Starting Five, Jan. 3: OKC Shines in Franchise Night with Two Unforgettable Performances

Experience a Curry storm unlike any other!

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Jan. 3, 2025

Red-Hot: The longest win streak in the OKC era and a perfect night from the all-time 3-point leader

Stars Shine: LeBron joins MJ, Haliburton stands alone, Tatum makes a statement

Knicks at Thunder: A historic hot streak showdown only seen three times before

Hawks at Lakers: Exactly four weeks after a thrilling OT battle, the two sides meet again

Wemby’s 100th: Wemby faces the Joker to cap his unprecedented 100-game start

 

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A stacked Friday slate to tip off your weekend…

Kia NBA Players Of The Month: The Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns and Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were named the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for December. See all the league-wide December honors here.

Tonight, SGA and KAT meet in the opening game of NBA TV’s doubleheader, as the scorching Thunder host the Knicks (8 ET), who have won nine straight. Then, LeBron James and the Lakers will face Trae Young and the Hawks (10:30 ET).

Get ready for tonight’s NBA TV doubleheader with today’s NBA Play Trivia

Triple Your All-Star Vote: It’s a 3-for-1 day for NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T! Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić lead the East and West Conference, respectively, after yesterday’s first returns. Vote for your starters every day until Jan. 20 on the NBA App or NBA.com with your NBA ID. Don’t miss your chance — tap to vote now.

Rose’s Flower Shop: Derrick Rose opened a one-day pop-up shop in Chicago to give out free roses and spend time with fans ahead of the Bulls’ Derrick Rose Night on Saturday.

1. THUNDER NOTCH 13TH STRAIGHT WIN; STEPH GOES PERFECT FROM DEEP

Since moving to OKC ahead of the 2008-09 campaign, the Thunder had never notched 13 straight wins in a single season.

Until Thursday.

Thunder 116, Clippers 98: After being down four at the half, OKC opened the 3rd quarter on a 17-5 run to take control and never looked back, outscoring LA 68-46 in the 2nd half to extend its league-best win streak. | Recap

Shai Spark: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in the 3rd, as the Thunder won the quarter 42-20 before slamming the door shut in the 4thStorming Defense: It was OKC’s 15th game holding an opponent under 100 points — the most in the NBA — and its sixth time doing so amid the win streak“You attack the day in front of you,” said OKC head coach Mark Daigneault postgame on staying consistent. “You play the game in front of you, and you see where that takes you.”Tonight, the Thunder will look to make more history on NBA TV (see Section 3 for details)

Speaking of hot, Steph Curry couldn’t miss last night in the Bay.

Warriors 139, 76ers 105: In an electrifying performance, Curry went a perfect 8-of-8 from deep for 30 points in 30 minutes while adding 10 assists to power the Warriors to an emphatic dub over Joel Embiid (28 pts, 14 reb) and the Sixers. | Recap

Automatic: It’s the most made 3s without a miss in Steph’s career. He’s gone 6-for-6 from 3 twice but never 8-for-8Another First: Curry — who was playing through a sprained right thumb — is the first player to shoot at least a perfect 8-for-8 from deep while recording 10 assists in a game“We need to cherish these nights,” said Golden State head coach Steve Kerr postgame. “He’s one of the most beautiful basketball players who’s ever lived.”

2. LEBRON JOINS MJ, HALIBURTON MAKES HISTORY & MORE

Three days removed from his 40th birthday, LeBron James finished Thursday’s game vs. Portland two points shy of 40.

Lakers 114, Blazers 106: James put on a show with 38 points while going 7-of-10 from downtown and added eight dimes as the Lakers outpaced the Blazers in the 2nd half to notch their third win in four games. | Recap

LBJ MJ: With the performance, James joins Michael Jordan (3x) as the only players in NBA history to score 35+ points in a game at age 40+LeBron also tied Jordan for the most 30+ point games in NBA history with 56240 Flex: No player in their 40s had recorded 5+ 3s and 5+ assists in a game before LeBron, who did it in his second outing as a 40-year-old — while adding 38 points

In a star-studded matchup in Minnesota, Jayson Tatum took control.

