Happy Friday, Enjoyers! It’s a great time to be a basketball fan—let’s catch up.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Jalen Rose and Amen + Ausar Thompson! 🎉

Game Recaps

Maxey hits walk-off layup, Sixers beat Sacramento 113-111

Tyrese Maxey (40 PTS, 8 AST) delivered when it mattered most on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

After controlling the game for three quarters, the Sixers nearly watched it slip away before Maxey drove for a game-winning layup with one second left to seal a two-point win over Sacramento. Philadelphia had dictated the pace early behind Maxey and Joel Embiid (37 PTS, 8 AST), who was dominant inside while keeping the offense organized from the middle when Sacramento tried to speed the game up.

With DeMar DeRozan (25 PTS) leading the way earlier in the night, Sacramento flipped the game in the fourth behind Dennis Schröder (27 PTS) and briefly built a 10-point lead, tightening up defensively and pushing the pace. But Maxey answered possession by possession down the stretch, finally ending it himself at the rim.

See it for yourself from the sideline:

Wemby, Spurs grab 111-99 win over Rockets in Houston

In a Western Conference this tight, head-to-head wins carry extra weight down the stretch. Not that either of these young, hungry teams needed the reminder.

After trailing for three quarters, Victor Wembanyama (28 PTS, 16 REB) and the Spurs went on a fourth-quarter run for the ages and came away with a 12-point win in Houston opposite Kevin Durant (24 PTS, 6 AST) and Amen Thompson (25 PTS, 7 REB), who had built the Rockets’ margin up to 15+ in the first half before San Antonio’s late surge.

Help off the bench from Keldon Johnson (17 PTS, 7 REB) and Dylan Harper (16 PTS) solidified the Spurs’ offensive pressure in this one, which was marked by poor shooting from distance on San Antonio’s side (6-26, 23.1% 3PT) despite the win. Houston’s bench was restricted to just 14 total points, mostly coming from Reed Sheppard (9 PTS), and Stephon Castle (16 PTS, 6 AST, 2 STL) + the rest of the Spurs’ ability to lock down on defense at the right time was enough to hand them the crucial win.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• Cooper Flagg (49 PTS, 10 REB) had the game of his young rookie career, but it was Kon Knueppel (34 PTS) who had the final say, sinking two free throws in the closing seconds after a Flagg foul to lift Charlotte to a 123-121 win. Knueppel’s eight made threes fueled the Hornets all night, while Flagg’s historic career night nearly carried Dallas across the finish line.

• Washington outmuscled Milwaukee 109-99 last night behind a big night on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 66-55 (including 18 offensive boards) and living at the line (25-28 FT). Kyshawn George (23 PTS) and Alex Sarr (16 PTS, 17 REB) led the way, while the Giannis-less Bucks got 21 and six blocks from Myles Turner but couldn’t buy a jumper from the wings (AJ Green + Gary Trent Jr. — 5 PTS on 2-12 shooting).

• The Cavs held LeBron to just 11 points in a 129-99 win over the Lakers, where Donovan Mitchell (25 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST) and Jaylon Tyson (20 PTS, 6 AST, 6 REB) led the way. Luka Doncic (29 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB) held most of Los Angeles’ scoring burden, but the Lakers did benefit from Gabe Vincent’s (11 PTS, 3-5 3PT) shooting off the bench.

• Miami took the opener of their three-game weekend set with Chicago, holding on for a 116-113 win behind a balanced effort that put six Heat players in double figures. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (19 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST) and Bam Adebayo (20 PTS, 12 REB) led the way, while Ayo Dosunmu’s 23-point night kept the Bulls close but not quite close enough late.

Top Five Friday

With Giannis trade rumors heating up to a seemingly unprecedented temperature, it got us thinking about how often players of his caliber are actually moved once they’ve reached MVP status.

Presenting the five most history-making—or breaking?—former MVP trades since 2000:

5. Shaquille O’Neal → Miami Heat (2004)

By the summer of 2004, Shaq’s time in Los Angeles had reached a natural end. He’d won MVP in 2000 with the Lakers, but years of friction with Kobe Bryant and questions about his long-term durability pushed the franchise toward a little bit of a reset.

Miami saw a clear window: pair a still-dominant center with a rapidly ascending Dwyane Wade. The Lakers took back Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a future first-round pick, choosing depth and flexibility. Within two seasons, the Heat were champions—talk about validating a gamble!

4. Russell Westbrook → Houston Rockets (2019)

Westbrook’s 2017 MVP season in Oklahoma City made him synonymous with the Thunder’s identity during and after Durant, which is why his exit mattered as much symbolically as strategically.

After Presti and OKC decided to pivot toward a rebuild, the franchise made a clean break, sending Westbrook to Houston at his request. The Rockets chased a narrow title window by reuniting him with James Harden, while the Thunder prioritized future flexibility. In return, OKC received Chris Paul and a bundle of first-round picks and swaps that kick-started their rise to the top of not only championship contention, but draft pick hoarding.

3. James Harden → Brooklyn Nets (2021)

Harden won MVP in 2018 with Houston, but by 2021, the partnership had run its course. With the Rockets headed for a reset, Harden pushed for Brooklyn, betting on immediate contention alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Houston routed the deal through four teams and got multiple unprotected first-round picks and pick swaps in return.

Huh? You’re asking whether the KD-Kyrie-Harden thing worked out exactly like Brooklyn fans hoped? Next question.

2. Kevin Durant → Houston Rockets (2025)

Durant’s MVP came in 2014 with Oklahoma City, but this 2025 move was about the limits of all-in team building. In a trade that has become known as the largest in NBA history, Phoenix pivoted toward a reset while Houston, flush with picks and prospects, absorbed the cost in a seven-team deal that sprawled across the league.

1. Kevin Garnett → Boston Celtics (2007)

Garnett won MVP in 2004 with Minnesota, but years of organizational stagnation made a split inevitable. Boston, coming off a lost season, saw Garnett as the rare star worth emptying the cupboard for. The Timberwolves received Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, draft picks, and expiring contracts, while the Celtics consolidated around Garnett and Paul Pierce. The result was immediate and lasting: a championship in 2008 and a new league-wide template.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

With one month of 2026 already almost in the books, take this weekend to reflect on your resolutions—which ones you’re ready to toss and which ones you’re sticking with moving forward. Everyone grows at their own pace! Talk soon. ✌️

Austin Zeglis