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Anthony Edwards Crowned as All-Star MVP as Young American Stars Outlast Old American Stars and International NBA Stars

In the latest example of the the NBA's ongoing quixotic quest to make the All-Star Game meaningful again--or at least worth watching--for the fourth year in a row the league changed the All-Star Game format. This time, the All-Star Game was divided into four 12 minute games in a round robin tournament featuring three All-Star Teams: young American stars (Stars), old American stars (Stripes), and international stars (World). 

Without getting bogged down in the various scenarios that could have occurred under the new rules, what actually transpired is that Stars beat World 37-35 in the first game, Stripes edged Stars 42-40 in the second game, Stripes defeated World 48-45 in the third game, and Stars routed Stripes 47-21 in the fourth game. The Stars' Anthony Edwards scored 32 points on 13-22 field goal shooting while playing 27 minutes in three mini-games. He received the 2026 Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Game MVP award--and he candidly admitted after the event that he did not fully understand all of the rules for this year's format (he thought that the games were decided by the first team to score 40 points).

When the All-Star Game MVP does not understand all of the rules, perhaps the rules are too convoluted, or at least are not explained clearly enough to the players and the fans.

The first three mini-games were competitive and entertaining, which was a welcome change--but competing hard should be the minimum expectation for the world's greatest athletes on one of their league's biggest stages. World's Victor Wembanyama made it clear that he took the event very seriously, and Edwards later stated that Wembanyama set the tone for everyone else to follow. Wembanyama led both teams with 14 points (4-5 field goal shooting) and six rebounds in the first mini-game, which was tied 32-32 at the end of 12 minutes. Under the rules, the overtime would be decided by the first team to score five points, which Stars accomplished when Scottie Barnes drilled a three pointer after World's defense foolishly collapsed in the paint to give him a wide open shot. Wembanyama could not hide his disgust at his team's mental gaffe. Edwards led Stars with 13 points on 5-9 field goal shooting.

Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 11 points on 5-9 field goal shooting as Stripes beat Stars on a De'Aaron Fox three pointer at the buzzer in the second mini-game. Edwards (11 points on 5-8 field goal shooting) and Cade Cunningham (11 points on 4-6 field goal shooting) paced Stars.

The third game was the Kawhi Leonard show, as the L.A. Clippers' star poured in 31 points on 11-13 field goal shooting in his home arena as Stripes eliminated World. Wembanyama led World with 19 points on 6-8 field goal shooting. 

In the final game, Tyrese Maxey paced a balanced Stars attack with nine points on 4-8 field goal shooting, while Edwards added eight points on 3-5 field goal shooting. Leonard played all 12 minutes in the final game, but he scored just one point while shooting 0-4 from the field as Stripes shot 8-31 (.258) from the field. Donovan Mitchell led Stripes with six points on 2-4 field goal shooting.

The post-game spin from many media outlets is that the 2026 All-Star Game was a great success because of the new format. I willingly concede that the first three mini-games included the most competitive basketball seen in the NBA All-Star Game in quite some time--but it also must be stated that the grand finale was difficult to watch. I am not sure if the older All-Stars became fatigued, disinterested after eliminating World, or both, but the four NBA champions on Stripes--LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Jaylen Brown--shot a combined 4-22 from the field, including 1-13 from three point range. Stars shot 20-33 (.606) from the field as Stripes' defense was at least as bad as their anemic offense. 

The NBA All-Star Game used to feature the best players doing what they do best in one full-length game with no gimmicks or special rules: Julius "Dr. J" Erving showcased his balletic moves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar drained skyhooks, Magic Johnson made deft passes, and Isiah Thomas did ballhandling wizardry--and this took place while opposing players put up at least some defensive resistance. In the 1986 NBA All-Star Game, the teams combined to commit 50 fouls while attempting just 10 three point field goals. NBA teams averaged 25.2 fouls per game during the 1985-86 regular season, so 50 combined fouls is in line with that era's norm (teams are committing 20.1 fouls per game so far this season); the East's 139-132 win over the West in 1986 was not a defensive struggle, but the players took the ball to the hoop against resistance and the game at least resembled a real NBA game.

In yesterday's four mini-games, the teams combined to commit 23 fouls in more than 48 minutes of action, which is barely half the foul rate during the 2025-26 regular season. This is an improvement over six combined fouls in the three mini-games in the 2025 All-Star Game and three combined fouls in the 2024 All-Star Game, but let's not pretend that making minimal effort in three mini-games before producing a dud in the fourth mini-game is remotely close to what should be expected from the NBA's best players. 

The sad reality for the modern NBA is that teams and players demand extraordinary incentives to play hard and try to win; a handful of teams play hard during the regular season because they believe that they have a chance to win the NBA title, but at least a third of the league's teams are actively tanking to try to improve their draft positioning and many other teams engage in "load management," which is a polite way of saying that they accept losing by not putting their best team on the floor every game. Star players sit out large numbers of games and then complain that they are not eligible to win postseason awards (because of rules that the NBA enacted to try to dissuade star players from sitting out so often). 

Far too many NBA players chase every last dollar that they can receive on and off the court while not taking pride in perfecting their craft or even showing up for every scheduled game; there are a few exceptions to the trend, but in general the players seem to be more focused on making money than on making the game great, and it is not clear what--if anything--can be done to reverse this trend.

Michael Jordan had a "love of the game" clause included in his NBA contract to prevent the Chicago Bulls from limiting his participation in non-NBA games, including pickup games for which he was not paid anything; current NBA players do not even love the game enough to play hard all of the time when they are being paid tens of millions of dollars per year. 

The contrast between Jordan's era and the modern era could not be more stark, or more sad. 

Recent NBA All-Star Game Recaps:

New All-Star Format Produces Same Desultory Results (2025) 

"At least some of the players tried some of the time.

Sadly, that is the best that can be said about the NBA's new All-Star Game format featuring four teams playing a mini-tournament consisting of games that are each an untimed race to 40 points. TNT's Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith picked the rosters for three of the four teams out of a player pool consisting of this year's 24 NBA All-Stars. Barkley's Global Stars included players with an international connection, O'Neal's OGs included veteran American players, and Smith's Young Stars included young American players. Trae Young was selected by Commissioner Adam Silver as a replacement for the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Global Stars, and Silver tapped Kyrie Irving to replace the injured Anthony Davis on the OGs. LeBron James (OGs) and Anthony Edwards (Young Stars) waited until the day of the game to decide that they could not play, and thus no replacements were selected for either of them. The fourth team, Candace Parker's Rising Stars, included rookies and second year NBA players who won the Rising Stars event on Friday night.

I've been following the NBA since the 1970s, and the NBA All-Star Game used to be one of my favorite events, but recently it has become something that I watch more out of a sense of duty than a feeling of joy; during the 1980s, I loved watching the East's Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, and Isiah Thomas compete against the West's Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and George Gervin because the players had fun and showed off their individual skills while playing to win--but in recent years the All-Star Game has featured various gimmicky formats while the only thing the players competed at was showing who was least interested in playing hard." 

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game Descends to New Lows as Any Pretense of Defense is Abandoned (2024)

"The 2023 NBA All-Star Game may have been not only the worst NBA All-Star Game ever, but possibly the worst basketball game ever played by high level players--until the 2024 NBA All-Star Game sunk to a new low: the teams launched 168 three point shots while attempting just five free throws as the Eastern Conference All-Stars routed the Western Conference All-Stars, 211-186. That is not competitive basketball, and it is unrecognizable compared to what the All-Star Game used to be: in 1994, the East beat the West 127-118 in a game featuring a combined 60 free throw attempts but just 30 three point field goal attempts; there was no shortage of highlight plays/moments but the most important thing is that the players competed.

During the wonderful 2024 NBA Legends Brunch, Larry Bird praised today's players and made a request: "The one thing I would really like to see is they play hard in tonight's All-Star Game. I think it's very important when you have the best players in the world together you've got to compete and you've got to play hard." 

Instead, the players disrespected themselves, the sport, and the legends who built the game that provides them with the opportunity to receive generational wealth. No one is expecting the All-Star Game to resemble game seven of the NBA Finals, but the refusal of the modern players to even pretend to want to compete is sad...

We hear so much about how great Commissioner Adam Silver is, but it appears that he is praised because he tends to let the players do whatever they want, in contrast to his predecessor David Stern, who viewed himself as a caretaker of the sport as a whole. 

Considering how little today's best players care about putting even forth minimal effort, the NBA should get rid of not just the All-Star Game but even the concept of being an All-Star: retain All-Star Saturday Night (it could be renamed something else, like NBA Showcase Saturday) and of course retain the Legends Brunch, but the All-Star Game serves no purpose, and being selected as an All-Star in today's NBA has no meaning. Only the awards given after the season matter, so let the players grumble about having to play at least 65 out of 82 games--oh, the suffering!--to be eligible to win those awards. 

Here is the challenge to Silver: fix the All-Star Game, or have the intestinal fortitude to not only get rid of it but to publicly say that he is getting rid of it because the players do not take it seriously enough to deserve to have it and to receive the bonuses associated with being selected for it."

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game May Have Been the Worst Basketball Game Ever (2023) 

"The 2023 NBA All-Star Game was not only the worst NBA All-Star Game ever, but it may have been the worst basketball game ever 'contested'--and I use that word with hesitation--by high level players. Denver Nuggets Coach Michael Malone, who coached Team LeBron, made this statement after Team Giannis prevailed 184-175: 'It's an honor to be here, and it's an honor to be a part of a great weekend with great players, but it's the worst basketball game ever played.' Malone also admitted that he has no idea how to fix the game.

