourth.
-- The game looked to be getting out of hand for the Knicks, down 103-86, but the team somehow flipped it around after Hart left with an ankle injury (down 107-95). Clarkson, Tyler Kolek, and Brunson all caught fire as the captain tied it up at 113-113 with a three-pointer.
Brunson made another clutch three to put New York up two points and then Towns charged in to score on a tip-in to make it a 123-119 game. Mitchell rocked the rim with a huge dunk, but Anunoby came right back with his own to push the lead to back to four points. Mitchell hit a crazy three-pointer to keep Cleveland alive before Towns iced the game with a free throw.
-- New York outscored Cleveland 42-28 in the fourth quarter. Brunson finished with a team-high 34 points and made six threes, while Clarkson dropped 25 points off the bench with five three-pointers. Robinson had another monster performance on the glass, grabbing 13 rebounds off the bench, including eight offensive boards. Mitchell led the Cavs with 34 points of his own and Garland chipped in 20 points and 10 assists.
Game MVP: Tyler Kolek
Kolek was a burst of energy in the fourth quarter after Hart rolled his ankle. The guard scored 11 points with three three-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 16 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and a block. He was a plus-24 off the bench.
Knicks wing Josh Hart suffered an ankle injury midway through the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday and left for the locker room.
Hart was driving down the lane in transition and stepped on an opposing player's foot going for a layup, appearing to roll his ankle.
Despite being in clear pain, he stayed in to shoot two free throws and made both.
Hart then limped to the locker room and was subbed out for Tyler Kolek.
New York trailed 107-95 with 7:43 remaining in the game.
SAN FRANCISCO – It’s natural after any earthquake to anticipate aftershocks, which is why it was fair to wonder how the Warriors would function after the tremor created by Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr on Monday.
The Warriors, to a man, expressed zero concerns about any lingering effect. And if Thursday’s performance is any indication, their projection is reality.
Their 126-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks was generated for the most part by a 71-point first half featuring classic Golden State offense, as drawn up by Kerr. The Warriors shared the ball like newlyweds sharing wedding cake at a reception, and, moreover, seemed to enjoy seeing everybody eat.
Nobody more than Jimmy Butler III, Stephen Curry, Green and Kerr.
“We’ve always been a ball movement team,” Kerr said after a season-high-tying third straight victory. “Steph off the ball is so powerful, and Jimmy loves to pass; Jimmy would prefer to get an assist than a basket. We saw tonight, nine assists and 14 points. He loves that kind of game. Draymond is such good passer.”
The Warriors recorded 33 assists, their highest total in seven weeks, one off their season high, and a sharp contrast to the 21 they averaged over the previous three games and the 22.5 they averaged over the previous 10. Six Warriors recorded at least three assists. Eleven Warriors played, and all 11 scored.
Most impressive, perhaps, is that Golden State gave the Mavericks a grand total of . . . drum roll . . . six points off turnovers.
Kerr and Butler have been saying for weeks that such cohesion is possible with this roster. And there it was, on full display on Christmas Day.
“It was clicking tonight,” Butler said. “We were moving the ball at an incredible pace, finding guys. Sometimes it may look a little bit too unselfish, because we [will pass up] layups, myself included, but we all love to see everybody else shine, so it’s a good problem.”
There were some deficiencies, the most obvious being Golden State’s 28-percent shooting from distance and its defense being ravaged for 72 points in the paint while Dallas shot 55.1 percent from the field.
But the Warriors more than offset that with teamwork and effort. There was plenty of dapping and back-slapping, first quarter to fourth. There was Green bouncing off the bench, each knee wrapped in about 15 pounds of ice bags, to coach up teammates during stoppages.
The Warriors often struggle early in games, but not on this day. With Al Horford returning after a nine-game absence to ring up 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from deep, they put up 40 points in the first quarter, taking a 12-point lead into the second. Golden State maintained a lead until the final buzzer.
Green didn’t particularly stand out, playing 28 minutes, finishing with seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two turnovers. His presence, however, was felt by his teammates and by Kerr. There was not the slightest hint of animosity.
