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Gary Neville feels Ruben Amorim has given himself a blueprint to move forward after a notable change in style this week – but Roy Keane remains unimpressed with “one of the worst teams in the league” without the ball.
Watch a funny 60 seconds between Luke Littler and David Davies as we have a fake 170 checkout and premature walk off!
Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan hailed a “satisfying performance” as his side completed a dominant 50-14 Gallagher Premiership win over Newcastle Red Bulls.
Morgan Rogers scored twice for Aston Villa as they beat Manchester United 2-1 at Villa Park to make it 10 wins in a row in all competitions.
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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.
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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.
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One week after losing starter Patrick Mahomes to an ACL tear, Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew is feared to have suffered a torn ACL, sources told ESPN.
BOS: Celtics get a glimpse at their bright future in win over Heat
Sam LaFrance, Hardwood Houdini
BOS: Luka Garza’s patience and grit have reinforced Joe Mazzulla’s “respect” for him
Gio Rivera, Celtics Blog
CLE: The Cavs are paying too high a price for extra possessions
Ethan Sands, cleveland.com
CLE: What’s wrong with the Cavs? Here’s how to start to fix it
Terry Pluto, cleveland.com
DEN: Why an aggressive trade deadline would be risky for the Nuggets
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
DEN: Nuggets’ Bruce Brown, Rockets’ Kevin Durant are former teammates. Now they have beef.
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
GSW: The regrets and reflections in Klay Thompson’s Warriors exit
Anthony Slater/Tim MacMahon, ESPN
LAL: Lakers lose Luka Doncic to injury, then fall to Clippers despite LeBron James’ 36 points
Broderick Turner, LA Times
MIA: Heat coach calls Kasparas Jakučionis ‘fearless’ after first NBA start
Cody Taylor, USA Today
OKC: A five-step guide on how to beat the Thunder
Kevin Pelton, ESPN
ORL: Offseason work paying dividends from 3 for Magic center Wendell Carter Jr.
Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel
ORL: Magic’s offense still fighting for energy, consistency
Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Magic Daily
PHI: Takeaways from Sixers win over Dallas
Keith Pompey, The Inquirer
PHI: Observations after Sixers flip switch in 4th quarter to beat Mavs
Noah Levick, NBC Sports
PHI: Six Thoughts: Maxey, Edgecombe and Barlow Carry Sixers Past Mavericks
Austin Krell, Sports Illustrated
PHX: How Suns fell to Golden State Warriors after red-hot start
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
SAC: Kings rookies shine, but fall short to Blazers
Frankie Cartoscelli, Sactown Sports
SAS: How ‘Pretty Incredible’ Rookie Dylan Harper is Giving Spurs Déjà Vu
Matt Guzman, Sports Illustrated
BI NOTE: How’s this for deja vu?: We see a lot of 1970’s Nets’ star Super John Williamson in Dylan’s game:
TOR: Raptors must adapt with Jakob Poeltl day-to-day and RJ Barrett still ramping up
John Chidley-Hill, Toronto Star
UTA: Desmond Bane hits game winner to lift Magic past Jazz in overtime
Sarah Todd, Deseret News
Despite a valiant fight from Keyonte George and the Jazz, the Magic were able to get the victory.
FEATURES OF THE DAY
Former Pelicans coach Willie Green, family still pour into New Orleans community
Marc J. Spears
The 2025-26 NBA All-No-Trade Team
Marc Stein, The Stein Line
What if … Every Team was their Best Self?
Chris Gunther, Charting Hoops
NBA MVP straw poll: Where 100 league insiders see the race headed
Tim Bontemps, ESPN
The NBA has never seen offense like Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Ian Levy, Fansided
NBA lays out injury reporting policies, reviewing other ‘sports betting policies,’ tanking rules
Kurt Helin, NBC Sports
Who respects the NBA Cup?