The NBA All-Star Game began its horrific slide to irrelevance several years ago (see game recaps appended to this article for more details), but yesterday the league's showcase midseason event descended to a nadir from which there may be no recovery. 

At its best, NBA basketball is about the world's greatest athletes competing at a high level at both ends of the court while working together to help their team win. At its worst--and its worst was on full display last night--NBA basketball is about players flaunting their individual skills without any connection to team success while their 'opponents' step aside and watch instead of competing on defense. The 2023 NBA All-Star Game was such an abomination that it is difficult to decide which moment was the worst."

NBA Formally Honors the 75th Anniversary Team, Stephen Curry Wins the All-Star Game MVP (2022)

"How much has the All-Star Game devolved from an actual competition featuring the league's best players to an exhibition of players demonstrating individual skills devoid of competition or team play? Free throws are a quick way to gauge physicality/defense. The 2022 All-Star Game included eight fouls, four of which were called in the fourth quarter, and Team LeBron shot 2-2 from the free throw line while Team Durant shot 7-7 from the free throw line. This season, NBA teams average a little over 21 free throw attempts per game, so it is obvious that the All-Star Game featured few fouls, few free throws, very little physicality, and token defense compared to a normal NBA game.

All-Star Games used to be played much differently. In the first NBA All-Star Game, the East beat the West 98-93 in overtime in 1954 with the East shooting 36 of 44 from the free throw line and the West shooting 17-26 from the free throw line. In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set an All-Star single game scoring record (42 points) that stood for 55 years. Chamberlain shot 8-16 from the free throw line, and his East squad shot 24-43 from the free throw line. The West, which won 150-130, shot 36-51 from the free throw line. Chamberlain's scoring record took place during a competitive game, and the record stood until long after NBA All-Star Games ceased to be competitive; his record is so exceptional that even in an era during which it is much easier to score in All-Star Games only two players have surpassed the standard that he set--and Curry did so by making a bunch of uncontested three pointers.

For most of All-Star Game history, players from both sides played hard, played defense, and committed a normal amount of fouls. Things began to change in 2007, when the victorious West only attempted nine free throws and the East only attempted 13 free throws, a big decline from 24 and 28 respectively in the 2006 All-Star Game. The 2008 All-Star Game was more of the same. Matters improved a bit during the next several All-Star Games, but in 2014 the East attempted nine free throws and the West attempted 12 free throws. Since 2014, single digit free throw attempts per team have been the norm rather than the exception--and on the rare occasion that a team has attempted more than 10 free throws most of those free throw attempts have happened in the fourth quarter, when the new scoring rules inspire (or shame) the All-Stars into playing some defense."

Giannis Antetokounmpo Wins All-Star MVP With Perfect Shooting, Leads Team LeBron to 170-150 Win Over Team Durant (2021)

"Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have the first perfect shooting performance in NBA All-Star Game history--Hal Greer shot 8-8 from the field en route to scoring 21 points and winning the 1968 NBA All-Star Game MVP--but he set the NBA All-Star Game record for most field goals without a miss (16), and he captured his first All-Star Game MVP by scoring a game-high 35 points as his Team LeBron routed Team Durant, 170-150. Antetokounmpo played just 19 minutes, so he scored nearly two points per minute. Most of Antetokounmpo's shots were lightly contested--if not uncontested--dunks, but he also shot 3-3 from three point range. Each team shot 3-5 from the free throw line as both teams spent most of the game not even pretending to care about defense. Perhaps the league and/or the players think that the fans want to see uncontested dunks and wide open three pointers, but I think/hope that true basketball fans want to see competition. A contested dunk is a great play; an uncontested dunk is just performance art."

Kawhi Leonard Leads Team LeBron to 157-155 Win over Team Giannis as New Format Results in Exciting Fourth Quarter Competition (2020)

"After three quarters, it seemed that the new NBA All-Star Game format had not inspired many players from either team to even pretend to play at a fraction of their full capabilities. Fortunately, the fourth quarter--a race to 157 points based on adding 24 points (in honor of Kobe Bryant) to the 133-124 lead enjoyed by Team Giannis over Team LeBron at the end of the third quarter--featured high level play as both teams looked fully engaged: Team Giannis' Kyle Lowry seemed to try to take a charge on every defensive possession, players from both teams contested almost every shot, and the level of physicality ramped up to top notch regular season levels, if not even first round playoff levels.

It is mystifying that most NBA players seem to need external motivation to play their best in the All-Star Game, but with a substantial portion of the weekend's festivities dedicated to the memory of Bryant--including naming the All-Star MVP award for him--it would have been a travesty for the players to just sleepwalk through the entire proceedings. Kawhi Leonard is a pioneer of the less than commendable load management scourge, but at least he always plays hard when he is on the court. Leonard scored a game-high 30 points on 11-18 field goal shooting (including 8-14 from three point range), grabbed seven rebounds, dished for four assists, and received the first Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP Award as his Team LeBron won, 157-155."

Kevin Durant Wins his Second All-Star MVP as Team LeBron Overcomes 20 Point Deficit to Defeat Team Giannis, 178-164 (2019)

"The All-Star Game sunk to such depths a few years ago that there were even whispers that it might be discontinued. Instead, the league changed the format from East versus West to a format in which the top two vote-getters conduct a draft consisting of a pool of other All-Stars selected by fans, coaches and media members. LeBron James faced off against Giannis Antetokounmpo in this year's All-Star draft. Popular consensus was that James, whose draft strategy seemed to be focused on acquiring every major player who will be a free agent soon, got the better of Antetokounmpo--but it did not look like that initially, as Team Giannis led 53-37 after the first quarter and 95-82 at halftime. Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 38 points on 17-23 field goal shooting, including 10 dunks. He also had 11 rebounds and five assists. He set the tone in the first quarter with 16 points. Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee teammate/All-Star teammate Khris Middleton added 20 points on 7-13 field goal shooting, including 6-10 from three point range. Middleton scored 12 first quarter points.

To coin--or repeat--a phrase, it seemed like Team LeBron was in 'chill mode' during the first half, but in the second half they exerted at least some defensive effort and they rained down a barrage of three pointers. Team LeBron outscored Team Giannis 96-69 in the second half while shooting 22-49 from three point range. The teams combined to attempt 167 three pointers during the game, compared to 108 two pointers attempted.

Kevin Durant earned MVP honors by scoring 31 points on 10-15 field goal shooting (including 6-9 from three point range) while also contributing seven rebounds. He had 11 points on 4-4 field goal shooting in the fourth quarter. Durant's Golden State teammate Klay Thompson finished second on Team LeBron with 20 points on 7-16 field goal shooting (6-12 from three point range) and he had eight rebounds and four assists as well."

LeBron James Earns Third All-Star Game MVP as Team LeBron Outlasts Team Stephen, 148-145 (2018):

"LeBron James scored a game-high 29 points on 12-17 field goal shooting, grabbed a game-high tying 10 rebounds and dished eight assists as Team LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145 in the first year of the NBA's new All-Star selection format; instead of the traditional matchup featuring the Eastern Conference facing the Western Conference, a team of All-Stars picked by LeBron James faced a team of All-Stars picked by Stephen Curry. The NBA tweaked the All-Star Game in the wake of several subpar All-Star Games, culminating in last year's farce.

Before the 2018 All-Star Game, James already held the NBA All-Star Game career scoring record (314 points) and yesterday he surpassed Julius Erving (321 points) to set the record for most points scored in ABA and NBA All-Star Games combined. Bob Pettit (1956, 58, 59, 62) and Kobe Bryant (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) share the record with four All-Star Game MVPs each, while James joined Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal as three-time winners; James previously earned the All-Star Game MVP in 2006 and 2008."

The NBA All-Star Game Has Become a Farce (2017):

"The Western Conference's 192-182 victory over the Eastern Conference is without question the worst NBA All-Star Game that I have ever watched. Other than the MLB All-Star Game that ended in a tie (and many NFL Pro Bowls of recent vintage) it may be the worst major professional league All-Star Game ever. When the reigning two-time regular season MVP literally lies down on the court instead of attempting to play defense, you know that the event has jumped the shark."

Labels: 2026 NBA All-Star Game, Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard, Victor Wembanyama

posted by David Friedman @ 12:09 PM

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The 2026 Legends Brunch Honors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Candace Parker, Baron Davis, and Jamal Crawford While Featuring a Panel Discussion With Olympians Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Pau Gasol

The Legends Brunch is the highlight of NBA All-Star Weekend, a celebration of the great players who built the NBA from a fledgling league into a global enterprise. I cherished covering the Legends Brunch in person from 2005-2010, and every year that was my favorite All-Star Weekend event, along with attending the ABA Reunions in 2005 and 2006.

NBC is covering the NBA this season for the first time since 2002, so for the first time in more than two decades TNT's Ernie Johnson was not the host for the Legends Brunch telecast. Bob Costas, who served as NBC's main NBA host the last time that the network had an NBA contract, hosted the 2026 Legends Brunch. His communication style is different than Johnson's--Costas did not lead things off with a poem he wrote--but Costas is every bit as informed and talented as Johnson is.

