The Latest Trends: Nikola Jokić & Chris Paul Make History on Dec. 9

Today: Records falling. Red-hot teams getting hotter. And 

one more sleep until the Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals tip off. 

Need to catch up? Scroll to sections 4 & 5 to get up to speed 

on the NBA Cup and some of the biggest storylines around the 

league right now.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Dec. 9, 2024

Unmistakable Greatness: Jokić joins Elgin & Wilt, CP3 passes 

Kidd on the all-time assists list

Here To Stay: Magic, Grizzlies & Bucks keep climbing, Heat & 

Rockets make statements

Sunday Roundup: Warriors & Lakers bounce back, Embiid returns 

& more

What’s Trending — NBA Cup Quarters: 8 teams, 8 stories & 

everything you need to know

What’s Trending — Leaguewide: Opposites atop the standings, 

hot streaks & the MVP race

BUT FIRST … ⏰

One more night before the bracket begins…

Monday Spotlight: After seeing their 

four-game win streak snapped on Saturday, the Knicks will look to 

rebound tonight against the Raptors in a standalone showdown 

(7:30 ET, NBA TV

).

Win Or Go Home: On Tuesday, the Emirates NBA Cup 

single-elimination Quarterfinals tip off, as the Bucks host the 

Magic (7 ET, TNT

), before the Mavs face the Thunder in OKC (9:30 ET, TNT

).

The Cup Quarterfinals continue Wednesday as the Knicks square 

off against the Hawks (7 ET, ESPN)

, followed by the Rockets hosting the Warriors (9:30 ET, TNT

).

The Emirates NBA Cup champion will be crowned in Las Vegas, 

following the Semifinals and Championship on Dec. 14 and 17, 

respectively. And you can be there to witness it live. Don’t miss 

your shot — tap here to secure 

your tickets now!

1. SUNDAY HISTORY: JOKIĆ’S ALL-TIME WEEKEND & CP3’S MILESTONE MOMENT

On Saturday, Nikola Jokić dropped a career-high 56 points 

while becoming the first-ever player to total 55+ points, 15+ 

rebounds, 5+ assists and 3+ triples in a game. But the Nuggets 

weren’t able to outlast the Wizards.

Less than 24 hours later, he added to his historic weekend — 

completing a two-game stretch that hasn’t been seen in over 60 

years — while leading Denver to a win.

Nuggets 141, Hawks 111: In another masterpiece

, Jokić went off for 48 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to 

lead the Nuggets to a wire-to-wire win over Trae Young (15 pts, 

10 ast) and the Hawks, snapping their six-game win streak. | 

Recap

Simply, Special: Jokić joined Elgin Baylor and Wilt

Chamberlain as the only players to record 45+ pts, 10+ reb, and 5+ ast in back-to-back games — a feat unseen since 1963

Can’t Miss: Jokić went 17-of-29 from the floor (58.6%),

including this 1st-half buzzer-beater from half-court, and only played four minutes in the 4th quarter

Record Weekend: The Joker’s 104 points over Saturday and Sunday

are the most in a two-game span in Nuggets franchise history

“You really marvel at just how efficient he is,” said Nuggets

coach Michael Malone. “He isn’t just out hunting and taking bad shots. He’s doing it all for his team.”

Another transcendent playmaker made history on Sunday, as 

Chris Paul further cemented himself as one of the greatest floor 

generals ever to lace ‘em up.

Spurs 121, Pelicans 116: With his third assist of the night, 

Paul passed Jason Kidd (12,091) for No. 2 on the all-time assists 

list and added seven more dimes to help San Antonio edge out New 

Orleans — the franchise where his 20-year career began. | Recap

The Moment: On a feed from one generational talent to 

another, Paul found Victor Wembanyama 

for 3 to notch his milestone assist

600 Club: It was also Paul’s 600th career game with 10+ dimes,

a mark only John Stockton — the NBA’s all-time assists leader (15,806) — has eclipsed

“I’m so grateful,” an emotional Paul told his team in the

locker room postgame. “To be away from my family — y’all became my family…

“I know I’m a lot to deal with on the court. But I just love to

hoop. I hope y’all get this opportunity to play as long as I have.”

Wemby, who had missed the last two games (back), returned and

posted a team-high 25 points, 10 boards and three blocks

2. ON THE RISE: MAGIC, GRIZZ, BUCKS & HEAT STAY HOT, ROCKETS REBOUND

Magic 115, Suns 110: Despite being without Franz Wagner 

(oblique), the Magic notched their 14th win in 17 games behind 

Jalen Suggs’ 26 points. Devin Booker tallied 25 points in the 

loss. | Recap 

“Same team that came into the year,” said Suggs on the Magic’s

mentality no matter who’s on the court. “You don’t have to change anything on what or how we’re approaching the game.”

