Epic Duel between Wemby & Jokić, OKC's Historic Streak, and LeBron's Milestone Night: Starting 5 Highlights from Jan. 4

Early birthday buckets for No. 1 to cap a historic first 100 games.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Jan. 4, 2024

Hot At The Top: OKC’s historic streak continues, Cleveland hits 30 dubs with nine straight

From 20 To 40: Wemby’s 100th game is one to remember, while LeBron passes MJ

50, Please! CJ McCollum orders a 50-burger and more from Friday’s nine-game slate

NYC Chemistry: KAT & Brunson are clicking ahead of tonight’s NBA TV doubleheader

NBA All-Star Voting: What you need to know from the first fan returns

BUT FIRST … ⏰

6+ hours of hoops on the way…

Nine more games tip off on Saturday, led by an NBA TV doubleheader, beginning with the Bulls hosting the Knicks on Derrick Rose Night (8 ET). Then, the Hawks face the Clippers in the potential return of Kawhi Leonard (10:30 ET).

Get ready for Derrick Rose Night with some D-Rose Trivia on NBA Play.

Elite high school talent is shining at the Hoophall West Tournament in Phoenix, with standout performances from big names like Tyran Stokes and Koa Peat. Tonight, top prospect and BYU commit AJ Dybantsa leads Utah Prep against Faith Family (TX) at 8 ET on the NBA App.

1. HOT STREAKS ATOP THE STANDINGS: OKC & CLEVELAND JOIN ELITE COMPANY

In a historic clash of hot streaks, the West-leading Thunder were cold — staring at a 14-point deficit late in the 2nd quarter.

Then, lightning struck for their 14th straight win.

Thunder 117, Knicks 107: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shined with 33 points and seven assists, and Aaron Wiggins went off in the 4th quarter, where OKC outscored New York 37-19 to edge out the Knicks in a heavyweight bout with Playoff-like intensity. | Recap

The victory draws the Thunder even with the 1995-96 SuperSonics for the longest win streak in franchise history while snapping New York’s at nine games.

Rare Duel: It was just the fourth game in NBA history featuring two teams with win streaks of 9+ games and the first since 20004th-Quarter Flurry:

Wiggins dropped 15 of his 19 points in the 4th on 5-of-5 shooting with four 3s — the last of which put OKC up seven with 2:22 left to cap a 16-4 run

Shai Shuts The Door: After a Josh Hart putback pulled the Knicks back within five, SGA responded with a clutch floater before knocking down two game-sealing free throwsiHart & JDub: Isaiah Hartenstein came up big against his former team with 14 boards and seven assists, while Jalen Williams added 20 points. OKC is 18-1 with Hartenstein in the lineup“We’re a roster full of 15 men,” said SGA postgame. “15 professionals, 15 highly skilled basketball players, and that’s what we saw here tonight. Guys are ready for the moment.”Knicks Stars Shine:

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a massive double-double (17 pts, 22 reb), while Mikal Bridges (24) and Jalen Brunson (22) led NY in scoring

The second-longest win streak in the league belongs to the NBA-best Cavs.

Cavaliers 134, Mavericks 122: Evan Mobley led seven Cavs in double figures with 34 points along with 10 boards, as Cleveland outpaced Dallas — who was without Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving — for its ninth straight win and 30th of the season. | Recap

Historic Start: The Cavs are just the fourth team since 2000-01 to open a season at 30-4 or better, joining:

2015-16 Warriors: 32-4 (lost in NBA Finals)2007-08 Celtics: 30-4 (won NBA Finals)2004-05 Suns:

30-4 (lost in Western Conference Finals)

2. FROM 20 TO 40: WEMBY’S HISTORIC 100, LEBRON’S MILESTONE NIGHT

In his 100th career game, hours before his 21st birthday, Victor Wembanyama delivered a performance befitting his meteoric rise to superstardom.

Spurs 113, Nuggets 110: In an epic duel between two of the game’s elite bigs, Wembanyama dropped 35 points on four 3s along with 18 rebounds, while Nikola Jokić countered with 41 points, 18 boards and nine dimes.

