Jokić’s 50th, Luka’s triple-double milestone

Yes defies gravity with this double clutch jam.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

8 December 2024

Jokić stands alone: The Joker drops 56 in historic fashion, but the Wizards get the win

More stars shine: Mobley disappears while Luka and Cade send monster triple-doubles

Roundup: Yes dazzles in statement win, OKC adds another dub and Miami heats up

Jokić vs. Wood: Two offensive maestros start today on League Pass

Full day action: 12 games, CP3 closes in on 2nd all-time, Cavs & Magic look to stay hot & more

BUT FIRST…

Saturday’s scores and a stacked Sunday list…

12 games tip today on NBA League Pass, beginning with a midday matchup between Paul George and the Sixers and Zach LaVine and the Bulls (1 ET).

The action continues throughout the afternoon and into the evening, including a must-see matchup featuring Nikola Jokić and Trae Young, as the Hawks host the Nuggets (6 ET).

Emirates NBA Cup champion will be crowned in Las Vegas after the semifinals and championship on December 14th and 17th. And you can be there to see it live. Don’t miss your shot – press here to ensure your tickets now!

1. TRIDLER OVERCOMES JOKIĆ’S AWKWARD PERFORMANCE

“We are all running out of words, adjectives, and ways to describe his greatness and his impact,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of Nikola Jokić last month.

“The simple way to say it: he is the best player in the world.”

So let’s charge his numbers speak for themselves.

One match after recorded his league-high ninth triple-double of the season to pass Magic Johnson for third most all-time (click here to see theirs amazing similarities) Jokić made history again with a stat line unlike anything the NBA has ever seen.

Wizards 122, Nuggets 113: with one career high 56 points16 rebounds, eight assists and three 3s, Jokić became the first player ever to total 55+ points, 15+ boards, 5+ dimes and 3+ triples in an NBA game. But the Wizards got the win behind Jordan Poole’s 39 points. | Recap

• Wizards Snap Skid: Poole sank a career-high nine 3s and Washington made 16 triples as a team as Denver went 5-of-24 from deep to end its 16-game losing streak
• Joker Takeover: With Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Dario Saric out for Denver, Jokić took a career-high 38 shots and made 22 of them (57.9%)
• The result? Second most points in a game in Nuggets history, trailing only David Thompson’s 73 points in 1978
• Jokić’s Run, Wizards’ Response: Jokić scored 23 points in the 3rd quarter to cut a 12-point deficit to six, but the Wizards pushed the lead back to 13 with him on the bench to start the 4th, and the Nuggets never recovered.

Never seen before (again): This isn’t the first time Jokić’s posted a truly outstanding stat line this season, highlighting his historic 18-game start.

• On 6 Novbecame the first player to record 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, 15+ assists, 2+ steals and 2+ blocks in a game since steals and blocks were first tracked in 1973-74
• Now, with 565 points, 244 boards and 185 dimes, Jokić is the first player since Oscar Robertson (1961-62) to total 550+ points, 225+ rebounds and 175+ aces in their first 18 games of the season
• More history: Amid Saturday’s performance, Jokić passed Dan Issel (14,659) for second most points in Nuggets franchise history

2. MOBLEY’S CAREER DAY AND A PAIR OF STAR TRIPLE-DOUBLE

Cavaliers 116, Hornets: 102: Evan Mobley scored 23 of his career-high 41 points in the 1st quarter as the Cavs jumped out to a 40-18 lead and never looked back for their fourth straight win and improved to 21-3 on the season. | Recap

• Mobley LeBron: Mobley added a career-high six 3s, 10 boards and three blocks, joining LeBron James (2x) as the only players in Cavs history to total 40+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ 3s in a game
• Mobley, LeBron & Cliff: Mobley also joined LeBron (8x) and Cliff Robinson (1x) as the only Cavs to record a 40+ point, 10+ rebound game at age 23 or younger
• Historic start: At 21-3, the Cavs are off to their best start in team history through 24 games, surpassing their 2008-09 record of 20-4 as they went on to achieve a franchise-high 66 wins

Mavericks 125, Raptors 118: In another dazzling performance, Luka Dončić dropped 30 points, 13 boards and 11 dimes for his second straight triple-double to lead the Mavs past Scottie Barnes (19 pts, career-high 14 ast) and the Raptors for their seventh straight win. | Recap

• Luka passes Wilt & Harden: It was the 79th triple-double of Dončić’s career, moving him past Wilt Chamberlain and James Harden for the seventh-most all-time.
• Highlight Luka: Dončić recorded a triple-double in the 3rd quarter and had 15 points, six boards and eight assists (including a outrageous shillings) at halftime, capped by a banked 3 at the buzzer to put the Mavs up by 16
• Dallas Trio From Deep: Kyrie Irving followed Luka with 29 points, and they both sank six 3s apiece, while Klay Thompson added three 3s as part of his 20-point game.
• Mavs move up: After a 5-7 start, Dallas has won 11 of its last 12 games for a 16-8 record, jumping from 12th in the West to second

Stamps 120, Knicks 111: Cade Cunningham posted a monster triple-double with 29 points, 10 boards and a career-high 15 assists to power end Pistons past Jalen Brunson (31 pts, 10 ast) and the Knicks at MSG in a game where Detroit never was behind. | Recap

• Cade & Zeke: In the win, Cunningham joined Isiah Thomas as the only Pistons to total 25+ points, 15+ assists and 10+ rebounds in a game
• Career years: Cunningham entered the 2024-2025 campaign with two career triple-doubles. Through 21 games this season, he has five while averaging career highs in points (23.9), rebounds (7.4) and assists (9.4)
• Streak Snapped: The win snaps the Pistons’ 16-game losing streak to the Knicks and ends the longest active streak by one team over another