Grizzlies 140, Wizards 112: Twenty days ago, the Grizzlies 

were in 10th place in the West. Now, they’re in second. Jaren 

Jackson Jr. (21 pts) led seven Memphis players in double figures, 

and the Grizz pulled away from the Wizards to earn their ninth 

win in 10 games. | Recap 

Bucks 118, Nets 113: Giannis Antetokounmpo (34 pts, 11 reb) 

notched his league-best 13th 30/10 game of the year, and the 

Bucks closed on a 17-7 run to rally past the Nets, improving to 

8-2 in their last 10 games. | Recap 

Heat 122, Cavaliers 113: Tyler Herro dropped 34 points on five 

3s, and the Heat picked up their third straight win by handing 

the NBA-best Cavs just their fourth loss this season, ending 

their four-game win streak. | Recap 

Rockets 117, Clippers 106: After dropping back-to-back games 

for the first time this season, the Rockets got back on track 

thanks to Jalen Green’s 31 points, including one vicious jam

. 

At 16-8, the win bumped Houston up to third in the West. | Recap

3. SUNDAY ROUNDUP: DUBS & LAKERS BOUNCE BACK, EMBIID RETURNS & MORE

Warriors 114, Wolves 106: Steph Curry (30), Buddy Hield (27) 

and Jonathan Kuminga (20) combined for 77 points and 13 3s 

as the Warriors beat Anthony Edwards (27 pts) and the Wolves to 

avenge Friday’s loss while ending Minnesota’s four-game heater. | 

Recap

Lakers 107, Blazers 98: Anthony Davis turned in 30 points, 11 

boards and five blocks, and the Lakers used a 37-17 2nd quarter 

to race past the Blazers, halting their three-game slide. | Recap 

Kings 141, Jazz 97: Kevin Huerter came off the bench for a

game-high 26 points, and the Kings outscored the Jazz 79-52 in 

the 2nd half to roll to a big win. | Recap 

“Possession After Possession”: Kings coach Mike Brown seemed to get his point across to the Kings after back-to-back 140+ performances

76ers 108, Bulls 100: In his first game back since Nov. 20, 

Joel Embiid dropped 31 points, while Tyrese Maxey (25 pts, 11 

reb, 14 ast) posted a triple-double to earn the Sixers’ fourth 

win in five games. | Recap

Hornets 113, Pacers 109: Brandon Miller capped a 26-point 

performance with a pair of game-sealing free throws to beat the

Pacers and end Charlotte’s eight-game skid. | Recap 

4. WHAT’S TRENDING: NBA CUP QUARTERS TIP TOMORROW

The Emirates NBA Cup 

Quarterfinals get underway Tuesday and continue Wednesday, with 

four tickets to the Semifinals in Las Vegas on Dec. 14 up for 

grabs.

With eight teams left standing in the chase for the Cup, let’s 

catch up on how they got to the Knockout Rounds – and the 

storylines entering this week’s win-or-go-home matchups.

East | (WC) Magic at (1) Bucks | Tuesday (7 ET, TNT)

East No. 1 seed Milwaukee & MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo 

earned the right to host the wild card. Their reward? The Magic’s 

smothering defense.

Watch The Paint: Giannis averages a league-high 21.4 PITP per

game, while the Magic are third in defending the paint, allowing just two players to score 20+ PITP on them in a game this season

Bucks Hitting Their Stride: After a 2-8 start, the Bucks have

won 10 of their last 13 games to climb from the 12th seed in the East to the 5th

Magic in Orlando: The league’s best defensive team (103.3 opp

ppg) has yet to lose at home this season. With a 10-0 record, the Magic have the best home NetRtg (15.1) in the NBA

East | (3) Hawks at (2) Knicks | Wednesday (7 ET, ESPN)

Trae Young at the Garden. Need we say more? Young averages 25.6 

ppg and 9.6 apg against the Knicks, including two 40-pt games at 

MSG.