Costas began the telecast by providing a brief recap of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, and then he introduced NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Silver acknowledged the presence of the family members of Chuck Cooper (the first Black player drafted by an NBA team), Earl Lloyd (the first Black player to play in an NBA game), and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (the first Black player to sign an NBA contract). Then, he presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar said that he is "deeply humbled, filled with gratitude for a league that gave me far more than a career. It gave me a home, a purpose, and a family." Abdul-Jabbar thanked all of his coaches and teammates collectively, but he singled out one coach by name: Farrell Hopkins, who he credited with impressing upon him the importance of being able to score effectively. Abdul-Jabbar took that advice to heart, eventually breaking Wilt Chamberlain's NBA career scoring record in 1984 and then holding the mark until LeBron James surpassed him in 2023. Abdul-Jabbar expressed gratitude that the NBA provided "a platform to stand for something larger than myself," namely social justice and community service. He emphasized the importance of what an athlete does beyond the basketball court: "Greatness is not measured in points only or in wins, but in the impact we leave behind."

Magic Johnson presented the Pioneer Award to Candace Parker, the only WNBA player to win championships with three different teams and the only WNBA player to win the Rookie of the Year award and the regular season MVP in the same season. Parker stated that she has been inspired by NBA legends, singling out Magic Johnson and Julius Erving in particular. She also noted the strong influence that her college coach, Pat Summit, had on her.

The Legends Brunch included a special tribute to the three pioneers mentioned above: Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton. This is part of the NBA's season-long recognition of how Cooper, Lloyd, and Clifton played key roles in integrating the league.

Andre Iguodala, the President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), spoke on a host of topics. He mentioned Chris Paul--who recently retired after being released by the L.A. Clippers--and said that Paul has a special ability to "lock in" to competition while also being able to "lock through" as a connector bringing people together. Iguodala recalled that when Paul was a rival player he did not like him very much, but that after serving as an NBPA Vice President while Paul was the NBPA President he saw firsthand how much Paul did on behalf of NBA players. Iguodala praised Abdul-Jabbar for speaking to him 15 years ago about the value of keeping up with the times to learn to speak the language of young people. Abdul-Jabbar advised Iguodala to do things like watching reality TV shows to better understand how young people think and how they communicate.

Antonio Davis, the President of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA or Legends of Basketball), spoke about the NBRPA's mandate to help Legends live with dignity and wellness so that they can prosper and can continue to make positive contributions to their communities.

The Bob Lanier Community Impact Award was first presented to Pau Gasol in 2023, and then Jalen Rose earned the honor in 2024. The award was not presented at the 2025 Legends Brunch, but it is important to keep Lanier's name alive, and to recognize players who have a positive community impact. Gasol presented this award to Baron Davis and Jamal Crawford. Davis spoke about his efforts to bridge the gap between the "privileged" and the "underprivileged." He said that he learned the importance of community while he grew up in the L.A. area. Crawford declared, "This honor truly means a lot to me. I feel so blessed because this isn't something you seek recognition for. You do what feels right to uplift as many people as possible, especially those who need it most." He thanked his grandparents, parents, sisters, and community members who inspired him. He lives by the motto, "If you can help someone, do it." Crawford added, "Giving back is not about recognition. It's about responsibility." He thanked Abdul-Jabbar and Erving for providing inspiration to him when he was a child--and even today. Crawford said that the sport's legends are the most important part of the game. 

After Crawford finished speaking, Costas mentioned the new documentary "Soul Power," produced by Julius Erving, George Karl, and Common. The four part series on Amazon Prime tells the story of the ABA. Costas noted the tremendous impact that the ABA had on basketball history--and on the way basketball is played today--with innovations such as the three point shot (which was not invented by the ABA but was popularized by the league), the Slam Dunk Contest, and a wide open style of play. Many Hall of Famers started their careers in the ABA, including four-time MVP/three-time champion Julius Erving, three-time MVP/one-time champion Moses Malone, two-time MVP/three-time champion Mel Daniels, one-time MVP/one-time champion Artis Gilmore, one-time MVP/two-time champion George McGinnis, three-time champion Roger Brown, four-time scoring champion George Gervin, David Thompson, Bobby Jones, and Louie Dampier. Costas declared, "No one personified the league more than Dr. J, one of the greatest players in the history of basketball and the greatest player in the history of the ABA."

The Legends Brunch concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Costas featuring Olympians Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Pau Gasol.

Robertson recalled Team USA's tryout process for the 1960 Olympics, which involved eight teams competing in Denver. The AAU was very powerful at that time, and tried to get as many of their players as possible on the Olympic team. Costas asked Robertson if the 1960 squad was the greatest U.S. team ever other than the fabled 1992 Dream Team. Robertson acknowledged his team's greatness but also felt that the 1956 squad led by Bill Russell should be considered.

Robertson wore a knee brace, but Costas pointed out that Robertson looks much younger than 87. Robertson explained that he is wearing the brace because old men sometimes do "foolish" things; he strained his leg trying to see how much weight he could lift over his head.

Magic Johnson said that a key moment for the 1992 Dream Team happened when Michael Jordan rejected the honor of being the only captain and insisted that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson should be co-captains with him. Johnson said that this forged team unity. He remembered that the Dream Team's scrimmages were often Eastern Conference players competing against Western Conference players, and he said that those now-legendary battles were very intense.

Johnson praised Robertson not only as a great player but also as the first player who became a "businessman outside of basketball," along with Dave Bing.

The always gracious Gasol praised Robertson, Johnson, and the other legends who came before him for paving the way for him to become an NBA player. He was 12 years old when the Dream Team won Olympic gold in his hometown Barcelona. Gasol talked about how his L.A. Laker teammate Kobe Bryant ran right through him on a screen when Team USA faced Spain in the 2008 Olympics. Gasol said that play set the tone for Team USA to do whatever it takes to win the gold medal after falling short several times in previous FIBA events when Bryant was not on the roster. Gasol recalled that Bryant later put his Olympic gold medal in Gasol's L.A. locker to send a message, noting that Bryant was very "intentional" about making sure that they were on the same page about winning an NBA championship. Gasol had an 0-3 career playoff series record before teaming up with Bryant, who led the Lakers to NBA championships in 2009 and 2010 with Gasol as the second option. If Gasol had continued to be aggressive and not been satisfied with winning two NBA championships, perhaps the Lakers would have won at least one more title.

One of Johnson's most vivid Olympic memories is how Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen made a point of taking turns guarding Toni Kukoc--their future Chicago Bulls teammate--full court when Team USA faced Croatia in the 1992 Olympics.

Johnson singled out Erving for helping him when he was weighing the pros and cons of leaving Michigan State as an underclassman. After Johnson sought Erving's advice, Erving not only counseled him but he flew Johnson to Philadelphia to stay with him for a few days to discuss matters in detail. Johnson said that this was an important time not just in his career but in his life, and he praised Erving for being such a great mentor. That story epitomizes not only how special Erving is, but also the impact that basketball's legends can have (1) when their counsel is sought and (2) when young players have the humility to realize that they don't know everything and that they can benefit from the experiences of the great players who came before them.

Selected Previous NBA Legends Recaps:

The 2025 NBA Legends Brunch Honors Oscar Robertson, Gary Payton, and Rick Barry, and Features a Panel Discussion With Run TMC (2025) 

The 2024 NBA Legends Brunch Honors Tamika Catchings, Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, and Larry Bird While Also Featuring ABA Panel Discussion (2024)

NBA Legends Brunch Honors Bill Russell, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Pau Gasol (2023)

Jerry West Gives Powerful Speech After Being Honored as NBA Legend of the Year (2022)

Legends Brunch Honors Alonzo Mourning, Five Great Mavs (2010)

NBA Legends Brunch Honors Phoenix' Rich Basketball History (2009)

King James Reigns in Houston (2006 NBA All-Star Weekend) 

Labels: Baron Davis, Candace Parker, Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, Jamal Crawford, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Nat Clifton, NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Legends Brunch, Oscar Robertson, Pau Gasol

posted by David Friedman @ 10:30 AM

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Damian Lillard Earns Third Three Point Title, Knicks Win Shooting Stars, and Keshad Johnson is the 2026 Slam Dunk Contest Champion

NBA All-Star Saturday Night tipped off with the Three Point Contest, which has become the showcase event after living in the shadow of the Slam Dunk Contest from the 1980s through the early 2000s when Pantheon members (including Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant) strutted their high-flying stuff. Rookie Kon Knueppel started strongly with 27 points, setting a pace that few could match. Devin Booker had the highest first round score (30, surpassing his then-record 28 points from the final round in 2018 when he won this event), while Damian Lillard also scored 27 points to join Knueppel and Booker in the final round. Donovan Mitchell (24), Norman Powell (23), Jamal Murray (18), Tyrese Maxey (17), and Bobby Portis (15) failed to advance. In the final round, Knueppel slumped to 17 points, Lillard improved to 29 points, and Booker hit his first nine shots before missing his last three to finish with 27 points.  

This was Lillard's first on-court appearance in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform since rejoing the team last summer after tearing his left Achilles in his last game with the Milwaukee Bucks on April 29, 2025. Lillard played the first 11 seasons of his career with Portland before spending two seasons with the Bucks. Lillard, who previously won this event in 2023 and 2024, joins Larry Bird (1986-88) and Craig Hodges (1990-92) as the Three Point Contest's only three-time champions. I give Lillard credit for putting himself out in public view while recovering from his injury, particularly in an era when so many star players avoid participating in All-Star Saturday Night. In his remarks after winning the event, Lillard noted that fans want to see All-Stars competing hard, and he wanted to do his best to provide that. Let's hope that this spirit of competition carries over to Sunday night's main event. 