3. GRIZZLY’S ROAR, THUNDER AND HOT ROLL

Grizzlies 127, Celtics 121: Yes Morant went for 32 points – including this potential Dunk of the year – 9 boards and 9 assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 14 of his 27 points in the 4th quarter to help the Grizzlies fend off the defending champs for a statement win. | Recap

• Hard fought: The C’s erased a 14-point deficit in the 3rd quarter to go up by four early in the 4th, but the Grizzlies outscored them 31-21 in the final 9:46 to earn the dub
• Memphis Relocation: It’s Memphis’ eighth win in nine games, moving them into third place in the West after sitting in 10th place just 19 days ago
• Speaking of getting up, see Yes elevate for that absurd double clutch stop in slo-mo
• C’s score: Jrue Holiday led the Celtics with a season-high 23 points

Thunder 119, Pelicans 109: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31) and Jalen Williams (27) a total of 58 pointsand the West-leading Thunder rolled to a wire-to-wire victory over the Pelicans, despite a season-high 26 points from Dejounte Murray. | Recap

• All OKC: Leading the NBA in point differential (11.9), the Thunder have now won three straight games, all by double digits

Heat 121, sun 111: Trailing by five at the half, Bam Adebayo (25 pts, 12 reb, 8 ast) and Jimmy Butler (24 pts) helped spark a 25-8 run to open the 3rd as Miami took control and pulled pull away from the Suns for back-to-back wins. | Recap

4. JOKIĆ & YOUNG DUEL IN MATCHUP OF OFFENSIVE MAESTROS

On Friday, Trae Young made history as the first player ever to post 30+ points, 20+ assists and 5+ 3s in a game, capped by a game-winner in OT to beat the Lakers and extend the Hawks’ winning streak to six.

A night later, Nikola Jokić became the first player in league history to total 55+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 3+ 3s in a game.

Tonight, one game after rewriting the record books, the two superstar statisticians collide amid scorching runs (6 ET, League Pass).

• Triple Trouble: Not only does Jokić lead the NBA in triple-doubles (9), but he’s also averaging a triple-double with career-highs in points (31.4) and assists (10.3) along with 13.6 boards per game.
• A class of its own: Jokić ranks top two in scoring (2), rebounds (1) and assists (2), making him the only player in the league to reach the top 10 in all three categories
• A 5 for the times: He is also on pace to become the first center in NBA history to average over 10 assists in a season

The only other player average more helpers than Jokić this season? You guessed it — young, with a career-high 12.3 assists per game. match

• Double trouble: While Jokić leads the NBA in triple-doubles, Young leads the league with 16 double-doubles in points and assists
• 20/20 Vision: Young has recorded two 20+ point, 20+ assist games in Atlanta’s last six outings, a feat accomplished only six times before in that span
• Hawk’s History: He also has 139 assists in his last 10 outings, the most in a 10-game span in Hawks franchise history

Jokić and Young are the only two players averaging 10+ assists this season, and they each post 20+ points a game to go along with it. But their impact goes far beyond their baseline numbers.

• The Joker’s Brilliance: In the 18 games Jokić has played this season, he has scored or assisted on 1,039 of the Nuggets’ 2,164 points (48%)
• With Jokić on the floor, Denver boasts an offensive rating of 123.6, which would rank higher than the current best in the league (Knicks: 121.1)
• When he’s off the field, Denver’s offensive rating drops to 93.4, which would rank 30th in the NBA
• Tree time: Meanwhile, Young has scored or assisted on 1,179 of the Hawks’ 2,699 points (43.7%)
• When Young is on the field, Atlanta owns an offensive rating of 114.1. When he’s off, it drops to 102.1

Tonight, the two offensive orchestrators will take the floor against each other.

5. BIG SUNDAY: CAVS & MAGIC LOOK TO GET HOT, CP3 EYES STORY

The must-see matchups don’t stop there. Sunday offers 11 more games on NBA League Pass, offering a full day of hoops from coast to coast.

From a clash of Eastern contenders in Miami to a history-making opportunity in San Antonio, there is no shortage of storylines. Below are just four of today’s many matches to keep an eye on:

Cavaliers at Heat (6 ET): A day after getting off to their best 24-game start in franchise history with a 21-3 record, the Cavs will look to earn their fifth straight W when they take on Jimmy Butler and the Heat, who are looking for their third win in drag.

• Number to know: Cleveland leads the NBA with 121.8 ppg this season, but lost last year’s season series to Miami 3-1 while being held to 98.8 ppg

Suns at Magic (6:30 ET): After falling to the Sixers on Friday for just their third loss in their last 16 games, the Magic will face Devin Booker and the Suns in Orlando, where they are a perfect 9-0 this season.

• Franz out: The Magic are the only team yet to lose at home this year, but they will be without Franz Wagner (24.4 ppg), who is out indefinitely with a torn right oblique

Pelicans at Spurs (7 ET): Will we see history tonight in San Antonio? Chris Paul enters Sunday just three dimes shy of passing Jason Kidd (12,091) for No. 2 on the all-time assists list. CP3 is averaging 8.5 apg this season and the Spurs are 7-3 when he tallies over 10 helpers.

Wolves at Warriors (8:30 a.m. ET): After beating the Warriors 107-90 on Friday, the Wolves will look to do it again tonight as they seek their fifth straight win. Minnesota has allowed 92 points or fewer in each of its last four games — the longest such streak since Memphis did it in 2021.

Sunday’s action kicks off with a midday matchup between the 76ers and Bulls (1 ET), and continues throughout the day, capped by LeBron James and the Lakers taking on the Blazers (9:30 ET).