Celtics 118, Wolves 115: Tatum stuffed the stat sheet with 33 points, eight boards, nine dimes and three steals, while Derrick White added 26 points to help the C’s stave off a late Wolves run, improving Boston’s record to 25-9. | Recap

C’s 3s: Led by Tatum (6) and White (5), the Celtics sunk 22 3s, marking their NBA-best 14th time hitting 20+ triples this season. In those games, they’re 13-1Randle & Ant: Julius Randle led the Wolves (27 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast), while Anthony Edwards added 15 points and six assists

No NBA player has ever put up 30+ points, 15+ assists, 5+ 3s and 0 turnovers in a game — except for Tyrese Haliburton, who’s now done it twice.

Pacers 128, Heat 115: Haliburton turned in a historic stat line of 33 points, 15 dimes, six 3s and zero turnovers to lead the Pacers to a near wire-to-wire win over the Heat. | Recap

Double The History: Haliburton became the first player to record such a stat line on Nov. 14, 2023, and it’s his ninth career game with 15+ assists and 0 turnoversRare Air: The only players with more such games since 1977-78? John Stockton (14) and Chris Paul (10) — the NBA’s top two all-time assist leaders, respectively

Nets 113, Bucks 110: After trailing by as many as 24, Giannis Antetokounmpo (27 pts, 13 reb) and Damian Lillard (23 pts, 7 ast) ignited a 20-0 run to get the Bucks within one in the final minute. But the Nets prevailed in a frantic finish thanks to some big defensive stops. | Recap

Series Dub: Cameron Johnson (26) and Cam Thomas (24) combined for 50 points for Brooklyn, who took the season series over Milwaukee, 3-1, with the win

3. KNICKS AT THUNDER: A HISTORIC HOT STREAK SHOWDOWN

In the NBA’s 79-year history, only three games have featured two teams with win streaks of nine or more.

Tonight marks the fourth.

The Knicks are seeking their 10th straight win — a feat they haven’t met since 2013The Thunder are aiming for their 14th straight victory, which would match the 1995-96 SuperSonics for the longest win streak in franchise history

The showdown (8 ET, NBA TV) features not only two of the hottest teams in basketball but also two of its hottest stars in Karl-Anthony Towns and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the East and West Kia Players of the Month, respectively.

KAT led the Knicks to a 12-2 record in December, averaging 23.2 ppg and a league-high 14.6 boardsSGA led the Thunder to a 12-1 record in December, with an NBA-best 33.3 ppg on 56.3% shooting and 2.5 steals

Balance: While the Thunder’s calling card is their robust defense – ranked first in DefRtg (102.8), points allowed (103.2) and steals (11.9) — the Knicks boast a prolific attack ranked third in OffRtg (120.1).

Each team, however, has excelled on both ends during their streaks.

Thunder Offense: Before its win streak, OKC ranked 11th in OffRtg (113.7). In the last 13 games, it ranks fifth (116.9)Knicks Defense: Before New York’s heater, it ranked 17th in DefRtg (113.7). In the last 9 games, it ranks second (106.2)

Depth: Both teams show strong balance not only on offense and defense but across their lineups, with key contributions from multiple players.

Lockdown Unit: Among players averaging 20+ minutes per game in 15+ outings, four of the top five in DefRtg are Thunder: Isaiah Hartenstein (1st), SGA (2nd), Jalen Williams (4th) and Cason Wallace (5th)Swipe Show: SGA (3rd), Williams (5th) and Wallace (6th) also rank in the top six in steals per gameNY5: Meanwhile, all five of the Knicks’ starters have scored in double figures in 19 games — four more than the next closest teamAnd They Can All Erupt: The Knicks are the first squad in NBA history to have four different players score 40+ points in a game before Jan. 1 in Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby

Tonight, two of the league’s hottest teams — led by two of the deepest units in the NBA — will go head-to-head. Which hot streak will continue?

