Starting 5: Looking back on best of 2025

Overtime. Tied for the 14th time.

Find VJ.

Coming up today? The final 9 games of 2025, including Knicks-Spurs on NBA TV (7 ET).

Keep reading for what to expect on the year’s last day — and what to know heading into the New Year.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

On NBA TV: Tripleheader action closes 2025 with family, clutch scorers and Cup Finalists

On League Pass: How will OKC cap its franchise-best year? Can Giannis’ Bucks enter 2026 on a win streak?

Tuesday’s Best: VJ drills Sixers’ OT winner, Clips cruise, Boston sets (other) records, Cade spoils LeBron’s birthday

2025 Rewind: OKC topped the hoops world, Luka & KD made waves, and more stories we loved

Year’s Top Plays: Hot handles, clutch takeovers and the 2025 plays we’ll never forget

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The final nine games of 2025 get off to an early start with an NBA TV tripleheader before the year ends in OKC with the champs hosting Portland (8 ET, LP | Tap To Watch).

Nikola Jokić won’t be with the Nuggets in Toronto tonight and will miss at least the next month following a knee injury on Monday in Miami. Denver announced Jokić suffered a hyperextended left knee and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Select Your All-Stars: Fans can vote for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters every day through Jan. 14 using their NBA ID. Don’t miss your shot, vote now.

1. NBA TV TRIPLE-HEADER WRAPS UP 2025 WITH CUP FINALISTS, CLUTCH SCORERS

Tripleheader action on NBA TV closes out an unforgettable 2025 with a family homecoming, a clutch scorer shootout, and an Emirates NBA Cup championship rematch.

Warriors at Hornets (1 ET): Steph and Seth Curry return to their Carolina roots to face the hometown Hornets with dad Dell on the mic.

Returning Teammates: First-time NBA roster mates Steph and Seth are back where they previously teamed up: Charlotte Christian High. Both then played college ball in-state, with Steph at Davidson and Seth at Duke
“Charlotte means everything to me,” Steph said in 2019. “This is where I learned how to play the game.”
No Stopping: Steph leads the league in threes per game (4.8) while ranking top-10 in scoring (28.8 ppg) – the 4th-highest scoring season of his career
Kon Probable: Hornets rookie sharpshooter Kon Knueppel missed last game (ankle), as Steph passed him for 2nd-most total 3s (114)

Suns at Cavaliers (3:30 ET): Only 2.5 games ahead of Steph’s 8th-place Warriors, Phoenix rolls a four-game win streak into Cleveland.

Defense Is Key: While winning four straight, the Suns are top-10 in scoring (121.3 ppg) with the 4th-best defensive rating (109.4), for the 2nd-best net rating (14.0)
Clutch Clash: Crunchtime performer Devin Booker faces Donovan Mitchell, who leads the league in total 4th quarter points (274)

Knicks at Spurs (7 ET): An NBA Cup Championship Rematch closes out the tripleheader as New York and San Antonio meet for the first time since Las Vegas.

Title Rewind: OG Anunoby led New York with 28 points, while Jalen Brunson (25 pts, 8 ast) earned Emirates NBA Cup MVP honors as the Knicks controlled the 4th quarter (and Wemby managed a minutes restriction)
Trending Together: The East and West’s No. 2 seeds are both 8-2 in their last ten games. The Knicks’ top-3 offense (121.4 OffRtg) has won 3 straight, while the Spurs have the 6th-best defense (112.3 DefRtg), but have dropped two since Christmas Day

2. LP SPOTLIGHT: SGA & THUNDER CLOSE OUT BANNER YEAR, GIANNIS & BUCKS HEAT UP

What will the Thunder do to put a bow on one of the most unprecedented years in NBA history?

Trail Blazers at Thunder (8 ET): No team has had a better 2025 than the reigning champion and current top-seed Thunder. But Portland is one of three teams to beat OKC this season.

