New Year's Top 5: Jan. 2 ignites with a blazing kick-off

Tonight on TNT, the superstar responsible for the top play of 2024 faces off against the 2024 NBA champs to open a must-see doubleheader.

Buckle up for a big night.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Jan. 2, 2025

Heat Check: KAT lights up MSG in NY’s ninth straight W, Kings stun surging Sixers

New Year, Same Joker: Jokić begins his 2025 with a performance unlike any other

Stars Shine: A handful of big names posted big numbers to round out Wednesday’s slate

Can’t-Miss TNT Doubleheader: Two marquee interconference matchups loaded with stars

Thunder Streaks: What two 12-game OKC win streaks, 12 seasons apart have in common

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A Thursday you won’t want to miss…

TNT’s stacked doubleheader headlines tonight’s six-game slate, beginning with two of the league’s top 12 scorers going head-to-head as Anthony Edwards and the Wolves host Jayson Tatum and the defending champion Celtics (7:30 ET).

Then, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and the Sixers face Steph Curry and the Warriors in the Bay (10 ET).

Top 5 Plays Of 2024: 2025 is here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate 2024’s best — relive the year’s top five plays here.

NBA All-Star voting is open! Decide who takes the court by casting your vote for starters every day until Jan. 20 on the NBA App or NBA.com with your NBA ID. Don’t miss your chance — tap to vote now.

1. WIN STREAKS ON THE LINE: KAT & KNICKS ROLL, SIXERS FALL IN THRILLER

On New Year’s Day, KAT rang in 2025 with fireworks at MSG — and yet another Knicks dub.

Knicks 119, Jazz 103: With Jalen Brunson sidelined, Karl-Anthony Towns stepped up and showed out, posting 31 points, 21 boards and one poster to lead New York to its ninth straight win. | Recap

3 Straight 30/10s: With the performance, KAT became the first Knick since Patrick Ewing in 1995 to record three straight games of 30+ points and 10+ boardsMultiple 30/20s: Towns is also the first Knick with multiple 30/20 games in the same season since Ewing in 1989-90

Team W: KAT wasn’t the only Knick who shined, as Josh Hart tallied his second straight triple-double, while Mikal Bridges (27) and OG Anunoby (22) added 20-pieces.

Hart History: Hart is the first Knick since Michael Ray Richardson in 1981 to record back-to-back triple-doublesAll NY: The Knicks have outscored teams by 14 ppg amid their nine-game win streak, with six double-digit wins in that span“We’re gritty,” said Towns after the win. “I think we do a great job of finding ways to win even when we’re not at our best.”

Meanwhile, the scorching Sixers entered the night on a four-game heater, with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games.

But on Wednesday, it was Sacramento who got hot at the right time.

Kings 113, Sixers 107: Paul George (30) and Tyrese Maxey (27) combined for 57 points to help Philly build a 107-98 lead with 3:34 left, but the Kings closed the game on a 15-0 run to earn a thrilling dub. | Recap

Dynamic Duo: De’Aaron Fox (35) and Malik Monk (20) combined for 24 points in the 4th quarter, outscoring Philly on their own, as Sacramento won the final frame 33-18 for their second straight victory under Doug ChristieChristie On His Star PG: “De’Aaron Fox is elite.”Sabonis Eats: Domantas Sabonis notched his league-leading 29th double-double in the win with a monster stat line (17 pts, 21 reb, 7 ast)Wednesday Home Sweep: The Kings’ victory capped the season’s first night of 5+ games in which every home team won

2. MARQUEE WINS IN WEST RACE, PLUS A HISTORIC JOKER ACE

How did the reigning Kia NBA MVP and current Kia MVP Ladder leader open 2025?

