The NBA couldn’t have started its Christmas Day series of games in a better way, with the clash between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks turning into an epic battle of individualism and tension.
Victor Wembanyama, the 20-year-old superstar who won Rookie Of the Year last season, scored 42 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, added four assists and hit four shots in his Christmas Day debut.
The performance underlined how good the idea was to include Spurs as part of the first match, giving European viewers the chance to see the seven-foot center utterly dominate the opposition.
That said, the Knicks had an ace up their sleeve in the form of Mikal Bridges, who exploded for 41 points, including 6-of-9 from 3-point territory. In a game that never saw a 10-point lead and swayed back and forth, the Knicks took the 117-114 win in what was definitely one of the most entertaining games of the season.
Let’s dive into some thoughts and observations:
New York Knicks 117, San Antonio Spurs 114
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Are we sure Wembanyama isn’t a top five player? This doesn’t mean he definitely is, but we have to get there. Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are all in front, and within reasonable distance. From there, there are at least debates. Many will argue that Jayson Tatum should be ahead of Wembanyama, and he’s certainly a good name to bring up, but that also warrants some discussion.
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Jalen Brunson’s post game remains underrated, especially as a playmaker. Despite his 6-1 status, Brunson is solid enough to maintain his positioning, keep his overview and use his scoring to maximize his options. Having Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby flank the outside to increase spacing only adds more options for the All-Star point guard.
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Bridges may have changed his shot, much to the concern of NBA fans and pundits everywhere, but Ironman spent the entire race throwing that skepticism back in everyone’s faces. His movement, which has a higher release point than before, has become much smoother in recent weeks, and he catches and shoots with ease. This has returned Bridges to the status of one of the best plug-and-play guys in the league.
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Jeremy Sochan’s future as a full-time power forward in San Antonio isn’t necessarily set in stone due to his shooting concerns. However, if Spurs ultimately decide to look for someone else to play the position, they shouldn’t give him away too quickly. Sochan’s defending, rebounding, playmaking and ruthless probing of opposition defenses are hugely valuable, as is his positional flexibility, which could make him the league’s best super sub if they ever go that route.
Minnesota Timberwolves 105, Dallas Mavericks 99
Luka Dončić left the game after 16 minutes due to a calf injury, ending his Christmas Day game early, and the Mavs expect him to miss significant time, according to ESPN.
The second biggest story, however, is how the Mavericks, after trailing by 28, pulled it back in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to two late in the fourth quarter, showing some much-needed life after the dismal second and third quarters. . This was thanks in large part to Kyrie Irving, who scored 39 points
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Minnesota’s advantage is as high as it’s ever been when the ball was popping and guys were making shots. Unfortunately, a three-quarter sample size isn’t very helpful, but if the Wolves can find a way to make that a starting point, it would only help them regain some of their dominance from last season.
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Dallas came into this game with the fourth-best offense in the league, but the loss of Dončić clearly affected the offensive flow. Irving is indeed a worthy second option, but the gravity changes dramatically when Dončić is not on the floor due to his elite playmaking. Irving, one of the league’s best shot makers, isn’t necessarily an elite passer, and his lack of size doesn’t draw the same defensive attention. If Dončić is out for a while, Dallas will likely have to lean into an Irving hero ball.
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Julius Randle’s impact changes dramatically when he plays within the flow of the offense compared to when he doesn’t. That is often. Against Dallas, Randle was more selective with his shots, trying to attack the rim and frequently finding Rudy Gobert in traffic, including a strong lob in the middle of the third quarter. Minnesota’s offense looks better if it gets that version of Randle, which begs the question: Can the Wolves trust the former All-Star to replicate this performance for the rest of the season? If not, the Wolves may want to lower their expectations.
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The defensive play of Dereck Lively II, who is only 20 years old, will bring a lot of nice things for the Mavericks in the coming years. At 7-1, Lively moves like a wing. He can cover and recover, play passing lanes, protect the rim and should ultimately be an All-Defensive player. That Swiss Army Knife, with a little more flavor, could be a huge asset for the Mavericks down the line, especially if he starts to balance his defense with a touch more offensive creation.