The Shooting Stars competition featured teams with a mixture of two current players plus one retired player. It is nice to see retired players have an opportunity to participate in All-Star Weekend. The retired players were Rip Hamilton (who joined Scottie Barnes and Chet Holmgren on Team All-Star), Ron Harper (who joined his sons Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr. on Team Harper), Allan Houston (who joined Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on Team Knicks), and Corey Maggette (who joined Jalen Johnson and Kon Knueppel on Team Cameron). The event's format requires each team member to shoot in the same order from seven different marked spots within 1:10.

Team Knicks posted the first round's highest score (31), and then topped that with 47 in the final round to defeat Team Cameron, which had 38 points in the final round. Houston was also a member of New York's winning team in the 2012 edition of this event, which returned to All-Star Weekend after previously being held from 2004-15.

The Slam Dunk Contest featured four first-time competitors, none of whom have ever been selected as an NBA All-Star: G League player Carter Bryant, the Miami Heat's Keshad Johnson, the L.A. Lakers' Jaxson Hayes, and the Orlando Magic's Jase Richardson (whose father Jason won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2002 and 2003).

The Slam Dunk Contest judges were Dominique Wilkins (Slam Dunk Contest champion in 1985 and 1990), Dwight Howard (2008 Slam Dunk Contest champion), Corey Maggette (2001 Slam Dunk Contest participant), Brent Barry (1996 Slam Dunk Contest champion), and Julius "Dr. J" Erving (1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest champion, 1984 NBA Slam Dunk Contest runner-up to Larry Nance). 

Full credit to each of the four young players who did their best to put on a show, but neither the dunks nor the star quality come close to matching the entertainment that the Slam Dunk Contest provided during its glory years. Johnson danced and strutted his way to the crown, walking out with Bay Area rap legend E-40 to get the crowd hyped up, soaring over over E-40 on his first dunk, and clinching the title with a between the legs reverse dunk on his final attempt. Bryant earned the lone perfect 50 of the night before falling flat in the final round with a pedestrian dunk after repeatedly missing the fancier dunk that he had originally prepared.

Erving presented the Julius "Dr. J" Erving Slam Dunk Contest trophy to Johnson:

Labels: Allan Houston, Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Keshad Johnson, NBA All-Star Weekend, New York Knicks, Rick Brunson, Shooting Stars, Slam Dunk Contest, Three Point Contest

posted by David Friedman @ 12:11 PM

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Cavaliers Take a Step Back By Swapping Garland for Harden

Two teams that have both fallen short of expectations decided that swapping former All-Star guards will solve their problems (or at least reduce their problems to a a more manageable size); the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed poised to be championship contenders this season after leading the Eastern Conference with 64 wins last season, while the L.A. Clippers had high hopes after pushing the Denver Nuggets to seven games in the first round of last season's playoffs--but the Cavaliers are clinging to the Eastern Conference's fifth seed while the Clippers started the season 5-16 before getting rid of Chris Paul and are now battling for the Western Conference's 10th seed (and final Play-In Tournament berth).

Cleveland sent Darius Garland and a 2026 second round draft pick to L.A. for James Harden. Harden's signature move is his step back--which was called a travel when the NBA at least loosely enforced the traveling rule and which bears little resemblance to the step back moves perfected by Adrian Dantley, Larry Bird, and Dell Curry--and that is a fitting description of this move for the Cavaliers: a step back.

On paper, Harden looks like the superior player. He has averaged 24.1 ppg and 7.3 apg in his 17 season NBA career. Harden is an 11-time All-Star who has received eight All-NBA Team selections (including six First Team nods). He has finished in the top five in regular season MVP voting six times, including winning the 2018 award. During his seven year NBA career, Garland has averaged 18.8 ppg and 6.7 apg while shooting .453 from the field. He is a two-time All-Star (2022, 2025) who has never made the All-NBA Team or received a regular season MVP vote.

The Cavaliers rank 11th in defensive field goal percentage but just 28th in defensive three point field goal percentage. The Cavaliers rank 13th in rebounding, fifth in scoring and eighth in field goal percentage. Last season, the Cavaliers led the NBA in scoring while ranking second in field goal percentage, sixth in rebounding, third in defensive field goal percentage, and 13th in defensive three point field goal percentage. Those numbers--and the eye test--demonstrate that this season the Cavaliers have fallen off in terms of rebounding, overall defense, and perimeter defense while maintaining their status as a top offensive team; thus, the Cavaliers need to add players who are tough, physical, and mobile to bolster their paint presence and their shaky perimeter defense. Harden does not help the Cavaliers in any of their areas of need. He will throw some flashy lob passes to big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but his overdribbling will not help overall offensive continuity and will make it difficult to play him alongside All-Star Donovan Mitchell, the team's primary scorer and ballhandler. Harden is a stout, physical defender when switched on to big men in the paint, but he is an awful perimeter defender whose lackadaisical effort at that end of the court will put a lot of pressure on Mobley and Allen to clean up his mistakes and blown assignments.

Harden is 10 years older than Garland, the largest age gap in an All-Star for All-Star trade in NBA history. The Cavaliers made a win now move with a player who has not won before and is unlikely to be a key contributor to a team focused on winning now. There are two consistent themes throughout Harden's career: 

1) He chases money and individual accolades more than the opportunity for team success; as a result he often becomes unhappy with his current team because he is dissatisfied with his contract, which results in him forcing his way out. In 2012, Harden rejected being the third option for an Oklahoma City squad that had just reached the NBA Finals, so the Thunder dealt him to the Houston Rockets. Harden's Houston career ended in 2021 when he sulked and did not play hard until the Rockets shipped him to his desired destination, Brooklyn. In 2022, Harden complained and whined until Brooklyn traded him to Philadelphia. Harden played just 79 regular season games for the 76ers before he forced his way out of Philadelphia in 2023 to get paid by the L.A. Clippers. Cleveland is Harden's sixth team--and his fourth team in the past five years--and he has played more than three seasons for only one of his previous five teams.

2) He disappears in the playoffs. Harden specializes in the "Harden" (a game in which a player has more turnovers than field goals made) and the "concert tour" (a game in which a player's field goal numbers look like concert tour dates). In 2022, I summarized his horrific elimination game resume, and in the next three years he added more sad lines to that resume by scoring nine points on 3-11 field goal shooting in Philadelphia's 112-88 loss to Boston in 2023, by scoring 16 points on 5-16 field goal shooting in the L.A. Clippers' 114-101 loss to Dallas in 2024, and by scoring seven points on 2-8 field goal shooting in the Clippers' 120-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets in 2025.

It is not logical for the Cavaliers to assume, believe, or hope that acquiring Harden improves their chances of advancing past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018. I can write the template for the Cavaliers' 2026 elimination game loss now, and after the game I can fill in the blanks around the words "James Harden disappeared" and "James Harden scored just xxx second half points."

Harden has been more available and durable than Garland, but that availability and durability do not matter much when Harden disappears in the games that matter the most. The Clippers understand that they are not winning the 2026 NBA championship, and that it will be an uphill battle for them to even win one playoff series, so it is logical for the Clippers to get younger while avoiding dealing with Harden's large contract, moody attitude, and annual playoff collapses. If Garland becomes a dependable second option and playmaker alongside Kawhi Leonard--who has played at an MVP level for the past few weeks--then the Clippers can retool for next year; if Garland cannot get healthy or does not mesh well with Leonard, he is young enough and talented enough that the Clippers can trade him either in exchange for players who fit alongside Leonard or to stockpile draft picks if the Clippers choose to pull the plug on the Leonard era.

Labels: Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, James Harden, Jarrett Allen, Kawhi Leonard, L.A. Clippers

posted by David Friedman @ 11:42 AM

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Addition by Subtraction: Clippers Add Wins After Subtracting Chris Paul From the Roster

Prior to this season, the L.A. Clippers signed Chris Paul, who previously played for the team from 2011-2017. Paul is often called the best leader in the NBA, but there is a difference between being a great leader and being a productive individual player. In his prime, Paul was a very productive individual player--averaging 19.1 ppg, 10.2 apg, 4.3 rpg, and 2.3 spg from 2008-2017--but this season he averaged just 2.9 ppg on .321 field goal shooting in 16 games before the Clippers sent him home. The Clippers went 4-12 in those games, and they were 5-16 overall this season with Paul on the roster. 

The Clippers have gone 18-9 since parting ways with Paul. Some commentators suggested that the Clippers scapegoated Paul for problems that were not his fault, but the team's record demonstrates that neither Paul's on court productivity nor his interactions with coaches and teammates helped the team win. I have never understood the rational basis for calling a player in a team sport a great leader if that player's teams have never won anything. Paul has not appeared in a playoff game since 2023, and he has advanced past the second round of the playoffs twice in 21 NBA seasons. 

The Clippers' slow start was not entirely his fault, and it is possible that the Clippers might have played better down the stretch even if they had not gotten rid of Paul--but the larger points are (1) it is clear that whatever Paul did during his cameo with the Clippers this season did not make the team better, and (2) the Clippers did not miss Paul after cutting ties with him. 