Alex Shephard, Basketball Feelings
Five NBA Things I may or may not have Liked: A Farewell to Free Throws, CPTheater, Knicked, Cursed Cavs, Spare Nuggets
Above the Break
NBA reinstates ref with 2023 social media burner: What it means
Lorenzo Reyes, USA Today
BOS: Celtics sharpshooter’s re-emergence could be bigger than any trade
Souichi Terada, Mass Live
BOS: Joe Mazzulla makes clever adjustment to help Celtics beat Heat
Brian Robb, Mass Live
BOS: Celtics turn up the Heat in the fourth quarter
Adam Himmelsbach, The Boston Globe
Ray and Nick break down the most recent run of basketball for the Sacramento Kings as 2025 draws to a close, before previewing the games for the Kings in the week ahead. They start out by discussing the ins and outs of an 0-3 week for the Kings, including the encouraging recent overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers that they previewed with Joe Freeman of the Oregonian/OregonLive in the previous episode. Then, they discuss some of the most recent comments from head coach Doug Christie on the state of the rotation for the Kings. Finally, they preview the games in the week ahead, including another showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Tone, Rush, and Jarrett are back with another must-listen NBA conversation, breaking down the biggest debates shaping the league right now.
The episode opens with a heated discussion on whether the NBA should lift the 65-game minimum for awards and how load management, injuries, and modern player usage factor into award voting. From there, the crew dives into Luka Dončić’s shot selection and whether his offensive approach is actually hurting winning basketball.
They also examine whether the San Antonio Spurs are officially a team to fear, especially with their young core continuing to grow, and debate the Knicks’ decision not to hang an NBA Cup banner — was it the right move or a missed opportunity?
And of course the crew makes their NBA 2025 Christmas Day game picks, highlighting the matchups fans need to see on the league’s biggest stage.
Who’s winning and losing the possession game?
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
These teams have been the best (or the worst) at using turnovers and offensive rebounding work to add possessions this season.
Stephon Castle’s full-court pressure, Darius Garland’s flow and more NBA trends
Fred Katz, The Athletic
Lob Cities: Who’s throwing (and catching) alley-oops?
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
If the NBA chooses to expand, it must do what’s long overdue: go back to Seattle
David Aldridge, The Athletic
ATL: Hawks give up 24 3’s; Hornets spoil Young’s return, Johnson’s career night
Lauren Williams, AJC
BKN: Examining The Nets’ Porter Options
Steve Lichtenstein
BOS: How Jordan Walsh went from the end of the Celtics’ bench to shutting down some of the NBA’s best scorers
Jack Maloney, CBS Sports
BOS: Brad Stevens most happy to see how Celtics veterans have pushed the young players forward
Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
CHA: GAMENOTES: Regular Season Game #27
Doug Branson, Every Hornets Box Score
CHA: Tidjane Salaün’s Recent Strides Are About More Than Just Shot-Making
Sam Perley, Hornets.com
The rest of the team-specific stories as well as draft-related stories follow for paid subscribers
PODCAST: Kings-Blazers preview
Ray LeBov/Nick Agar-Johnson/Joe Freeman, Kings Weekly Podcast
*FEATURES OF THE DAY*
Toughness on video: Teaching NBA players to play hard
David Thorpe, True Hoop
Knicks’ NBA Cup title showcases upside of new role for Jalen Brunson
Eric Samulski, NBC Sports
Mike Brown counts Bernie Bickerstaff as his biggest mentor
Marc J. Spears, Andscape
Toughness on video: Teaching NBA players to play hard
David Thorpe, True Hoop
Knicks? Warriors? Nuggets? Which NBA team is the best at shooting?
Law Murray, The Athletic
How many minutes are NBA teams playing their starters?
Jared Dubin, Last Night In Basketball
Cleveland’s struggles continue, the debut of “I Can’t Believe it’s Not NBA Centel,” & more.
Dustin Brewer, HOOPS
Will OKC’s dominance steal NBA trade deadline’s thunder?