But Wemby delivered the decisive blow, stealing Jokić’s pass with four seconds left to seal a thrilling Spurs win. | Recap | Must-See Finish

Unprecedented 100: The dazzling performance punctuated a historic milestone for Wembanyama — unmatched by any player before him.

Through his first 100 games, the 7-foot-3 phenom has racked up 2,273 points, 1,053 rebounds, 386 assists, 366 blocks and 225 3sNo player in NBA history has reached those totals across their first 100 gamesLegendary Company

: The only player to match his pts/reb/blk totals in his first 100? Spurs Hall of Famer David Robinson

Eye-Popping Comps: Stack Wemby’s stats against other NBA legends in their first 100 games, and his numbers become even more staggering:

2,273 Points: More than LeBron James (2,181) and Kevin Durant (2,060)366 Blocks: More than Dikembe Mutombo (309) and Hakeem Olajuwon (271)225 3s:

More than Steph Curry (200) and Klay Thompson (204)

“I think he’s going to get even better,” said Jokić on Wemby after last night’s game. “I think he’s a special player … one of a kind. He’s going to be remembered forever.”

Tonight, the two superstar centers will square off again as San Antonio hosts Denver in the second leg of a home-and-home (8 ET, League Pass).

While Wemby etched his name in history on the eve of his 21st birthday, 40-year-old LeBron James added another milestone to his legendary career.

Lakers 119, Hawks 102: One night after dropping 38, LeBron went for 30 — passing Michael Jordan for the most 30-pieces all-time (563) — while adding eight dimes to lead the Lakers to their fourth win in five games. | Recap

“This is something I can share with my kids,” said Dorian Finney-Smith postgame on playing with LeBron after being traded to the Lakers on Sunday“I get to see greatness

and witness greatness and play alongside greatness.”

3. ROUNDUP: CJ’S 50-BALL, CELTICS, KINGS & PISTONS KEEP ROLLING & MORE

Oh, and how about a 50-piece?

Pelicans 132, Wizards 120: In a vintage performance, CJ McCollum went 18-of-27 from the floor and 10-of-16 from deep, tying his career-high with 50 points in just 30 minutes and 41 seconds to lead the Pels past Jordan Poole (26 pts) and the Wizards. | Recap

CJ Klay: The only players to drop 50 on 10 3s in less time played in NBA history? Klay Thompson.Teammate Love: Jose Alvarado took to X to congratulate McCollum on the performance: “Yeah Grandpa… 50 Ball!”“First I was Unc,

now I’m Grandpa,” joked McCollum. “I’ll be Grandpa — although 33 is young in the real world.”

Celtics 109, Rockets 86: Derrick White tallied 23 points on six 3s, while Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard added 20 apiece to lead the C’s to a near wire-to-wire dub over Jalen Green (27) and the Rockets, marking Boston’s third win in a row. | Recap

Kings 138, Grizzlies 133: In a shootout, Jaylen Wells (30 pts) helped the Grizz overcome a 15-point deficit to take the lead in the 4th, but the Kings used a 20-10 run to regain control and hold on for their third straight win under coach Doug Christie. | Recap

Clutch Takeover: Malik Monk (31), DeMar DeRozan (29) and De’Aaron Fox (23) led Sacramento and scored all 36 of the Kings’ 4th-quarter points

Pistons 98, Hornets 94: After trailing by 13 at the half, Detroit outscored Charlotte 32-17 in the 3rd quarter and held the Hornets to 12 points in the 4th, sealing its fifth win in six games. Tobias Harris led the way with 24 points and 10 boards. | Recap

On The Rise: The last time the Pistons went 5-1 in a six-game stretch was in March 2019

Magic 106, Raptors 97: Rookie Tristan da Silva set a career-high in points (25) and 3s (5) as the Magic ran away from Jakob Poeltl (25 pts) and the Raptors, despite losing Jalen Suggs to back spasms. | Recap

4. NY CONNECTION: KNICKS-BULLS OPEN NBA TV DOUBLEHEADER

After seeing their nine-game win streak snapped, the Knicks will look to bounce back tonight as they face the Bulls in Chicago (8 ET) to open Saturday’s NBA TV doubleheader.

Since Dec. 1, New York has gone 13-3, with Karl-Anthony Towns — the Kia East Player of the Month — averaging 23.3 points and 15.5 rebounds in that span with 13 double-doubles.