The Clippers' leader is Kawhi Leonard: he sets the tone with his work ethic, and he sets the pace with his high level play. The Clippers are 19-16 with him this season and 4-9 without him. In December 2025, Leonard averaged 29.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 3.9 apg with shooting splits of .490/.360/.963, and then he averaged 27.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 3.7 apg with shooting splits of .491/.408/.873 in January 2026. Leonard is playing at an MVP-caliber level, and he has lifted the Clippers from the bottom of the standings to contending for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. Leonard leads by example as opposed to scolding teammates and shouting at referees, but his resume includes winning two NBA Finals MVPs while leading two different teams to NBA titles (San Antonio in 2014, Toronto in 2019). Leadership should be assessed by results, not histrionics. 

However, the sad reality for the Clippers is that even if they claw and scrape their way into the playoffs they are unlikely to advance far because their roster is old, Leonard is injury-prone, and James Harden may be the worst playoff choker of all-time for a player of his caliber.

Labels: Chris Paul, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, L.A. Clippers

posted by David Friedman @ 8:46 PM

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Reflections on How Much the NBA Has Changed Since Kobe Bryant's 81 Point Game

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81 point game, which is still the highest single game scoring total in ABA/NBA history by anyone not named Wilt Chamberlain. Bryant led his L.A. Lakers to a 122-104 win over the Toronto Raptors, capping a 10 game run during which Bryant averaged 45.5 ppg; he finished the season averaging a career-high 35.4 ppg--the NBA's highest single season scoring average since Michael Jordan scored 37.1 ppg in 1986-87--to capture the first of his two scoring titles. 

Prior to Bryant's outburst versus the Raptors, there had been nine 70 point games in the NBA's 60 season history--six by Chamberlain (who still holds the single game record with 100 points), one by Elgin Baylor (71 in 1960, which was the NBA single game record before Chamberlain rewrote the record book), one by David Thompson (73 in 1978, the "non-Wilt" record for 28 years until Bryant scored 81), and one by David Robinson (71 in 1994). In the past nine years, five players have joined the 70 Point Club: Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, and Luka Doncic. After Embiid's 70 point game, I wrote about the NBA's recent explosion of 60 point games and 70 point games: 

The recent proliferation of 60 point games raises a question: Are we blessed to be living in an era filled with more elite scorers than pro basketball has ever seen, or do other factors explain why so many players are having 60 point games? I would argue that rules changes and style of play changes have increased scoring across the board, which leads to more 60 point games: the game is placed at a faster pace now, with less physicality, and with a vastly increased usage of the three point shot. The (over)emphasis on three point shooting has not only resulted in more scoring by three point bombers--including Curry, Harden, and Lillard--but the near-abandonment of the paint defensively has made it easier for players to drive to the hoop and score in the paint. Old school players like Julius Erving and Michael Jordan who rarely shot three pointers would put up huge scoring numbers in today's game because (1) perimeter defenders would not be allowed to touch them and (2) most teams do not focus on rim protection, which means that after Erving or Jordan beat the first defender they would have an uncontested runway for their aerial acrobatics. 

Without taking anything away from the talent level of today's top players, I would argue that the league's overall talent level is watered down by expansion and by the influx of players who played little to no college basketball. This means that the best players are able to feast on weak teams: Embiid dropped 70 on a terrible San Antonio team that emerged from tanking with a young roster that has no idea how to play winning NBA basketball. This also means that the best players are able to exploit matchup advantages even against good teams because many of the good teams lack depth: a star player who logs heavy minutes in today's NBA is going to spend some of those minutes sharing the court with vastly inferior bench players, but if you look back to the 1980s the best teams often had Hall of Famers coming off of the bench (Kevin McHale early in his career, Bobby Jones, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, etc.). 

Scoring 60 or 70 points is a big accomplishment in any league, but there is good reason to believe that it is easier than ever to score 60 or 70 points in the NBA.

How much has scoring and three point shooting increased in the 20 years since Bryant's 81 point game? In the 2005-06 season, NBA teams averaged 97.0 ppg. Only five teams averaged at least 100 ppg, with the "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns leading the league with 108.4 ppg, nearly 6 ppg more than the second place Seattle SuperSonics. NBA teams averaged 16.0 three point field goal attempts per game while shooting .358 from beyond the arc. Just over 20% of the league's field goal attempts were three pointers. 

Bryant scored 81 points in a game at a time when teams often failed to score 81 points in a game; in the 2005-06 season, the Lakers scored 81 points or less in six games, the Raptors scored 81 points or less in two games, and the league's lowest scoring team (Portland) averaged just 88.8 ppg while scoring 81 points or less in 22 games.

So far this season, NBA teams are averaging 116.0 ppg, with the lowest scoring team (Brooklyn Nets) averaging 107.9 ppg. NBA teams are averaging 37.0 three point field goal attempts per game while shooting .359 from beyond the arc. More than 41% of the league's field goal attempts are three pointers. 

The rules changes and style of play changes from the past 20 years suggest that the NBA decided that fans have such short attention spans and so little appreciation for the nuances of the game that the only way to keep them interested is to transmogrify the sport from a game of ball movement and player movement featuring diverse offensive strategies into a one dimensional game during which teams jack up as many three pointers as possible; three point field goal percentages have not improved in the past 20 years, but the volume of three point shooting has more than doubled. "Stat gurus" may believe that high volume three point shooting is inherently efficient, but shooting twice as many treys at less than a .360 clip while eschewing midrange shots and shots in the paint does not add up to efficient basketball, nor does it create aesthetically pleasing basketball. 

At its best, basketball is an all-around game featuring skillful offense balanced by shrewd, physical defense. The step back move as utilized by Adrian Dantley, Larry Bird, and Dell Curry was a thing a of beauty. I used to practice it in my driveway while being careful to not take an extra step. In contrast to that technical artistry, what is called a step back move today is a travel and/or an offensive foul if basketball's rules were enforced as written. Commentators and fans scoff that old school players "had no bag" (did not have a bag of fancy ball handling moves), but the reality is that what is called a "bag" today includes traveling, carrying, palming, and flopping and flailing to bait referees into calling fouls against defensive players. No player epitomizes the NBA's emphasis on elevating offense over defense more than James Harden, who literally "traveled" through the NBA's record book thanks to the generous whistle that he received during his prime years. 

Bryant scored 81 points in a game and averaged 35.4 ppg at a time when most NBA teams struggled to score 100 points per game; it is easy to picture prime Bryant averaging at least 40 ppg in today's NBA, and the same should be said of Michael Jordan. Julius Erving's hands are so big that when he played he could catch a basketball with one hand and go up for a shot without touching the ball with his other hand; it is tantalizing to dream about the wonders that Erving would perform in today's game when defensive physicality on the perimeter has been eliminated while offensive players are permitted to do just about anything with the ball short of running from one end of the court to the other with no dribbles. Erving shot .343 from three point range in his final three ABA seasons, so it is easy to picture Erving becoming a successful, high volume three point shooter if that had been a point of emphasis during his career--and that would have made him impossible to guard in today's NBA, leaving defenders with the unenviable choice of watching him bury three pointers or watching him fly to the hoop to dunk without facing rim protectors.

Labels: David Robinson, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 9:37 AM

6 comments

Trae Young is the Quintessential Washington Wizard

The Washington Wizards have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 1979, and they have qualified for the playoffs once since 2018, so it is not surprising that the player they have anointed as their franchise cornerstone has posted a 2-3 playoff series record in his eight year career. The Wizards sent Corey Kispert and C.J. McCollum to the Atlanta Hawks for four-time All-Star Trae Young, who last won a playoff series in 2021 and is thus the perfect player to lead the way for the Wizards to continue to avoid playoff success.

Travis Schlenk, who was Atlanta's general manager when the Hawks acquired Young in a draft day deal in 2018, is now the Wizards' senior vice president for player personnel. After the Hawks traded for Young in 2018, Schlenk declared, "We love his ability to pass the ball, to make other players better with his court vision. Obviously he gets a lot of notoriety for his long-range shooting, but I think his ability to pass the ball is what we really liked about him.'' Young made it clear in recent days that he wanted to be traded to Washington, and apparently Young's minimal postseason success did not diminish Schlenk's enthusiasm about Young's skills.

In Magic Rout Hawks and Warriors Edge Grizzlies to Clinch Playoff Berths, I summarized Young's career:

I have never understood or agreed with the "Ice Trae" hype; yes, he has hit some exciting shots and he posts gaudy statistics for points and assists, but he is an undersized, inefficient offensive player who puts up empty calorie numbers while not playing a lick of defense for a mediocre team. Young has a 2-3 career playoff series record in seven seasons, and his Hawks have not won a playoff series since 2021. The notion that he is a great clutch player is refuted by his woeful playoff career shooting (.402 from the field, including .297 from three point range). He has never shot better than .441 from the field in a playoff series, and he shot worse than .400 from the field in two of his five playoff series. 

Young's NBA regular season career averages of 25.2 ppg and 9.8 apg may look impressive, but he has shot better than .438 from the field for a season just once, and he has shot worse than .420 from the field in three seasons, including a career-low .411 in 76 games in 2024-25 and .415 in 10 games so far this season. Young ranks 12th in ABA/NBA regular season career scoring average but--much like the scoring numbers posted by Damian Lillard (13th) and James Harden (29th)--Young's individual production is disconnected from sustained team success. Young and Lillard have higher career scoring averages than five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, and Harden has a higher career scoring average than one-time NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo (who Harden foolishly mocked for supposedly lacking basketball skills), four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal, one-time NBA champion Jayson Tatum, and one-time NBA champion Nikola Jokic. 

Young ranks third in ABA/NBA regular season assists average behind Magic Johnson and John Stockton, but no competent talent evaluator would take Young over--to name just a few championship-winning point guards--Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas, and Jason Kidd.