Fred Katz, The Athletic
How NBA expansion might reshape things: new divisions, realignment and a draft
John Hollinger, The Athletic
NBA will decide on expansion in 2026. Here are 4 factors that may determine the choice
Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic
Four Takeaways From the NBA Cup Final
Kirk Goldsberry, The Ringer
BKN: Michael Porter Jr. playing like All-Star — but Nets know it’s on them to give him chance
Brian Lewis, NY Post
Joe Freeman of the Oregonian/OregonLive joins Ray and Nick to preview the upcoming two games between the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers. They start out by discussing Portland’s season so far, including overwhleming injuries and the early returns on new head coach Tiago Splitter. Finally, they wrap up by talking about some of the key matchups for the upcoming games, including the head-to-head matchup of two of the NBA’s best young defensive forwards in Keegan Murray and Toumani Camara.
Ray LeBov/Nick Agar-Johnson/Joe Freeman, Kings Weekly Podcast
BKN: Drake Powell heard Jordi Fernandez’s tough love Nets message loud and clear
Bridget Reilly, NY Post
BKN: Nets rookies starting to impress as franchise gets most extended look yet
Peter Botte, NY Post
BKN: Danny Wolf Leading Rookies in Two Major Stat Categories
Sameer Kumar, Sports Illustrated
CLE: Why Cavs should move De’Andre Hunter out of starting lineup
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
CLE: The Cavs keep needing Dean Wade — and that’s not an accident
Ethan Sands, cleveland.com
CLE: If not now, when? What this Evan Mobley-less stretch means for Jarrett Allen’s Cavs tenure
Ethan Sands/Jimmy Watkins, cleveland.com
LAL: Why JJ Redick sees promise in the imperfect Lakers
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, LA Times
MIA: What happened to Heat’s revamped offense?
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald
NOP: Derik Queen’s Brilliance Shouldn’t Overshadow Jeremiah Fears’ Impressive Rookie Campaign
Cem Yolbulan, Sports Illustrated
NYK: The Knicks won the NBA Cup without a hero, and that should frighten the league
Kelly Iko, Yahoo Sports
NYK: The Knicks bench may finally be ready for a deep playoff run
Bradley Rowland, Fansided
NYK: Knicks beat serious competition in not-quite-serious NBA Cup
Mike Lupica, Daily News
POR: Why Trail Blazers players are now desperate to get their names inside a mysterious locked box after games
Joe Freeman, Oregon Live
POR: Blazers end losing streak by toppling vintage Stephen Curry and Warriors
Joe Freeman, Oregon Live
SAC: Report: Kings’ Veterans Clashing With Doug Christie
Eric Sperlazza, Sports Illustrated
SAC: There isn’t even any grass over here
Akis Yerocostas, The Kings Herald
De’Aaron Fox believes the grass is greener in San Antonio and to that I say, “what’s grass?”
Yes, this is a very flawed roster, but Doug Christie hasn’t been able to figure out how to make a workable offense despite having some very good scorers on this team. Last year, he managed to keep the team together but was relying on Mike Brown’s old coaching staff. This year it’s an entirely new staff and nothing is working. This team is miserable to watch, and it looks like they’re miserable when they’re out there. That’s the biggest indictment of Christie as full time head coach so far.
This team needs a shakeup, even if just to clear out some playing time for these young guys. Devin Carter finally got some burn against the Nuggets and played pretty well, scoring 15 points with 4 assists in 21 minutes off the bench, only to not even see the floor the next game against Minnesota. In a lost season like this, the young guys should be getting as much time as possible if only to see what we have. Yes, they will stumble and fall and look awful at times, but this team already looks terrible even when they don’t play so what’s the point? This team just feels like a bunch of mercenaries biding their time until they’re somewhere else and it’s hard to get excited about games knowing that’s what you’re going to see.