How about by doing something no NBA player has ever done before? (again)

Nuggets 139, Hawks 120: Nikola Jokić was an assist shy of a triple-double at the half on his way to 23 points, 17 boards and 15 helpers in just 29:31 minutes of action as Denver outpaced Atlanta for its third straight dub. | Recap

Unprecedented: Jokić is the first player in NBA history to record a 20+ point, 15+ rebound and 15+ assist game while playing under 30 minutesA Pace Ahead: The previous two fastest times to reach those marks? 31:23 and 33:47 — both set by Jokić (Feb. 2024 & Feb. 2018)Denver Dimes: The Nuggets notched 27 assists in the 1st half, finishing with 44 — second-most by any team this season — in their 4th straight game with 130+ ptsTrae Young had 30 points and nine assists for Atlanta, which saw its four-game win streak snapped

Rockets 110, Mavericks 99: Alperen Sengun (23) and Jalen Green (22) each tallied 20-pieces, and the Rockets outscored the Mavs 37-22 in the 2nd quarter to take control and didn’t look back. | Recap

Flip For 4: With Denver’s win and Dallas’ loss, the Nuggets jumped the Mavs for fourth place in the West

3. WEDNESDAY ROUNDUP: BIG NAMES SHINE IN BIG WINS

Pistons 105, Magic 96: Cade Cunningham turned in 19 points, nine dimes and eight boards, and the Pistons never trailed to notch their fourth dub in five games. Now 15-18, Detroit has already surpassed its win total from last season (14). | Recap

Ivey Injured: Jaden Ivey was carted off the court in the 4th quarter after suffering a leg injury

Heat 119, Pelicans 108: Tyler Herro poured in 32 points, while Bam Adebayo went for 23 along with nine boards and 10 assists as the Heat earned a near wire-to-wire win over Trey Murphy III (34 pts) and the Pels. | Recap

Raptors 130, Nets 113: Scottie Barnes went off for 33 points on 14-of-18 shooting as Toronto pulled away to end its 11-game skid. D’Angelo Russell scored 22 points in his first game with Brooklyn since being traded from the Lakers. | Recap

Quickley Cooks: In his first game back since Nov. 10, Immanuel Quickley recorded 21 points and 15 assists for Toronto

Wizards 125, Bulls 107: After a two-game absence, Jordan Poole made up for lost time with 30 points on six 3s to lead the Wizards past Zach LaVine (32 pts) and the Bulls. | Recap

4. CELTICS VS. WOLVES & SIXERS VS. WARRIORS IN BIG TNT DOUBLEHEADER

Coming tonight? Two major tests, when the Celtics and Wolves meet at 7:30 ET before the Sixers face the Warriors at 10, both on TNT.

Here’s Why:

In two matchups loaded with superstars, the early game sees the NBA’s third-rated offense, in the Celtics, taking on the league’s second-best defense since Dec. 1In the nightcap, the red-hot Sixers are looking for a statement win on the road against a Golden State team out to keep pace in a packed West

Following a 2-4 stretch, Boston got back on track on Tuesday with a 54-point victory over the Raptors, which saw the C’s knock down 22 triples. The defending champs have now hit 20+ 3s in an NBA-best 13 games. In those games, they’re 12-1.

Tonight in Minnesota, 3s will be key again.

Boston 3 Party: The Celtics lead the NBA this season in both 3-point attempts (50.4) and makes (18.5)If the season ended today, that would set the record for the most 3-point attempts and makes per game in NBA historyDefending From Deep: Boston is shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc, but Minnesota is holding its opponents to just 34.4% from 3 — the fifth-best rate in the NBA3-Point Pack: The Wolves can also fill it up from the outside, ranking fourth in 3s made (14.9), led by Edwards, who’s hitting a career-high 4.0 triples per game

The Wolves are 3-1 in their last four, with big W’s over two top-5 teams (DAL, HOU) and San Antonio – and a loss to the Thunder, who haven’t lost a regular-season game in a month.

AntMan Cooking: Edwards ranks 12th in the league in scoring, hitting at 41.5% from 3 – the highest percentage among anyone in the top 12 with 9+ 3PA per gameRoaring Four: Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid have the best DefRtg of any 4-man lineup with 200+ minutes (94.2)Rematch: This is the second time the two sides will face this season, with the Celtics escaping with a 107-105 win at TD Garden the first go around

In the second leg of tonight’s doubleheader, two-time Kia MVP Steph Curry and the Warriors host 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey & the Sixers (10 ET), who have won 10 of their last 14 games.