Eighty-Five Wins: OKC seeks its 86th win of the calendar year (including Playoffs), which would be the 4th-most in any NBA year, trailing only the 1996 Bulls (89), 2015 Warriors (88), 2021 Suns (88) and 2016 Warriors (87)
What’s the hardest part of a year so dominant? “There are expectations. Now we’re the (top) seed. How do we manage that with everybody in the room being 19 or 20 years old?” said Jalen Williams.
All 20s: Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t scored under 20 points in any game this calendar year (NBA-best 76 games) as part of his 2nd-ranked 104-game 20+ point streak
30/50: SGA also has the most 30+ (55) and 50+(5) point games in 2025, and is the first player to average 30+ points per game (33.1) on 50+ FG% (53.1%) for a calendar year

Wizards at Bucks (8 ET): Milwaukee looks to win its third in a row since Giannis’ return and move into SoFi Play-In Tournament position in the East from a half game out (11th)

Instant Edge: The Bucks were 2-6 without Giannis, but have now won two straight by an average margin of 9.5 points
Up To Speed: Giannis has only played 25 minutes in those two games back, but is 21-for-31 (67.7%) overall

Roundup: Coming off his 30+ point duel with SGA, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Hawks host his former team, the Wolves (3 ET), who have won 11 of their last 15 games

Magic at Pacers (3 ET)
Pelicans at Bulls (7 ET)
Nuggets at Raptors (7:30 ET)

3. TUESDAY’S ACTION: SIXERS’ OT THRILLER, CLIPS ROLL, CADE CRASHES PARTY

Forty points from Ja Morant.

Thirty-four apiece from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

But it was VJ Edgecombe who had the last word.

Sixers 139, Grizzlies 136 (OT): Edgecombe (25 pts, 4 stl) hit the game-winning three after Morant forced OT with 18 4th-quarter points in a back-and-forth game that featured nine lead changes after halftime. | Recap

VJ Is Key: Philly improves to 6-2 when they get 20 or more points from Edgecombe, who collected 16 in the 4th quarter and OT while dueling with fellow rookie Cedric Coward’s career-high 28 points
“They have confidence in me, so that’s what helped me make that shot,” Edgecombe said of his teammates. “Going into the huddle, Ty (Maxey) told me I’m gonna make a big shot.”
30+ Duo: Maxey (12 ast, 4 3s) and Embiid (10 reb, 8 ast) went over 30 points each as a duo for the 13th time, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer (16) for most in franchise history

Clippers 131, Kings 90: Kawhi Leonard followed up his first-career 50+ point game with 33 points, leading LA as it never trailed. The Clippers won their fifth straight and had their largest margin of victory this season, holding the Kings to a season-low in scoring. | Recap

Celtics 129, Jazz 119: Derrick White (27 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast, 7 blk) stuffed the stat sheet and scored 22 of Boston’s 70 2nd-half points as the Cs pulled away late from Keyonte George (37 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast, 6 3s) and the Jazz for their fifth win in the last six games. | Recap

Rare Feat: White becomes the fourth Celtic since 1973-74 with a 25+/5+/5+/5+ game, joining Larry Bird (3x), Robert Parish (3x) and Paul Pierce (2001)
Seven Swats: He’s also the first guard with at least 7 blocks in a game since Tracy McGrady in 2000
Team Effort: Jaylen Brown added 23 points and 10 assists, ending his 9-game 30+ point streak in the win, while Simons tacked on 20 points with four 3s

Pistons 128, Lakers 106: Detroit improves to 9-2 when Cade Cunningham (27 pts, 11 ast) logs 25+ points and 10+ assists, as he and Jalen Duren (14 pts, 5 stl) pushed the Pistons to spoil LeBron’s 41st birthday. | Recap

Party Points: LeBron celebrated the day with 17 points, while Luka led LA with his 17th 30-point game this season, and added 11 assists

4. HOW SOME OF 2025’S TOP STORIES LOOK ENTERING 2026

OKC’s takeover. Wemby’s evolution. Luka in La La Land. KD to Houston.

Take a look back at the moments that captured the basketball world’s attention and made 2025 an unforgettable year.