Statistics are meaningless without context. At one time, Stephon Marbury had logged more 20 ppg/8 apg seasons than any player other than Oscar Robertson, but no one other than the deluded, so-called "Starbury" ranks Marbury among the all-time great point guards. Young is the modern Marbury, with the main differences being that Marbury was stronger while Young is more apt to shoot long three pointers. Much of what I wrote about Marbury 18 years ago also applies to Young:

Stephon Marbury is no Mozart of the hardwood. Marbury possesses certain obvious physical talents--speed, ballhandling skills, shooting ability, good strength for his size--but he neither instinctively makes the right play nor has he--paraphrasing Mozart from the above story--sufficiently familiarized himself with the work of the great composers (playmaking guards) of the past. Mozart never had to think in conventional terms about becoming a composer because he understood how to apply his talent in a way that synthesized and then expanded upon the work of previous great composers. Marbury has tried to take the same "shortcut" but without the benefit of being a basketball visionary genius. Magic Johnson passed the ball the way that Mozart composed music; like Mozart, Magic did not have to think about all of the intermediary steps in his development. A great chess player once said that his philosophy was to do things as they must be done and then see what happens--but this presupposes having the vision/talent/training necessary to see what must be done; it used to be said of Fischer that he could throw a piece in the air and it would land on the best square. For Magic, that meant seeing that his teammate would become open before even that teammate realized it and then delivering the ball through the hapless defense in such a manner that the teammate could not only catch the pass but also attempt a shot that he had a good chance of making based on his skill set.

The construction of Marbury's game is the very opposite of such genius; Magic passed the ball to make plays and to win games, while Marbury passes the ball to get assists and thus to use statistics to "prove" his value and obtain a bigger contract. One might object that ultimately there is no difference between Magic accumulating assists and Marbury accumulating assists but to think such a thing--let alone say it--betrays a complete lack of understanding of the sport (and of genius). Magic passed the ball not with the goal of getting an assist for himself but because the pass was the right play in that given situation. Marbury passes the ball if and only if, in his estimation, the recipient is likely to immediately shoot and score, thus padding Marbury's assist total. One problem with this is all of the passes Marbury does not throw because he does not think that they will boost his statistics. Another problem with this is all of the bad shots Marbury then takes in lieu of making good passes. A third problem with this is that Marbury in general is not interested in doing anything on the court that does not make him look good on the stat sheet--matters such as defense or any action when he does not have the ball other than figuring out how to get the ball back in his hands so that he can resume padding his stats.

During his NBA career, Marbury has played for Minnesota, New Jersey, Phoenix and New York. Almost without fail, when he leaves a team that team performs better and when he joins a team that team performs worse. In layman's terms, he's a loser. He may be a wonderful human being--I don't know, I've never met the man--but as a point guard, as a basketball floor general, he is a loser: his teams lose and, what's worse, rather than accept responsibility for those losses he consistently offers excuses while at the same time providing ridiculous self-evaluations of his play. When Terrell Owens proclaims, "Who can make a play? I can!" you may be amused by his bravado or merely annoyed by it but you cannot deny the obvious fact that a player who ranks second in receiving touchdowns in NFL history can--and does--make  plays. However, when Stephon Marbury earnestly proclaims that he is the best point guard in the NBA all you can do is wonder if he is delusional and/or high.

The Hawks won more games than they lost twice in Young's eight seasons, peaking with a 41-31 record in the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season, and they have not posted a record better than .500 since 2021-22. During Young's eight seasons, the Hawks went 221-272 (.448 winning percentage) with Young and 46-48 (.489 winning percentage) without him--and the trend of playing better without Young has become more pronounced in the past three seasons, when the Hawks went 60-80 (.429 winning percentage) with Young and 33-29 (.532 winning percentage) without him.

The Hawks did well to unload Young's huge contract, poor shot selection, and non-existent defense, while the Wizards did nothing to change their reputation as one of the most ineptly run NBA franchises of the past 40 years.

Labels: Atlanta Hawks, C.J. McCollum, Corey Kispert, Stephon Marbury, Trae Young, Washington Wizards

posted by David Friedman @ 12:13 PM

3 comments

Notes About the 2025 Christmas Day Quintupleheader

This is the 18th consecutive year that the NBA had a Christmas Day quintupleheader, and the 78th year that the NBA played games on Christmas Day, a tradition that began during the league's second season. Christmas Day may be the unofficial start of the NBA season for casual fans, but the reality is that we are more than a third of the way through the NBA season; we have seen enough to separate the contenders from the pretenders, which is why my Christmas Day game recaps examine the big picture along with the small picture of the individual game outcomes.

The 2025 Christmas Day quintupleheader featured the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets, the 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors, and the 2020 NBA champion L.A. Lakers; the Thunder are intact and dominant, while the latter three teams have had significant roster overhauls since winning their championships, and of those three only the Nuggets look like legitimate contenders this season.   

Game One: New York Knicks 126, Cleveland Cavaliers 124

1) The New York Knicks extended their NBA record by playing on Christmas Day for the 58th time, a nod to the league's East Coast roots. The Knicks reached the NBA Finals three straight times (1951-53) in the league's early years before suffering a playoff drought from 1960-66. The franchise's golden years extended from 1969-74 when the team reached the Eastern Division Finals or Eastern Conference Finals six straight times, capturing two NBA titles (1970, 1973) with Willis Reed and Walt Frazier leading the way. The Knicks did not reach the Eastern Conference Finals again until 1993. They lost in the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999, and then did not advance to the Eastern Conference Finals from 2001 until last season's appearance. 

This season is championship or bust for the Knicks, who replaced coach Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown. The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 to capture the 2025 NBA Cup, and they entered Christmas Day with the Eastern Conference's second best record. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers won their only NBA title in 2016 while making four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015-18. They missed the playoffs for four straight years after LeBron James fled to L.A. before reaching the playoffs for each of the past three seasons. The Cavaliers posted the Eastern Conference's best record last season (64-18) before losing in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

On paper, the Cavaliers have all of the necessary elements to make a championship run: an MVP-caliber player (Donovan Mitchell) paired with a multiple-time All-Star (Darius Garland) in a dynamic backcourt, a young and talented big man who has already made the All-NBA Second Team while winning the Defensive Player of the Year award (Evan Mobley), an athletic big man who has made the All-Star team as a rebounder and high percentage paint scorer (Jarrett Allen), and a deep, versatile supporting cast. However, the whole has consistently added up to less than the sum of the parts, and that should not be attributed just to injuries; the eye test indicates that the Cavaliers lack mental and physical toughness, demonstrated by the fact that they fold when they are challenged by good teams in the playoffs. The only way to refute that contention is to make a long playoff run, and if the Cavaliers could not do that after a 64-18 season then it will be a tall task for them to do it after a slow start that has them languishing in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

2) The Cavaliers jumped out to an 18-3 lead by the 6:42 mark of the first quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns was on the bench after picking up two quick fouls--undisciplined fouling is a recurring problem for him--and the Knicks looked shell-shocked. The Knicks cut the margin to nine (20-11) on a rare six point possession: Lonzo Ball was assessed a flagrant foul for a reckless closeout as Jalen Brunson drained a three pointer, resulting in a Brunson free throw followed by a Mohamed Diawara bucket after the Knicks inbounded the ball. The Cavaliers seemed to regain control, though, and they led 38-23 at the end of the first quarter as Mitchell (12 points on 5-6 field goal shooting) and Garland (nine points on 3-4 field goal shooting) set the pace offensively while the Cavaliers held the Knicks to 9-24 (.375) field goal shooting. ESPN's Doris Burke mentioned a pearl of wisdom from Doug Collins that I often cite: some people focus on so-called "clutch" stats or fourth quarter numbers, but the NBA is often a first quarter league, because what happens in the first quarter sets the tone for the rest of the game (although that did not prove to be the case in this game due to New York's comeback/Cleveland's collapse).

Jordan Clarkson drilled two three pointers at the start of the second quarter to slash Cleveland's lead to 38-29, and that foreshadowed the Knicks outscoring the Cavaliers 37-20 in the second quarter to take a 60-58 halftime lead. Towns had six points and five rebounds in the second quarter after going scoreless with one rebound in the first quarter. Clarkson paced both teams with 11 second quarter points, while Mitchell did not score in the second quarter.

The Cavaliers reasserted control by outscoring the Knicks 38-24 in the third quarter to go up 96-84 heading into the final stanza. Jaylon Tyson led the way with 11 third quarter points on 5-6 field goal shooting off of the bench.

The Cavaliers led 103-86 early in the fourth quarter, and they were up 107-91 at the 8:11 mark of the fourth quarter after Garland dished to a cutting Tyson for a layup. They seemed to be in control--and then they collapsed. The fourth quarter boxscore is beautiful from the Knicks' point of view but brutal from the Cavaliers' perspective: the Knicks outscored the Cavaliers 42-28, outrebounded them 16-12, and shot .556 (15-27) from the field while holding the Cavaliers to .346 (9-26) field goal shooting. Brunson (13 points on 4-8 field goal shooting) and Tyler Kolek (11 points on 4-5 field goal shooting) did most of the scoring damage for the Knicks, while Mitchell Robinson had eight rebounds. Mitchell scored 15 points but shot just 4-11 from the field. No other Cavalier had more than four fourth quarter points.

