Back-to-back highlight reel buckets to win the game?

For Ja, it’s just another day on the job.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 12, 2025

Shining Guards: A Ja-dropping final minute for the win and a Cade masterclass

Finding Groove: The Suns are starting to shine, while Herro and the Heat win 3rd straight

Sunday Matinee: Two star-studded showdowns this afternoon tip off a monster slate

Win Streaks Collide: Will Cleveland earn Lucky No. 13, or will Indy make it six straight?

More Marquee Matchups: Sacramento & OKC look to say hot, plus a Paolo encore

BUT FIRST … ⏰
Get ready for non-stop action…

A hoops marathon unfolds today on League Pass with a stacked nine-game slate starting at 3 ET, as Giannis and the Bucks battle the Knicks at MSG. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets meet the Mavs in Dallas.

Who Are Your All-Stars? Fans can vote on starters for the 2025 All-Star Game every day until Jan. 20 on the NBA App or NBA.com with their NBA ID. Don’t miss your shot — tap to vote now.

Wildfire Relief Efforts: The entire NBA, NBPA, WNBA and WNBPA family sends its thoughts and support to the community of Los Angeles during this challenging time. To learn more, get help and/or support, visit NBA Cares.

1. SATURDAY STARS: JA CALLS GAME, CADE COOKS

A showdown featuring two of the most electrifying stars in the NBA delivered a fitting finish.

Grizzlies 127, Wolves 125: In a game featuring 22 ties and 25 lead changes, Anthony Edwards had 15 points and six dimes and got a big boost from Donte DiVincenzo (27 pts, 6 3s, 10 reb, 7 ast) to help put the Wolves up four with 1:41 left.

But Ja Morant refused to be denied. After Jaren Jackson Jr. (33 pts) cut the deficit to two, Morant scored a pair of ridiculous buckets in the clutch to lift the Grizzlies to a thrilling road dub. | Recap

• The Equalizer: With the game on the line, Morant went right at the 2023-24 Kia DPOY Rudy Gobert, elevating over the “Stifle Tower” at the rim before kissing in a double-clutch layup off the glass
• The Winner: One possession later, Morant snaked around Edwards to find room on the baseline, where he dropped in a tough off-balance floater with 19 ticks left to put Memphis up for good
• The Closer: After struggling to find his shot for the first three quarters, Morant scored six of his 12 points in the 4th, capped by his sixth career game-winner in the final 20 seconds
• “He always seems to come through,” said JJJ postgame about Ja. “We already knew what time it was.”

While Ja called game, Cade Cunningham took his game over.

Pistons 123, Raptors 114: With Detroit seeking its sixth win in seven outings, Cunningham was surgical, dropping 22 points, 17 dimes and 10 boards to power the Pistons past Immanuel Quickley (25 pts) and the Raptors. | Recap

• Year 4: Averaging career-highs in pts (24.2), reb (6.7) and ast (9.5), Cunningham entered the season with two career triple-doubles. Through 35 games played this season, he’s bumped that number to nine
• His seven triple-doubles this season are the third-most in the NBA and six shy of tying the Pistons single-season record of 13, set by Grant Hill in 1996-97
• Cade’s elevating his team too, as Detroit is now 20-19, marking the first time it’s reached 20+ wins within the first 40 games of a season since 2017-18

2. SATURDAY ROUNDUP: PHOENIX & MIAMI TURN IT UP

The Suns and Heat are on the move.

Suns 114, Jazz 106: Devin Booker splashed six 3s to the tune of 34 points, while Kevin Durant added 25 and seven dimes to lead the Suns to a wire-to-wire win over Lauri Markkanen (24 pts) and the Jazz. | Recap

• In The Hunt: It’s the Suns’ third win in four outings, moving them a half-game back of the Warriors for the final Play-In spot in the West
• Must-See: Watch Grayson Allen (14 pts) go up-and-under for a slick reverse lay

Heat 119, Blazers 98: After trailing by as many as 20 in the 2nd quarter, Anfernee Simons scored 17 of his 28 points in the 3rd to get Portland back in it. But Miami closed the game on a 19-5 run to slam the door, marking its third straight win. | Recap

• Herro Ball: Tyler Herro netted a game-high 32 points on seven 3s, extending his Heat franchise record to 71 straight outings with a trey
• 3rd Longest: Only Luka Dončić (92) and Bogdan Bogdanović (107) have longer active streaks

3. A SUNDAY MATINEE BRIMMING WITH STAR POWER

Eight-plus hours of hoops get underway on League Pass this afternoon, starting with a pair of star-studded conference showdowns boasting Playoff implications.

Bucks at Knicks (3 ET): In a battle between East powers, two Kia MVP candidates will square off as Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks take on Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

An inch apart in height, both Giannis (6’11”) and Towns (7’0”) are beasts on the boards and certified bucket-getters, shooting at an elite level.

• Scoring Leader: Along with a league-best 31.7 ppg, Giannis also ranks fifth in rebounds (11.9) and is shooting 60.2% from the field – the second-highest percentage of his career
• Not Settling: Giannis’ efficiency boost begins with attacking the rim, as he’s taking just 0.1 3s per game – tied for a career-low – while leading the NBA in points in the paint (21.0 ppg)
• Board Man: Meanwhile, KAT ranks second in the NBA in rebounds (13.9) and 10th in points (25.3) while shooting a career-high 55.2% from the field and 45% from 3
• Hungry KAT: While Towns is red-hot from downtown, he’s also feasting near the rim, with 62.9% of his buckets coming inside 10 feet – the highest rate of his career

Both big men are joined by star guards, making for two of the best tandems in the league, as Giannis and Damian Lillard (24.9) are combining for an NBA-best 56.6 ppg, while KAT and Jalen Brunson (25.1) are combining for 50.3.