4. HAWKS AT LAKERS: A CAN’T-MISS CLASH AFTER AN OT CLASSIC

In the second leg of Friday’s NBA TV doubleheader, LeBron James and the Lakers will face Trae Young and the Hawks (10:30 ET) in a rematch of a historic OT thriller.

Rewind: On Dec. 6 against Los Angeles, Young posted an unprecedented stat line of 31 points, 20 dimes and five 3s, capped by the game-winning triple with 7.4 seconds left to earn a 134-132 Hawks dubLBJ History: On the other side, James posted 39 points, 10 boards, 11 dimes, three blocks, two steals and six 3s — another unprecedented stat lineAD Addition: Anthony Davis also stuffed the stat sheet as he and James became the first pair of teammates to each record 38+ pts, 10+ reb, 8+ ast and 2+ blk in the same game

The win was Atlanta’s sixth straight but was followed by a 1-4 stretch. However, the Hawks have bounced back with four wins in their last five games, led by Young and a deep bench.

Ice Trae Heating: Coming off back-to-back 30-pieces, Young is the only player in the NBA averaging 25+ points and 10+ dimes in his last five games (26.2 pts, 10.8 ast)Bench Boost: Atlanta also ranks first in the NBA in bench points in that span with 53.6 ppg — 9.5 more than their season average of 44.1 (3rd in the NBA)

For Los Angeles, the loss capped a 2-7 stretch. But since then, the Lakers have gone 7-3, with their stars leading the way.

LeBron Ballin’: In that stretch, James — who will pass Dirk Nowitzki (1,522) tonight for fourth all-time in games played — is averaging 27.0 pts, 6.1 reb and 8.1 astAD & AR: In that same frame, Davis is averaging a double-double (23.0 ppg, 12.4 rpg), while Austin Reaves has increased his scoring average from 16.7 to 21.3

Tonight, exactly four weeks since their OT-thriller, the two surging squads meet again.

5. WEMBY MEETS JOKIĆ TO CAP HISTORIC 100-GAME START

On League Pass, two transcendent centers will square off as Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets host Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs (9 ET).

In just 99 career games, Wembanyama — the reigning Kia Rookie of the Year — has redefined versatility at the 5. Fittingly, he’ll play his 100th game against Jokić, the reigning and three-time Kia MVP, who has reshaped the center position with his playmaking brilliance.

In 2023-24, Wembanyama became the only player in NBA history to record 1,500+ points, 700+ rebounds, 250+ assists, 250+ blocks, and 100+ 3s in a single season on his way to earning unanimous ROY honors.

And the ‘firsts’ didn’t stop there:

This season, Wemby’s elevated his game — averaging more points (25.6), blocks (3.9), and 3s (3.3), while posting the same amount of assists (3.9) and pulling in 10.0 boards.

Night after night, the 7-foot-3 phenom continues to redefine what’s possible for a big man, delivering performances that are as eye-popping as they are groundbreaking:

Oct 31: On Halloween, Wemby put up scary numbers (25 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast, 5 stl, 5 blk), joining Andrei Kirilenko (3x) and Hakeem Olajuwon (6x) as the only players to record multiple 5×5 games since steals and blocks were first tracked in 1973-74.

Nov. 13: At 20 years and 314 days old, Wemby poured in a career-high 50 points on eight 3s, becoming the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to record a 50-piece, trailing only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker.

Dec. 21: Wemby became the youngest player to record 30+ points and 10+ blocks in a game and the first to do so since Dwight Howard in 2008.

Dec. 25: Four days later, he made history in his #NBAXmas debut, becoming the first player to record 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ 3s and 4+ blocks in a game (42 pts, 18 reb, 4 blk, 6 3s).

Wemby enters tonight on pace to become the youngest player in NBA history to average 25+ points and 10+ rebounds in a season. He’s also on track to be the first player to finish a season with 1,900+ points, 750+ rebounds, 300+ blocks, and 250+ 3s.

Facing another relentless record-setter in Jokić, will Wemby make game No. 100 one to remember?

Six more matchups get underway on League Pass tonight, including the Cavs looking to become the first team to 30 wins as they face the Mavs (8:30 ET).