Embiid Status: The Sixers are 6-1 in games with Embiid during that stretch. After missing last night’s game, keep an eye on Embiid’s status hereGoing Big: Averaging 32 ppg since Christmas (4th in the NBA), Embiid ranks 7th this season in PIE (tracking overall contributions) among players with 10+ games with 25+ mpgOn Fire: Maxey’s been on a tear, too, putting up 20+ pts in 10 straight games – 3rd most in the NBA – with a 76ers-record 3+ threes in 10 straight games

The Warriors have faced a tough road of late, with 13 of their last 15 games against teams in Play-In position or better – going 4-11 in that time. Still, the Dubs have some reasons for optimism.

Crowded Out Here: The 10th-place Warriors are just 2 games behind the 7th-place Lakers … and just 3 games behind Denver in fourthClose Losses: The Warriors have played in 21 clutch games this year, tied with Minnesota for the league lead – with a 9-12 record. Fifteen of those have come in the Dubs’ last 18 gamesA Bright Spot? Jonathan Kuminga, who has put up a career-high 34 points in back-to-back games against the Clippers and Suns3 Straight: The Dubs have beaten the Sixers three times in a row and haven’t lost to Philly at home since Mar. 23, 2021

Now Test Yourself: Get ready for tonight’s TNT doubleheader with today’s NBA Play Trivia.

5. THUNDER STRIKES AGAIN: TWO 12-GAME WIN STREAKS, 12 SEASONS APART

Since moving to OKC ahead of the 2008-09 campaign, the Thunder have won 12 straight games in a single season twice.

The first instance came in 2012-13, when a young core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka reeled off a dozen straight dubs from Nov. 24 to Dec. 19 to propel a 60-win season — the franchise’s most wins since moving to OKC in 2008.

The second instance is happening now, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and company have matched the mark, putting OKC on pace for a 69-win season (.844 win%) — its most since 2012-13.

But while this year’s squad is also led by a young core – and winning at a historic pace – it’s dominating with a different formula.

In the 2012-13 season, the Thunder finished second in OffRtg (111.0), third in points (105.7) and third in FG% (48.1)This season, the Thunder rank first in DefRtg (102.9), points allowed (103.3) and steals (11.9)Amid their current run, they’ve been even better defensively — improving those numbers to a 101.7 DefRtg while allowing 102.3 ppg and recording 12.4 steals

Despite the contrasting approaches, both teams — and streaks — have one key thing in common: the presence of a bucket-getting Kia MVP candidate driving their success.

In 2012-13, that player was Durant.

Amid OKC’s 12-game run, Durant stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 29.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per gameRed-Hot: Then 24 years old, the NBA’s eighth all-time leading scorer couldn’t miss, shooting 54.6% from the field, 42.6% from 3 and 90.3% at the line

This season, it’s Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge.

Amid OKC’s current run, SGA’s elite all-around play has also been on full display, averaging 33.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocksAnd his efficiency rivals Durant’s from the ‘12-13 run, shooting 56.6% from the field, 36.0% from 3 and 92.1% at the lineScoring Arsenal: Like KD, SGA can score at all three levels, averaging 2.3 3s per game and 9.9 made 2s per game while ranking first among guards in PITP (13.4 ppg) and first in the NBA in midrange FG% (53.8)MVP Boost: KD finished second in Kia MVP voting in 2013. This year, SGA ranks third on the MVP Ladder, with three 40+ point games in his last five outings

Twelve seasons after the original 12-game win streak, the Thunder have another superstar on fire — and a legitimate MVP candidate leading a title push.

Tonight, SGA and company will look to secure their 13th straight dub — a feat the franchise hasn’t accomplished since moving to OKC — as they host the Clippers (8 ET, League Pass). Will we see history?

Remaining Thursday Schedule on League Pass:

Pacers at Heat (7:30 ET)Nets at Bucks (8 ET)Blazers at Lakers (10:30 ET)