Today, the two dynamic duos will go head-to-head as the Bucks seek a fourth straight win in hopes of moving just 2.5 games back of the Knicks for third in the East.

Nuggets at Mavericks (3 ET): While Giannis and KAT rank third and sixth on the Kia MVP Ladder, respectively, Nikola Jokić ranks second and takes the floor at the same time as the Nuggets face the Mavs.

• In Friday’s win over Brooklyn, Jokić (35 pts, 12 reb, 15 ast) and Russell Westbrook – the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader – became the first duo to each record a triple-double in the same game multiple times in a single season (2x)
• Double Triple: It was Jokić’s 145th career triple-double (the third-most all-time) and his 15th this season – nearly twice as many as the next closest player (LeBron James: 8)
• Mile High Heat: The victory marked Denver’s sixth win in eight outings, moving them a half-game ahead of Dallas for fourth in the West
• Dallas Dubs: The Mavs are coming off back-to-back wins despite being without Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving

Will Dallas notch a third straight W, or will Jokić paint another masterpiece?

4. WIN STREAKS ON THE LINE TONIGHT IN CLEVELAND

Two of the NBA’s three longest win streaks collide tonight as Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and the NBA-best Cavs host Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and the Pacers (6 ET, LP).

Cleveland has won 12 games in a row, and done so in dominant fashion, with 10 wins coming by double digits and an average victory margin of 14.9.

Indiana is riding a five-game win streak — third-longest in the league, behind Cleveland and Sacramento (6) — with an 11-3 record in its last 14 games.

And, just like the Cavs, its offense is humming.

• Cleveland’s last loss came over a month ago on Dec. 8. Up to that point, the Cavs were averaging the second-most points in the NBA at 121.4 ppg
• Since then, the Cavs are posting an NBA-best 126.1 ppg while generating nearly five more points per 100 possessions than any other team
• In that same span (since Dec. 9). Indiana’s offense, which led the NBA in scoring last season, has found its groove – improving its OffRtg from 19th in the league (111.7) to third (118.4)

The secret to both attacks? Taking care of the rock and spreading the wealth. Dating back to Dec. 9, Indiana (2.55) and Cleveland (2.53) lead the NBA in assists/turnover ratio.

The Cavs are recording the second-most assists in the league in that span (32.1), with the Pacers right behind them (30.3). But the two teams stack their dimes differently.

• Pacer Passing: With Haliburton at the point, averaging 10.8 assists amid its win streak, Indiana leads the NBA in passes with 326.2 per game — 40 more than the league median (286.2) as of Jan. 11
• The Result? Knockdown opportunities. In its 11-3 run, Indy ranks fifth in catch-and-shoot field goals (12.1) and third in total FG% (49.6)
• Cavs Drive-&-Dish: Cleveland averages the fifth-fewest passes per game (271.4) but generates shots inside-out, beginning with the fourth-most drives (52.7 per game)
• When they penetrate, they look to dish, ranking second in pass percentage (43.9%) and first in assists (6.8) off drives
• The Result? More knockdown opportunities, as Cleveland is tied for the most points per possession on spot-up attempts (1.11) and boasts the league’s best FG% (50.5)

Tonight, the two high-octane offenses will duel with two win streaks on the line – opening a home-and-home with Round 2 taking place in Indy on Tuesday.

The Rematch: Cleveland then heads down to OKC on Thursday (7:30 ET, TNT) to battle the Thunder for the second time in nine days in another monster showdown.

5. MORE CAN’T-MISS SUNDAY SHOWDOWNS

Six more games get underway Sunday, including two surging West squads looking to stay hot and a Paolo Banchero encore.

Kings at Bulls (3:30 ET): After dropping six straight games, the Kings have won six in a row, capped by a 114-97 victory over the Celtics on Friday, in which Domantas Sabonis notched 23 points and a career-high 28 boards.

Today, Sabonis and Sac-Town will look to extend their win streak to seven as they take on Zach LaVine and the Bulls.

• Walking Double-Double: Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles (33) and is averaging 19.5 points and 17.7 boards amid the Kings’ 6-0 stretch
• LaVine Ballin’: Meanwhile, Chicago has won five of its last seven games, and LaVine has posted five straight 30-pieces – the longest such streak of his career

Thunder at Wizards (6 ET):  Speaking of hot, the Thunder have won 16 of their last 17 regular season games, bouncing back from Wednesday’s loss in Cleveland with a statement win over the Knicks at MSG. On Sunday, they’ll look to tally another W as they face the Wizards.

• Shai Shining: Now ranked first on the Kia MVP Ladder, SGA dropped 39 points in OKC’s win over New York on Friday, marking his league-leading 22nd 30-point game
• Key To Watch: The Wizards are committing the fourth-most turnovers in the NBA this season (16.4), while OKC is forcing a league-best 18.5

76ers at Magic (6 ET): In his first game since Oct. 30, Paolo Banchero picked up right where he left off on Friday, dropping 34 points on 5 3s as Orlando fell just short against Milwaukee in a 109-106 battle.

Tonight, Banchero will look to couple another big outing with a win as the Magic host Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, Joel Embiid (GTD) and the Sixers.

• Banchero Buckets: In his six games this season, Banchero is averaging 29.8 points on 50% shooting, along with 8.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists
• Embiid’s Status: After missing Friday’s loss to New Orleans, Embiid is questionable for today’s matchup. With him, Maxey and George all in the lineup, Philly is 7-3

Meanwhile, the Pels will challenge the defending champion C’s in Boston (6 ET), before the Jazz host the Nets (8 ET), and LaMelo Ball’s Hornets face the surging Suns in the Valley (9 ET).