In his debut season with New York, Towns is the first-ever Knick to total 800+ points, 450+ rebounds and 70+ 3s in his first 33 games of a season.

KAT’s impact has not only been felt in the box score but has also unlocked new opportunities for his co-star Jalen Brunson, who leads the Knicks in both points (25.1) and assists (7.7), benefiting from the space Towns creates.

Brunson Inside: Despite being undersized at 6-foot-2, Brunson thrives in the lane, ranking second in total drives to the basket this seasonKAT Outside: Meanwhile, KAT has stretched the floor for New York, shooting a career-high 44.0% from deepThe Result? Brunson is getting better looks inside, improving his FG% in the paint (54.2%) and the restricted area (64%) from last seasonBrunson-KAT Connection:

Brunson is also averaging a career-high in assists, with 22.1% of his dimes going to Towns (58) as of Jan. 3

Ranked third in the NBA in OffRtg (119.7), the Knicks will face another high-octane offense tonight in Chicago, which ranks seventh in points (117.2) and tied for second in made 3s (16.4).

Catch & Cash: Chicago averages 38.8 ppg in catch-and-shoot situations on 35.3 attempts, both the highest marks in the NBADeadly From Deep: On catch-and-shoot 3s, the Bulls average 12.4 made triples on 33.4 attempts, also the highest marks in the leagueRematch:

In the two sides’ first meeting this season, KAT dropped 46 points, but Chicago edged out New York 124-123

D-Rose Night: The game also coincides with Derrick Rose Night, as the Bulls honor one of their most iconic players following his retirement from the NBA in September.

In the second leg of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Clippers will host Trae Young and the Hawks (10:30 ET), which could mark the potential return of Kawhi Leonard, who was upgraded to questionable on Friday.

A Klaw Comeback? Leonard led the Clippers with 23.7 ppg last season but missed 12 of their final 14 games and hasn’t played since April 26 due to a right knee injuryNorm’s Career Year: In his absence, Norman Powell has stepped up, leading LA with a career-high 23.6 ppg — a 9.7 increase from his average last season (13.9)Trae Time:

On the other side, Young leads the NBA with 393 assists, joining Steve Nash, James Harden, Rajon Rondo and Tyrese Haliburton as the only players with 375+ dimes in the first 33 games of a season since 2000

Seven more games tip off on League Pass, capped by a big-time battle in the Bay as Steph Curry and the Warriors face the second-place Grizzlies (8:30 ET).

5. NBA ALL-STAR VOTING: 4 GAMES, 4 MUST-SEE WINNERS, 1 HISTORIC NIGHT

2025 is here, which means 2025 NBA All-Star Voting is heating up — as fans have until Jan. 20 to vote for starters on the NBA app or NBA.com using an NBA ID.

Make Your Voice Heard: Fans hold 50% of the power in selecting All-Star starters, meaning your picks directly shape the game, with NBA players and a media panel each contributing 25%.

On Thursday, the first fan returns were revealed, with the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić and Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively.

What else stood out from the first fan reveal?

Position Group Leaders: Joining Jokić (West frontcourt) and Giannis (East frontcourt) as the top vote-getters for their respective position groups were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (West guard) and LaMelo Ball (East guard).

Potential West First-Timers: On the initial fan returns were four West players seeking their first All-Star appearance in Victor Wembanyama (SAS), Alperen Sengun (HOU), Jalen Williams (OKC) and Norman Powell (LAC).

Potential East First-Timers: In the East returns, there were six players aiming for their first All-Star selection: Franz Wagner (ORL), Evan Mobley (CLE), Cade Cunningham (DET), Jordan Poole (WAS), Tyler Herro (MIA) and Derrick White (BOS).

All-Timers: Four players with 10+ All-Star selections made the initial fan returns: LeBron James — seeking a record-extending 21st selection — Kevin Durant (14), Steph Curry (10) and James Harden (10).

Team Leaders: The defending champion Celtics (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and White) and the 76ers (Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey) each have three players represented, leading all teams.

But the race is far from over. NBA ID members can submit one full ballot each day. Plus, three more 3-for-1 days are still to come, where your vote will count three times.

Tap here to cast your vote today and help shape the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.