Thunderstruck: OKC Wins First Championship, Follow Up By Matching NBA’s Best 25-Game Start (24-1)

In the most-watched Finals game in six years, the Thunder took Game 7 in Indiana to claim their first title, with Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking Finals MVP honors
In their title defense, the Thunder rode a franchise-best 16-game win streak to the best start in OKC history (28-5), while matching the 2015-16 Warriors’ best 25-game start
OKC has carried over its defense-first mentality, leading the league in Defensive Rating (105) while improving on its NBA-record point differential (+14.2)

Nikola Jokić Keeps Climbing All-Time Rankings

In leading the league in total assists and rebounds – something only Wilt has done – Jokić has the Nuggets’ offense firing like never before, with an NBA-best 123.9 Offensive Rating
With 13 triple-doubles so far this season, Joker is two from passing Oscar Robertson (181) for 2nd-most all-time after joining him and Russell Westbrook as players to average a triple-double in a season
In the three games before his Monday knee injury, Jokić became the first player to ever amass 115 points, 40 rebounds and 40 assists over a 3-game span

Victor Wembanyama Shines in Year 3, Helps Spurs to 2nd in West

After his 2024-25 season ended abruptly, Wemby has shined this season, averaging 24 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game this season. He also just completed the 3rd-longest blocks streak (101 games) since blocks were first recorded (1973-74)
Wemby returned from injury (calf) to help the Spurs stretch an 8-game win streak that propelled them to 2nd place in the West, with three wins over OKC and an NBA Cup Finals appearance

Luka Leads League in Scoring in Los Angeles

Dončić’s scoring in his first full season as Laker (33.5 ppg) is pacing the NBA, while LeBron is adding 20.3 points per game in his record-setting 23rd season
Austin Reaves (26.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.3 apg) is on pace to be the first-ever undrafted player to average 25+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists

Kon Knueppel, Cooper Flagg Leading Strong Rookie Class

Flagg (19.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4 apg) finished with the 3rd most total points (526) and 2nd most total assists (99) for an 18-year-old in NBA History
Knueppel (19.3 ppg, 3.6 3PM on 42.8% 3P%) has made more threes (113, 3rd overall) than anyone through the first 31 games of an NBA career

Captivating Teams: Pistons and Knicks Rise, Rockets Launch with KD, Curry Continues Warriors’ Ways

Cade Cunningham and the Pistons follow their 30+ win jump and Playoffs appearance last season with the franchise’s best start (25-8) in 20 years to top the East
Jalen Brunson (29.4 ppg), Karl-Anthony Towns and new coach Mike Brown fuel the NBA’s 3rd-best offense (121.4 ppg) as the NBA Cup champs sit 2nd in the East
Adding KD to last season’s 52-win Playoff team, Houston’s two-way dominance (2nd-best OffRtg, 8th-best DefRtg) and Alperen Sengun’s (22.7 ppg) rise make for another Western contender
Steph Curry in Year 17 has the Warriors in the Playoff hunt, having passed MJ for most 40+ point games after age 30, and again leading the league in 3s per game (4.8) in 13 of the last 14 seasons

Career years from top-10 scorers Anthony Edwards (29.1 ppg, 8th), Jaylen Brown (29.5, 6th), Tyrese Maxey (30.8, 3rd) have made headlines and placed their teams right back in Playoff contention.

5. 2025 IN PLAYS: SMOOTH HANDLES, CLUTCH SHOTS & MORE

So many basketball memories center on a specific play.

A play that freezes time itself.

See which top plays and moments will live on in our minds from a full year of hoops.

Best Clutch Performance: It can’t get much more clutch than Tyrese Haliburton in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton hit his 4th game-winning or game-tying shot in the final 5 seconds of the Playoffs, the most in a single postseason run in NBA History. | Top 10 Clutch Plays

Best Assist: It’s only right that the NBA’s leader in total assists for 2025 would take this top spot, with a slick, no-look, spinning dime to Aaron Gordon for the flush. This was one of Nikola Jokić’s 98 assists to Gordon in 2025. | Top 10 Assists

Best Handles: De’Andre Hunter’s moves put Josh Giddey on the floor, as he shook loose for the slam. In his first full season with the Cavs, Hunter is averaging 14.7 ppg as a key depth piece for an East squad hoping to contend again. | Top 10 Handles

Defensive Play: Mikal Bridges has been known throughout his career as a lengthy perimeter defender, and it showed not once but twice in the 2025 Playoffs — helping NY secure its first trip to the ECF since 2000 | Top 10 Defensive Plays

Best Fan Moment: The NBA is nothing without its fans, and LeBron James took a moment to recognize this Lakers fan by gifting his wristband and taking photos. | Top Fan Moments