Brunson has a track record of producing in the clutch, and his teammates follow his example. The Cavaliers rely on their talent, but when the going gets tough and they need defensive stops they fall apart, and hope that Mitchell's shot making will bail them out. That is not how championship caliber teams operate. 

3) Brunson finished with a game-high tying 34 points on 10-25 field goal shooting. Clarkson provided a huge boost with 25 points in 29 minutes off of the bench, and Kolek added 16 points in 25 minutes. Towns finished with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Robinson had 13 rebounds in 17 scoreless minutes.

Mitchell had a game-high tying 34 points on 12-25 field goal shooting. Media driven narratives often link Cleveland's success to how frequently Mitchell shoots--suggesting that the Cavaliers are better off when he shoots less often--but he is not the problem: he plays hard and makes clutch shots; the problem is that the Cavaliers lack the necessary toughness to get stops and to complete defensive possessions with rebounds.

Garland added 20 points and a game-high 10 assists.  

Game Two: San Antonio Spurs 117, Oklahoma City Thunder 102

1) This is becoming one of the NBA's most intriguing rivalries, pitting the young reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder versus the even younger up and coming San Antonio Spurs; this will not be a full-fledged rivalry until the Spurs (1) make the playoffs and (2) face the Thunder in the playoffs, but the Spurs made their presence felt even before this game by beating the Thunder twice in 10 days after the Thunder started the season 24-1. The Thunder overwhelm most teams with their depth, defensive pressure, and quickness, but the Spurs effectively counter with their own depth, their ability to handle defensive pressure, and a horde of perimeter players who are able to contend with the Thunder's quickness. 

The Spurs are led by Victor Wembanyama, who has become more productive, efficient, and focused, slashing his three point field goal attempts per game from 8.8 last season to 4.1 this season; he is a force in the paint at both ends of the court, and the only question about him is if he will be durable enough to be a dominant player throughout the long regular season and then in a deep playoff run. Wembanyama is remarkably versatile, but it is worth noting--as ESPN's Jay Bilas did during the game telecast and as I did during Wembanyama's rookie season--that more than 40 years ago Ralph Sampson had similar talent in an era when big men were deployed in a much more restricted fashion than they are now.

The Thunder's early season success is remarkable not only considering that championship teams have to fight complacency, but also because 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams missed the season's first 19 games due to injury. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most statistically efficient 30-plus ppg scorer in NBA history, averaging 32.5 ppg with shooting splits of .557/.435/.884 while committing just 2.0 turnovers per game--and he also rebounds (4.8 rpg), passes (team-high 6.6 apg), and defends (1.5 spg). The Thunder rank first in points allowed, first in defensive field goal percentage, first in turnovers forced, second in steals, second in points scored, and third in field goal percentage. They rank 12th in rebounding after ranking 11th last season; they are not a physically overpowering team, but they are so dominant in most other categories that their relative lack of physical presence in the paint does not seem to matter.

2) The Spurs led 41-36 at the end of the first quarter. The Thunder usually win the possession game by forcing a high number of turnovers while committing few turnovers, but in the first quarter the Spurs had just two turnovers while shooting 15-21 (.714) from the field. The pace slowed a bit in the second quarter, but the Spurs again came out on top, 28-24, to lead 69-60 at halftime. De'Aaron Fox scored 21 first half points on 9-11 field goal shooting, Stephon Castle added 13 points on 5-8 field goal shooting, and Wembanyama came off of the bench (because he is still on a minutes restriction) to contribute nine points, six rebounds, and one blocked shot in 12 minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 16 points on 5-9 field goal shooting.

When the Thunder don't force turnovers they are not able to get easy scoring opportunities, which compels them to rely on their halfcourt offense--and their halfcourt offense can be balky, particularly when confronted with Wembanyama lurking as a mobile and long-armed rim protector. The Thunder had just five fast break points in the first half, and they shot 23-48 (.479) from the field. Conversely, the Spurs turned their stops into easy scoring opportunities, producing 15 fast break points in the first half.

The Spurs won the third quarter, 26-19, and led 95-80 heading into the fourth quarter. They committed just two turnovers while holding the Thunder to 7-26 (.269) field goal shooting with just two fast break points. No Spur scored more than five points, but seven Spurs scored during the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was more of the same: the Thunder had no fast break points and they shot just 7-21 (.333) from the field. The Thunder won the quarter, 23-22, but the Spurs led by double digits for most of the quarter--and never by less than nine points--while cruising to victory. Often, the Thunder's starters sit out the last part of the fourth quarter because the Thunder are winning comfortably, but in this game they sat out the final two minutes because the game was out of reach.

It cannot necessarily be said that the Spurs have created a blueprint to beat the Thunder, because a blueprint is a plan that can be used by anyone to build something; the Spurs' "blueprint" works because of the way that they integrate Wembanyama's talents with a corps of athletic perimeter players, so a team would have to have similar personnel to effectively utilize the "blueprint." Nevertheless, the Spurs have shown that the Thunder are not unbeatable, and that alone provides hope to other contending teams. Basketball, like many sports, is about matchups, and this matchup is clearly difficult for the Thunder.  

3) Fox scored a game-high 29 points on 12-19 field goal shooting. Castle contributed 19 points, a game-high seven assists, and four rebounds. Wembanyama finished with 19 points, a team-high 11 rebounds, and a +13 plus/minus number in 26 minutes. 

Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 22 points and he did not commit a turnover, but he shot just 7-19 from the field. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in 13 points and a game-high tying 12 rebounds. Jalen Williams (12 points on 5-13 field goal shooting plus a team-high six assists), Alex Caruso (12 points on 3-13 field goal shooting), and Chet Holmgren (10 points, game-high tying 12 rebounds) all had quiet games by their standards.

Game Three: Golden State Warriors 126, Dallas Mavericks 116 

1) The Golden State Warriors began this season with high hopes after closing last season with a 21-7 sprint before losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round; the Warriors believed that they could have won that series if Stephen Curry had not suffered a series-ending injury in game one. This season, the Warriors entered Christmas Day with a 15-15 record that stamps them as a Play-In Tournament team, not a championship contender. Jimmy Butler's arrival late last season provided a boost, but the consistent pattern in his career is that there is a short shelf life before either he becomes disenchanted with his team or his team becomes disenchanted with him. Butler's numbers this season are solid but they are not translating into wins.

The Dallas Mavericks have been in turmoil since they traded franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the L.A. Lakers for Anthony Davis; the negative repercussions--on and off the court--from that baffling move led to the firing earlier this season of general manager Nico Harrison. The Mavericks lucked out in the 2025 Draft Lottery, receiving the number one overall pick. They cashed in that prize for Cooper Flagg, who needed just a few games to adjust to the NBA before emerging as a high level performer; he averaged 24.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and 4.5 apg in his first 10 games in December with shooting splits of .527/.308/.809, and Flagg broke LeBron James' record for being the youngest player to score 40 points in an NBA game.

The injury-riddled Mavericks started the season 3-10 before going 9-9 in their next 18 games. If Kyrie Irving--who has not yet played this season because he is rehabbing from the torn left ACL he suffered last season--and Anthony Davis are healthy and productive down the stretch then the Mavericks could reach the playoffs via the Play-In Tournament. 

2) Other than trailing 6-4 at the 10:05 mark of the first quarter and four ties later in that quarter, the Warriors led for the entire game, and they led by double digits for most of the second half. Davis scored three points in 11 minutes before being shut down with a groin injury; the Mavericks were +6 during those minutes, and -16 the rest of the way, which is the story of the post-Doncic Mavericks in microcosm: Davis has played well in brief spurts, but he is injured and out of action more often than he plays.

The Warriors shot just .444 (44-99) from the field, but they had 13 offensive rebounds while the Mavericks had just three, and the Warriors made 14 three pointers while holding the Mavericks (who do not shoot a lot of three pointers) to four three pointers. Those extra possessions and extra three pointers proved to be the difference.

3) Curry, who has generally not played well on Christmas Day, scored a team-high 23 points on 6-18 field goal shooting (including 2-10 from three point range). De'Anthony Melton scored 16 points off of the bench and had a game-best +19 plus/minus number in 24 minutes. Butler added 14 points, nine rebounds, and a game-high nine assists. Al Horford provided a boost with 14 points off of the bench in just 11 minutes. He shot 4-6 from three point range. Draymond Green contributed his usual triple single (seven points on 2-7 field goal shooting, five rebounds, three assists), he had more fouls (five) than field goals made, and he had a team-worst -9 plus/minus number. 

Flagg scored a game-high 27 points on 13-21 field goal shooting, and he had six rebounds plus a team-high five assists while committing just one turnover in 36 minutes. Flagg is 19 years old, but he plays with a mature poise that belies his youth. ESPN's Charles Barkley said that the Mavericks should trade Davis and Irving, and rebuild with Flagg as the franchise cornerstone; of course, the Mavericks would like to see how good their team is when that trio plays together before they dismantle their squad. Brandon Williams scored 26 points in 30 minutes off of the bench. 

Game Four: Houston Rockets 119, L.A. Lakers 96

1) The Houston Rockets lost four of their last five games prior to Christmas Day, including three overtime losses--two of which were against poor teams (New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings). The Rockets gave up at least 125 points in each of those four losses, and that skid dropped the Rockets to sixth in the Western Conference. Adding Kevin Durant has sparked the offense--the Rockets rank third in the league in scoring and fifth in field goal percentage after ranking 13th and 21st respectively in those categories last season--so if the Rockets can reestablish their typically strong defense then they will climb back toward the top of the Western Conference standings.