SAS: For De’Aaron Fox, the ‘grass is greener’ with the San Antonio Spurs
Marc J. Spears, Andscape
SAS: Spurs vindicated for draft day trade as ignored guard struggles on rival team
Josh Cornelissen, Air Alamo
Leaguewide, Draft & Fantasy Hoops stories follow for paid subscribers
Every Team’s Top 3 Assets With NBA Trade Season Officially Here
Dan Favale, Bleacher Report
NBA News Roundup
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops
Ducking The Tax Watch Heading Into Trade Season, Ducking The Tax Trackers, The Spencer Brothers Are Ballers, Trey Murphy Embodying Dunks And Threes
Nick Thoreson, The Waive and Stretch
How many wins does Giannis have left?
Henry Abbott, True Hoop
The NBA’s most heated parlor game right now is whether the Heat, Spurs, Thunder, Warriors, Raptors or someone else can put together the best package of young players and picks to land Giannis. ESPN recently conjured trade ideas built around Trae Young, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jonathan Kuminga and other big names and high draft picks. There are many stories like this. Two young players who caught my eye in those conversations are some of the league’s best young big men: the Rockets’ Alperen Şengün and the Heat’s Kel’el Ware.
Are those awesome young big men really available? If so, it’s only because GMs knows how much Giannis has done for the Bucks in the past. But what matters now is how much Giannis will do for teams in the future–and how does that compare to what you’d expect from Şengün or Ware?
Let’s try to figure that out.
NBA Power Rankings
Brad Botkin, CBS Sports
Team-Specific, Draft and Fantasy stories follow for paid subscribers
NOTE: Today’s edition is abbreviated due to illness. If we recover sufficiently, we will publish a Part Two later today. Otherwise we’ll play “catch-up” tomorrow.
BKN: Nets’ Holiday Spirit Could Dampen With Tougher Upcoming Slate
Steve Lichtenstein
BOS: Jaylen Brown takes blame for Celtics’ home loss to East-leading Pistons
Jay King, The Athletic
GSW: It’s time for Jimmy Butler to be more aggressive
Nick Friedell, The Athletic
GSW: Steph Masterclass Can’t Overcome Roster Flaws, Blazers Beat Warriors Yet Again
Duncan/Daniel Hardee, Dub Nation HQ
GSW: Warriors have big problems: A lack of continuity is high on the list
Nick Friedell, The Athletic
IND: Energy lacking as Indiana stumbles in weekend pair of games
Scott Agness, Fieldhouse Files
LAC: Clippers’ miserable season rolls on with another blowout loss
Justin Russo
MIL: Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks lose another winnable game, fall to 11-16
Eric Nehm, The Athletic
MIN: Why aren’t the Timberwolves giving young players big minutes? Chris Finch has answers
Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic
OKC: How OKC trusted the draft, ignored the NBA’s shortcuts and turned fan patience into a payoff.
Maxwell Ogden, Fansided
PHI: Sixers’ Paul George is reassembling his game
Tony Jones, The Athletic
SAS: Spurs Pulled Off the Upset Against the Thunder
Paul Garcia, The Spot Up Shot
Devin Vassell from three, Wemby the X-Factor off the bench, the Spurs’ defensive containment vs OKC, and Castle attacking inside
SAS: Victor Wembanyama and the ‘ethical’ Spurs are ready to think big
Jared Weiss, The Athletic
SAS: The Wemby Effect is real
Tom Haberstroh, The Finder
Wemby vs. Brunson: The NBA Cup’s First Great Final
Michael Pina, The Ringer
Spurs-Knicks looks like a shockingly compelling title game. Will the return of Victor Wembanyama tilt the balance?
Recapping Monday’s five games and previewing Tuesday’s NBA Cup Final matchup
Dustin Brewer, HOOPS
Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun Had a Battle for the Ages
The Ten Most Intriguing Trade Candidates
The Ringer
NBA Sophomore Rankings
Nathan Grubel, No Ceilings
NBA Power Rankings
Law Murray, The Athletic
EltasZone reporters are world known and Respected. They know sports from boxing to soccer and Golf. We hire reporters who hae covered their field for a longtime
Patriots vs. Ravens live updates: New England takes lead on Andy Borregales’ 45-yard FG – The Athletic The New York Times
