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Jalen Brunson exacted revenge for the Knicks’ ECF loss, two former No. 1 picks faced off, Luka Doncic made some Laker history, and the Bulls have started winning again… maybe.

Just another few days in the NBA!

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Torrey Craig, Kevin McHale, Tom Gugliotta, and Arvydas Sabonis! 🎉

Game Recaps

Brunson exacts ECF revenge with game-winning three, wins it for Knicks over Pacers 114-113

With the ECF MVP out of the way, Jalen Brunson (22 PTS, 7 AST, 7 REB) got his revenge—even without KAT by his side.

Brunson, with Mikal Bridges (22 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 4-9 3PT) and Jordan Clarkson (18 PTS, 5-9 3PT) by his side, led the Knicks on a comeback effort to beat the Pacers, who had been up by 15+ multiple times throughout the game. Both teams were without stars—the Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton and the Knicks without Karl-Anthony Towns—but it was the difference in role-player activity (42 NYK bench points to 24 IND bench points) that helped make the difference in the end.

After being down big in the third quarter, the Knicks shot themselves back into the game and found themselves tied 111-111 with a few minutes left in the game. Pascal Siakam (26 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL) hit a few clutch free throws to give Indiana the two-point lead with 17 seconds left, but Brunson got the ball on the other end and hit a step-back three-pointer to deliver the win.

Oh yeah, and he got a rare “double bang” from Mike Breen. Legend. 🌃

Flagg and Cade duel, Mavs take 116-114 overtime win over Pistons

2021 No. 1 pick, meet the 2025 No. 1 pick.

The first matchup between these two former top picks did not disappoint, with Cooper Flagg (23 PTS, 10 REB) and the Mavericks clawing back to win the game in extra time after losing the nearly 20-point lead they had built by the third quarter. Cade Cunningham (29 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST) had the more impressive stat-line than the rookie, but it was Flagg and his heroics that put the Mavericks in position to go to overtime with a beautiful fadeaway jumper late in the fourth to set up the victory.

Detroit had a lot going for itself in this one, but neither team could get their three-point shots to fall. Two Isaiah Stewart (14 PTS, 8 REB) free throws sent the game to overtime after the Pistons had come back from down 15 in the third quarter, but Anthony Davis (15 PTS, 14 REB, 2/3 FG in OT) backed his rookie up with a clutch overtime performance to put Dallas over the top with a win over one of the best teams in the East.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• After a back-and-forth affair, the Suns outlasted the Warriors 99-98 thanks to a clutch free throw from Jordan Goodwin (all he needed was one!). Golden State didn’t get much on offense outside of Jimmy Butler (31 PTS) with Devin Booker (25 PTS) and Dillon Brooks (24 PTS, 7 REB) leading the way for Phoenix.

• With a trio of top-tier performances, the Hornets were able to overcome a 40-point near-triple-double from Jalen Johnson (43 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST) with LaMelo Ball (28 PTS, 13 AST), Kon Knueppel (28 PTS), and Brandon Miller (26 PTS) leading the charge. Hornets beat Hawks 133-126—after starting the season 4-14, Charlotte is 4-4 over their last 8 games!

• Both Nikola Jokic (23 PTS, 13 AST, 11 REB, 10-17 FG) and Paolo Banchero (26 PTS, 10 AST, 16 REB) had triple-doubles, but it was Jamal Murray’s scoring explosion (32 PTS, 7-12 3PT) that lifted the Nuggets over the Magic 126-115 in Denver.

• The Pelicans upset the Rockets 133-128 in overtime despite a super-efficient game from Kevin Durant (32 PTS, 7 REB, 12-15 FG, 4-6 3PT), with Saddiq Bey (29 PTS, 9 AST, 2 STL) and Trey Murphy III (27 PTS) leading the way for New Orleans. Houston had led for pretty much the entire game, but two Derik Queen (16 PTS, 12 REB, 3 BLK) FTs sent the game to OT, and the Pels held on!

• A stat-sheet-stuffing night from Luka Doncic (45 PTS, 14 AST, 11 REB, 5 STL) ended with a 143-135 Lakers win over the Jazz in a game where both teams shot a combined 96 free throws. Keyonte George (34 PTS, 8 AST) had a standout night for Utah, but he couldn’t stop the Lakers from going 12-3 on the road!

Active All-Star Alphas

All-Star voting is open! As you cast your ballots and while we wait for the initial voting results, let’s take a look at the active players atop the career All-Star appearances leaderboard.

1. LeBron James (21x, 2005-25): The undisputed king of this list, LeBron has made an All-Star appearance every year since his 2004-05 sophomore campaign. He already has seven in Los Angeles and would need two more after a hypothetical nod this season to tie his 10 appearances in Cleveland (not to mention a perfect 4-for-4 in Miami!).

2. Kevin Durant (15x, 2010-19 + 2021-25): The Slim Reaper has both volume and variety throughout his All-Star selections—seven in OKC, three in Golden State, two in Brooklyn, three in Phoenix. If Durant makes it this year as a Houston Rocket (and it looks like he will), that’s five different teams and an average of 3.2 All-Star selections per franchise. KD hoops, period.

3. Chris Paul (12x, 2008-16 + 2020-22): Despite CP3 and the Clippers’ recent nasty breakup, there’s no denying the positive energy the Point God has brought to every stop along the way of his storied career—ever heard of the Chris Paul effect? Whether it was in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Houston, Oklahoma City, or Phoenix, Paul has deserved the spotlight.

4. Steph Curry (11x, 2014-19 + 2021-25) and James Harden (11×, 2013-22 + 2025): Curry and Harden’s stories couldn’t be more different when it comes to their All-Star distributions. Harden’s nods, like many at the top of this list, are spread out across multiple different franchises—Houston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, to be exact. Curry’s All-Star nods? We’re sure we don’t have to tell you where those came from… #StrengthInNumbers

5. Anthony Davis (10x, 2014-21 + 2024-25): Starting in New Orleans, AD made six All-Star games before a blockbuster trade brought him to Los Angeles, where he made three more All-Star games… before another blockbuster deal sent him to Dallas. Davis was technically a Maverick at the time of the 2025 All-Star Game, but we’ve yet to see him on the All-Star court as a Mav due to his injury at the time.

Honorable mentions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook (all tied for 6th with 9 appearances)

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Signing Off

As the holiday season comes and goes, stress can build up. Be kind to yourself this weekend. Talk on Monday!

Austin Zeglis