“They’re in a better place,” Curry said. “But I was [at the podium Monday] talking about it, how they’re really professional and how they handled it. And that’s how they handled it, and how we handled it as a team.
“Stuff like that happens. They have the equity of years and years of relationship that has had its moments as professionals as you are, you come back and you approach the next day with a fresh start, and they handled yesterday and practice well. We responded well as a team.”
The next test will come on the road, as the Warriors leave Friday for a three-game swing through the Eastern Conference, beginning Sunday at the Toronto Raptors. Can they push their streak to a season high? Will Kerr and Green simply resume the relationship they’ve always had?
“That’s just part of the game,” Butler said, recalling the spat. “When you’ve been together for so long, y’all gonna have arguments. It ain’t gonna be quiet all the time. It’s OK. You’ve got two fierce competitors that have won it together and that want to continually win. We know what it is. And if you were looking at me, I’m just looking up, like, all right. I expect that to happen. That’s okay. We move on from it.”
That’s how it looked on Christmas. But eyes hungry for spectacle will be following the Warriors as they proceed.
With the 12th point of his team-high 23 on Thursday, Curry reached 26,000 career points, making him just the 22nd NBA player ever to reach that threshold.
Curry, who has made it clear he sees everything, told reporters after the win that he wasn’t aware that he was close to the milestone.
“No, I didn’t know going into it, which is great because those things take care of themselves,” Curry said. “The more you play, the more opportunity you get out there. And it is a special milestone for sure, just, 22 guys in the history of the league.
“You look up and you know there are some other active players still doing it, still climbing the ladder and I’m happy to be a part of that chase to see how far I can get up there.”
After Thursday’s performance, Curry sits at 26,013 career points. Sacramento Kings wing DeMar DeRozan is close behind Curry and should reach the 26,000-point club in the next four or five games.
Next on the NBA’s all-time points list is Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who sits at 26,071, which means Curry should pass him sometime next week.
The active players ahead of Curry are Kings guard Russell Westbrook (26,638 points), Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (28,388) and Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (31,201 entering Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers).
Whenever Curry reaches 27,000 career points, he will be the 14th or 15th player to get there, depending on whether Westbrook beats him there.
Only 11 players have scored at least 28,000 points and only eight have gotten to 30,000 points.
No one, not even Curry, knows how much time he has left. But he’s still playing at an elite level, so 4,000 more points isn’t out of the question.
But wherever Curry finishes, he has cemented himself as one of the NBA’s all-time greatest scorers.
That admiration was on display during a moment in warmups, hours before Golden State’s eventual 126-116 win Thursday, when the ex-Warriors guard and Steph Curry met up for a pregame handshake — an interaction that elicited cheers from the Bay Area crowd.
The moment wasn’t lost on Curry, who won four NBA championships with his fellow Splash Bro over the course of 13 years before Thompson departed for the Mavericks in a sign-and-trade following the 2023-24 season.
“Yeah, [Warriors fans] don’t miss a thing for sure, especially the Splash Bros out there,” Curry told reporters after the game. “Very sentimental moment, I’m sure, any time we’re in the same space, Draymond [Green] included, so that was cool, for sure.”
The reunion came just one day after Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted Golden State is a “fading dynasty.” Both Curry and Thompson were key to those golden days, but facing each other on different teams at ages 37 and 35, respectively, certainly puts things into perspective for the Warriors point guard.
But Curry knows both he and Thompson still are capable of accomplishing more, no matter how quickly Father Time is ticking.
“It will never be normal, you know, seeing [Thompson] somewhere else, but it’s also — we’re all trying to deal with the here and now,” Curry said. “And we’re such competitors that no matter what position you’re in or situation you’re in with your teams, you still feel like you can win and you have a lot to accomplish. So, it’s a great reminder of the journey, but you don’t really put too much extra emphasis on it.
“That time will come down the road.”
"It's a great reminder of the journey."
Steph reflects on his reunion with Klay and how it puts his NBA future into perspective pic.twitter.com/v4UO0AHC2J
There’s no saying for sure when Curry or Thompson will hang up their sneakers. But the memories they’ve made together — and the memories Dub Nation has made watching them play with and now against each other — certainly will live on forever.