The L.A. Lakers entered Christmas Day in fourth place in the Western Conference, but back to back blowout losses to the L.A. Clippers (103-88) and Phoenix Suns (132-108) exposed the Lakers' poor defense, lack of overall team speed, and lack of hustle. The Lakers feasted on an easy early season schedule, but they rank 19th in points allowed and 26th in defensive field goal percentage, two indicators that they will struggle when they play good teams.

Luka Doncic has clearly surpassed LeBron James as the Lakers' best player, putting James in a position that he has never faced during his unprecedentedly long NBA career. Will he accept being the second option, or even sometimes the third option when Austin Reaves is cooking? James' success--both individually and from a team perspective--has been founded on his superior talent, not on his leadership and certainly not on being willing to accommodate any role short of being the man in charge and the focus of attention. James has a checkered history at best as a leader, including quitting in the playoffs at least twice as the best player on a championship contending team (versus Boston in the 2010 playoffs and versus Dallas in the 2011 NBA Finals). Even after James won two titles with the Miami Heat, his contentious departure from Miami inspired Pat Riley to refer to "No more smiling faces with hidden agendas," a clear reference to James' divisive impact on the team. 

James is a major part of the problem defensively, and because Doncic and Reaves are also subpar defenders it will be difficult to put all three players on the court at the same time, particularly against good teams. Will coach J.J. Redick bench James at key moments for a superior defender if Doncic and Reaves are carrying the load offensively? Considering that James and Redick were podcast buddies before the Lakers hired Redick, this will be a fascinating dynamic to watch--and, despite what Redick and his media friends insist, Redick is not a savvy or even above average NBA coach, which places the Lakers at a disadvantage.

According to Redick, there is no way that the Lakers' defensive shortcomings are his fault; he recently told media members that the Lakers practice all of the right rotations, so it is up to the players to do better. In short, he is a defensive genius, and his players are fools. The players must love how their coach stands up for them, and they'll love it even more during the inevitable losing streak that will happen once the Lakers start playing good teams. 

2) The Rockets exploited the Lakers' poor defense to race out to an 18-8 lead by the 6:48 mark of the first quarter, and they never looked back. By the end of the first quarter, the Rockets led 37-25, and James had a -19 plus/minus number, the worst by far of any player from either team. The Lakers won the second quarter, 28-26, to trail 63-53 at halftime, but the Rockets opened the third quarter with a 20-7 blitz to remove any doubt about the game's inevitable outcome. The Rockets' lead never dipped below 15 points the rest of the way. 

3) Amen Thompson scored a game-high 26 points on 12-19 field goal shooting, and he had a game-high tying +26 plus/minus number. Kevin Durant had 25 points on 8-14 field goal shooting while dishing a game-high nine assists, and amassing a game-high tying +26 plus/minus number. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Alperen Sengun added 14 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and four assists as the Rockets outrebounded the Lakers 48-25. 

Doncic led the Lakers with 25 points, seven assists, and a team-high tying five rebounds; when your point guard is your leading rebounder with five rebounds, that is not good. James finished with 18 points, five assists, two rebounds, and a game-worst -33 plus/minus number. James and starting center Deandre Ayton had four rebounds in a combined 69 minutes, less than reserve Jarred Vanderbilt had (five) in 26 minutes. Reaves scored 12 points in 15 minutes before being sidelined by a calf injury.

Game Five: Denver Nuggets 142, Minnesota Timberwolves 138, OT

1) Nikola Jokic continues to move up in the all-time rankings. He recently broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for career assists by a center (5660), and after this game he is two triple doubles away from tying Oscar Robertson (181) for second on the career list behind Russell Westbrook (207). Jokic has 15 triple doubles in 30 games this season, and in nine of those games he had a triple double before the end of the third quarter.

2) Prior to this game, the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves by double digits in each of their first two games this season, which is noteworthy because the Timberwolves have been the better team for the past two seasons.

In the 2024 playoffs, the Timberwolves dethroned the reigning NBA champion Nuggets by using a large lineup featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid; the Timberwolves overcame a 20 point third quarter deficit to win game seven in Denver. After losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves traded Towns to New York for Julius Randle. The Timberwolves lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 Western Conference Finals. The Timberwolves entered Christmas Day in fifth place in the Western Conference, a disappointing position for a team with championship aspirations.

The Nuggets lost in the second round of the playoffs in each of the two seasons after winning the 2023 NBA title. They entered Christmas Day in third place in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the surging San Antonio Spurs. 

3) This game featured a sensational performance by Jokic, and big runs by both teams. Jokic erupted for 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocked shots in the first quarter, but the Nuggets only led 32-29 because Anthony Edwards countered with 14 points and three steals.

The Timberwolves used a 17-0 run in a little over five minutes to take a 46-38 second quarter lead, but the Nuggets closed the second quarter with a 19-9 run to end the half with a 57-55 lead.

The Nuggets opened the third quarter with a 22-8 burst extend their lead to 79-63. The Timberwolves countered with a 7-0 run in a little over a minute, but the Nuggets pulled away again, and led 92-78 entering the fourth quarter. Jokic had 32 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and two blocked shots in 31 minutes through the first three quarters while shooting 10-13 from the field and 10-10 from the free throw line.

Non-Jokic minutes have been troublesome for the Nuggets in recent years--and were disastrous in the second quarter of this game--but the Nuggets held firm in the fourth quarter without Jokic and led 101-89 when Jokic rejoined the fray at the 6:53 mark. 

In an unexpected twist, the Timberwolves erased the Nuggets' lead with Jokic on the court. Jokic missed three straight shots, and the Timberwolves converted those empty possessions into points to pull within 106-102 before Jokic answered with a step back jumper. The Timberwolves called a timeout, and then Edwards drained a three pointer to cut Denver's lead to 108-105. After a Jamal Murray miss, Edwards' strong drive pulled the Timberwolves to within one point, but Murray hit a three pointer to give the Nuggets a 111-107 lead. Spencer Jones' putback put the Nuggets ahead 113-107 before Murray fouled a triple-teamed Edwards while Edwards was attempting a three pointer. Edwards made all three free throws. The Timberwolves converted a Murray turnover into a Jaden McDaniels fast break layup to cut the margin to 113-112 with 4.8 seconds remaining. Jokic hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds left, and the Timberwolves took their last timeout to set up their final shot--an Edwards turnaround three pointer from the left baseline to tie the score at 115 with 1.1 seconds left! Jokic's full court heave missed the mark, sending the game to what turned out to be a frenetic overtime.

Edwards opened the overtime with four straight points--a bank shot followed by two free throws--and then Donte DiVincenzo made two free throws to put the Timberwolves up, 121-115. Edwards delivered what seemed to be a dagger three pointer to give the Timberwolves their biggest lead of the game, 124-115. Jokic and Tim Hardaway Jr. each hit a three pointer to pull the Nuggets to within 124-121, followed by Julius Randle making two free throws. Jokic's three pointer from the right wing trimmed the Timberwolves' lead to 126-124, and then he tied the game with a one-handed runner in the paint. Jokic was called for a loose ball fall on Rudy Gobert, but the Nuggets won a coach's challenge, resulting in Gobert being called for his sixth foul and Jokic shooting two free throws. Jokic made both to give the Nuggets a 128-126 lead before Edwards' drive tied the score again. Before you could blink, Murray's three pointer handed the Nuggets their biggest lead yet in the overtime, 131-128. A loose ball foul sent Jokic to the free throw line, but he only made one out of two. Edwards answered with a two-handed dunk, but Edwards was called for a delay of game technical foul. Jokic made the free throw to put the Nuggets up 133-130. After a loose ball foul, Edwards got a second technical foul (and automatic ejection), resulting in Murray splitting a pair of free throws to put the Nuggets ahead 134-130. Jokic made both loose ball foul free throws, and McDaniels immediately answered with a three pointer to trim the margin to 136-133. Peyton Watson made two free throws, which DiVincenzo neutralized with a layup. Jokic reestablished a five point lead, 140-135, by making two free throws. Reckless fouling almost cost the Nuggets, as Spencer Jones fouled Bones Hyland behind the three point line. Hyland only made one free throw, inexplicably missing the third intentionally but failing to hit the rim on the attempt, thus giving possession to Denver. Jokic made two free throws, and then Hyland closed out the scoring with a layup. 

The Nuggets won despite being without the services of three injured starters: Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun.

4) Jokic finished with game-high totals in points (56), rebounds (16) and assists (15) while shooting 15-21 from the field and 22-23 from the free throw line. His 18 overtime points broke Stephen Curry’s record (17, set in 2016). Murray had 35 points on 12-32 field goal shooting, and he dished for 10 assists.

Edwards led the Timberwolves with 44 points on 14-25 field goal shooting. Randle added 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Gobert contributed nine points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and a game-high six blocked shots while amassing a game-best +18 plus/minus number.  

Analysis of Previous Christmas Day Quintupleheaders:

Notes About the 2024 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2024)

Notes About the 2023 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2023)

Notes About the 2022 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2022)

Notes About the 2021 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2021)

Notes About the 2020 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2020)

Notes About the 2019 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2019)

Several Stars Shine During Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2018)

Christmas Day Quintupleheader Recap (2012)

Comments and Notes About the Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2011)

Thoughts and Observations About the Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2010)

Labels: Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State, Houston Rockets, L.A. Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 1:52 AM

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