Hawks Soaring: Winning 6 of the last 7 games, Young has put

up 2 of his 3 career 20+ point, 20+ assist games during that span. Its bench has added to its success, outscoring its opponents by 29 points in the last 7 games

Big Apple Buckets: 9-3 in its last 12, New York is on pace to

set franchise records in PPG (118.0), APG (27.9), FG% (50.0), 3P% (39.8), OffRtg (121.1) and NetRtg (7.0)

The Knicks’ starting 5 of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal

Bridges – college teammates at Villanova – plus OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns is scoring an NBA-best 97.5 ppg,

West | (WC) Mavericks at (1) Thunder | Tuesday (9:30 ET, TNT)

A rematch of last season’s West Semis that saw Luka Dončić and 

the 4th-seeded Mavs oust Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the 

top-seeded Thunder in six games en route to the NBA Finals.

Team vs. Team: OKC’s defense is on a historic trajectory

(more on that below), but will they stymie a Dallas squad averaging a league-best 124.0 ppg in its last 12 outings?

Star vs. Star: SGA (29.8 pts, 50.8 FG%, 32.6 3P%) and Luka

(28.7 pts, 45.0 FG%, 34.8 3P%) are two of four players this season to average 28+ points on 45% shooting and 30% from 3

West | (3) Warriors at (2) Rockets | Wednesday (9:30 ET, TNT)

On Thursday, the Warriors edged out the Rockets for their 15th 

straight victory over Houston, marking the longest active winning 

streak one team has over another.

Houston’s Energy: The Rockets have four players logging 20+

min/g at 22 or younger in Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Green

Complimentary Ball: While Green leads the team in scoring,

Sengun, Thompson and Smith have a 99.0 DefRtg — the second-best among trios who’ve played 24+ games and 175+ minutes together

With hardware on the line, will the youthful Rockets make a

statement by earning their first win over Golden State since 2021, or will Steph Curry (29.4 pts in 14 career win-or-go-home games) and the proven Warriors make it 16 straight?

5. WHAT’S TRENDING: AROUND THE LEAGUE

While the spotlight shines on the Emirates NBA Cup this week, 

the entire NBA landscape is buzzing with the storylines.

Catch up on a few more of the top headlines around The 

Association entering this week:

Best, But Different: The Cavs (21-4) and Thunder (18-5) 

currently sit atop the East and West standings, respectively – 

and they’re doing it with opposite winning formulas.

Can’t-Miss Cavs: Tied for its best 25-game start in franchise

history, Cleveland leads the league in FG% (50.7) and 3P% (40.4), 

while ranking second in PPG (121.4)

Storming OKC Defense: OKC ranks first in defensive rating

(103.3), opponents FG% (42.5) and steals (12.1), and is on pace to become the first team to notch more steals than turnovers in a season since steals were first tracked in 1973-74

Wild West Race: Chasing OKC are Memphis, Houston and Dallas, 

separated by just 2.5 games. The Grizzlies and Mavs have surged 

up the standings with a combined record of 20-2 record in their 

past 22 games. Behind them are eight teams separated by just 

three games.

Roaring Grizz: Memphis has gone 9-1 in its last 10, and ranks

first in scoring (122.1 ppg) and PITP (58.9) this season while ranking second in assists (30.3)

Dallas Streak: The Mavs started the year 5-7. Since then,

they’ve won 11 of their last 12 and currently own the longest active win streak in the NBA with seven straight Ws

Multi-Time MVPs Atop MVP Ladder: The last two players to win 

back-to-back Kia MVPs, Nikola Jokić (32.3 pts, 13.6 reb, 10.2 

ast) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.5 pts, 11.6 reb, 6.2 ast), 

currently lead the Kia

MVP Ladder

 

and are coming off monster weeks.

Jokić is amid a historic stretch, averaging 39.4 pts, 14.8 reb

and 8.8 ast in his last five games while passing Magic Johnson for No. 3 on the all-time triple-double list

The only other players to average 39/14/8 in a five-game span?

Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor

Giannis has averaged 33.0 pts, 10.4 reb and 5.8 ast on 62.5 FG%

in his last five games, including three straight 30+ point gamesThe league’s leading scorer now has 14 30+ point games this season, the most in the NBA, as he seeks his first scoring title

C’s Stay Hot From 3: The third player on the MVP Ladder? 

Jayson Tatum, who’s helped lead the Celtics to the second-best 

record in the NBA (19-5). The defending champs have stayed true 

to their winning formula this season, leading the NBA in 3PA 

(51.4) and 3PM (19.0) after doing so last year.

The King Flexes On Father Time: Just two weeks shy of turning 

40, LeBron James became the first-ever player to record at least 

39 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk, and 6 3s in a game on 

Friday. James is averaging 23.0 pts, 8.0 rebs, and 9.1 asts this 

season, marking the second-highest APG of his career.