Philadelphia 76ers 118, Boston Celtics 114
The Sixers, playing with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, played their best half of the season and took a 66-58 lead over the Celtics. Philly had timely shooting, effective defense, and diversified its shot profile to the point where you could easily see Daryl Morey’s vision.
The Sixers’ offense stalled in the third quarter when Jaylen Brown – who played a terrible first half – found his legs and gave the Celtics a boost by driving his way to the rim.
Ultimately, the Sixers did the unexpected and took home the dub, with Caleb Martin playing a key role down the stretch, hitting seven triples and scoring 23 points. Maxey added 33 points and 12 assists.
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During the pregame shootaround, Embiid tripped and appeared to twist his ankle. Luckily he was fine and playing. But this marks yet another strange situation, where Embiid’s body is always in danger one way or another. He has already dealt with several rare facial injuries, as well as Bell’s palsy. Every Sixers season seems to be overshadowed by the health of the former MVP, and at some point you have to wonder how long the organization can continue on that path.
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The Celtics are making a lot of three-pointers. They do this because it works, and it helped them win a championship earlier this year. At no point should the franchise correct and limit its outside efforts. But the Celtics need to realize that the teams around them are playing catch-up in attempts, potentially narrowing their lead. They have games where they need to look for more paint touches (which, yes, can also lead to open 3s) to diversify their shot profile, and this was one of them.
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Paul George has yet to find his role in Philadelphia, with the 34-year-old averaging just 16.2 points on 41% shooting and going just 4-of-15 from the field against Boston. The former All-Star has had to get used to a lot of different looks, with Embiid in and out of the lineup, as well as rookie Jared McCain, a big shot taker, also missing time. With the calendar page about to turn to 2025, the focus for the Sixers for the rest of the season should be on getting George involved.
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Brown was in a strange spot during the first half. The Celtics let their ball movement dictate events, meaning the pecking order can change on a nightly basis, which appears to be a setting where Brown struggles to find his own shots. The Finals MVP is not a natural shooter, nor is he an all-world defender or playmaker, meaning he sometimes struggles to fit in. That said, Brown found a way to get himself going during the second half. It took him a short period to monopolize the offense – something most teams try to avoid. For Boston, this might seem like an investment it should perhaps lean more on. The three-ball and ball movement are always something the Celtics can fall back on, but getting Brown going and finding a rhythm is so crucial to their playoff success that it might be the best way to get the most out of of both worlds.
Lakers 115, Warriors 113
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Steph Curry can still put on a show. Yes, the Warriors lost, but his eight points in the final 26 seconds gave the game the boost it really needed after both teams struggled to score most of the evening.
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The Warriors remain a work in progress. Dennis Schröder still isn’t comfortable with the offense, shooting 3-for-10 from the floor, but you’re slowly starting to see how he can help Golden State. He probably just needs a little more time.
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What is Austin Reaves’ ceiling? Yes, Reaves is a limited player, but anyone who can push a solid defender like Andrew Wiggins to the limit and hit a game-winner has something extra. Topping his third career triple-double (26-10-10) with that big shot was certainly the icing on his special night.
Suns 110, Nuggets 100
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What are you doing with Jamal Murray? The Nuggets need a superstar to partner Nikola Jokić, and Murray — with a four-year, $207,845,568 million contract extension — should be that man. But he’s far from that so far, averaging 19.1 points, 6.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds in Wednesday’s game. Something has to change or Denver (16-12) will pay a lot of money for very little in return.
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Kevin Durant’s strange tendencies. With many wringing their hands over the NBA’s three-point fire, it’s good to know KD is staying true to himself. Durant, one of the greatest shooters of all time, is content with making five or six 3s a night. That’s strange enough. But he likes to go for contested mid-range jumpers and long 2s, which … leads to nights like Wednesday where he needed 26 shots to score 27 points. Look, the Suns won, so it doesn’t really matter. But a player as tall and as gifted as KD choosing to take suboptimal shots only limits his efficiency and puts a ceiling on his immense abilities. If anyone should take double-digit 3s instead of long 2s, it’s this guy.
