Anthony Edwards dominated Madison Square Garden last night with a 3-point barrage, capped by three points the difficult way in monumental manner. In the match that ended 116-99, he delivered eight triples on his way to gather 36 points, 13 boards, seven dimes, and a two-handed and-1 hammer as the Minnesota Timberwolves evaded Jalen Brunson (26 points) and the New York Knicks, who played without Karl Anthony Towns. However, Edwards was not the only Wolf to steal the show in that game, Naz Reid also contributed six triples without a miss from deep as Minnesota matched a season-high in 3s (22) on 40 attempts (55%). Watch: Edwards Win For The Wolves. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 33 points and 11 rebounds, while the Oklahoma City Thunder broke free from the Boston Celtics to secure a 105-92 score for their franchise-record 15th straight win.  Oklahoma, which advanced to 30-5, have not lost a match that mattered in the standings since December 1st. The Thunder’s defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup final doesn’t reflect on their record.  The former Seattle SuperSonics set the team’s previous record in 1996. Jayson Tatum got 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Boston Celtics. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points, but was scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting in the second half.  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine points in the first 3 ½ minutes of the game to get Oklahoma an early lead, but the Celtics led 65-55 at halftime.  The Thunder reduced the deficit to 80-76 at the end of the third quarter and took back control, 81-80, on a pair of free throws by Jalen Williams early in the fourth.  Oklahoma stayed in control, and consecutive 3s by Lu Duport put them under 100-88 with only two minutes to play. Dort scored 11 points and delivered all his three slots from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.  The Thunder held the Celtics to a season-low 27 points in the second half. Boston’s previous was 44.

The Emirates NBA Cup advances to its last stage with four teams standing. The contest for the NBA Cup and the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award will end in Las Vegas. There, the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston Rockets will compete in the semifinals.  The games kick off in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 14th with Hawks-Bucks (4:30 p.m. ET, TNT) followed by Rockets-Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC), with the winners of each game moving on to the championship on December 17th (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).  Selection for the MVP “will be based on the players’ performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.” With relatively few matches and just eight total matches moving out of Group Play, winning is more necessary than ever in the race for this award.  Below is a look at which players are taking the inside track toward tournament MVP honors: 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder Gilgeous-Alexander graces the top position entering the Semifinals, mostly for appearing in all five of the Thunder games so far. If his production drops or his team loses, the mantle could pass to one of the Bucks players below.Shai delivered an outstanding performance in Oklahoma’s Knockout Rounds victory over Dallas. His 39 points on 65.2% shooting were from all levels (six FGA in the paint, four at mid-range, five beyond the arc). He also has the stingiest defense in the NBA, and his on-court plus-15.6 leads all players in Cup play.  2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Antetokounmpo continues to lead Cup play into the Knockout Rounds, as the injury-riddled Magic discovered on Tuesday. Antetokounmpo stepped into the court and shot 14-for-17 around the basket. He had as many blocks as Orlando did by himself.  Giannis has been so powerful that his Cuo-leading 22 turnovers have had little effect on the outcome. Antetokounmpo has doubled down on what makes him exceptional on offense; a career-high 96.3% of his shot attempts this year are 2-pointers, and a career-high 59.2% of his makes are unaided. He takes the ball himself, all the way to the rim with destructive effect.  3. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks Lillard is the perimeter part of Buck’s star duo, good to the point that his 28-point, nine-assist performance against Magic felt like a disappointment at first blush. But this was before the “Dame Time’’ that happened in the fourth quarter, with Lillard scoring 15 points by himself to help mellow out Jalen Suggs’ play down the stretch.  Damian’s raw start does not justify what his appearance brings to a game. Minus his 9.3 attempts from 3-point range on 48.6% shooting in Cup play, and how much less room does Giannis have to wreak havoc? 4. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks Johnson has done the “leap” that had many team executives, coaches and fans put their hopes on. He is a dynamic swingman, one of the most unique and valuable skills in the league. Johnson can score, rebound, play-make, and defend while leading the Hawks in minutes per game (37.3) in Cup play.  Jalen was exceptional in a Knockout Rounds victory against New York on Wednesday. Atlanta was outscored by 8 in the almost seven minutes he took a break. When he did play, he delivered, ending with 21 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Opponents should be scared when Johnson’s shooting passes the NBA average. 5. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets meteoric rise features talent and performances from a squad packed with stars. Alperen Sengun is the reliable hub holding the offense together. Sengun’s awareness of cutters and shooters is crucial for a Rockets side filled with cutters and shooters. His team-leading plus-minus (12.0 over five matches) tells a part of the story.  Sengun brought all his high-IQ play to an exciting Knockout Rounds victory against the Golden State Warriors. His strong fourth quarter- six points, two assists and steal in seven minutes included a score that kept the team going until Jalen Green’s heroics in the last seconds. 

Trae Young was out dribbling the clock on Wednesday night when he knelt down toward the New York’s center-court logo and pretended to shoot dice. “We’re going to Vegas,” Young said, “so that’s what I had to.” When he is at Madison Square Garden, always bet on him. What he did felt like the 2021 playoffs. The Knicks had been eliminated, and Young celebrated in the middle of their arena.  He had 22 points and 11 assists, leading Atlanta to a 108-100 win in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. The Hawks will go to Las Vegas to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.  “I planned that one with my little brother a few days ago,” he said. “We had talked about that and I mean, I knew what I was going to do.” Young said he did not get a lot of heat like he did in 2021 until late in the game. New York dominated the first half, leading by 12 at one point, but Atlanta took over in the third quarter. 

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named NBA Players of the Week for Week 6 (November 25 – December 1).  Eastern Conference: Western Conference:

Julian Champagnie was supposed to join a role in the Spurs’ rotation this term, but he took things a step further. Champagnie has earned a starting role, contributing on both ends of the court. This role has been significant for a San Antonio Spurs team that is 11-9 ahead of the quarter mark of the 2024-25 campaign.  The third-year forward has even bigger shoes to fill due to Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell being absent with injury. As these players recover, Champagnie’s solid play has scored him a regular role in the rotation after he averaged only 19.8 minutes per match last year.  This season, Champagnie is recording a career-high 29.5 minutes per match, He is averaging 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals and starting in all of San Antonio’s 20 fixtures. The forward also shoots with confidence (43.6 FG%), an upgrade compared to the 40.8% mark he made in 2023-24.  Spurs’ interim coach Mitch Johnson appears to like what Champagnie has to offer on both sides of the court. Furthermore, him in the lineup balances out the squad, as it creates space for Vassell and Johnson to ease back in. His length is a defensive weapon which will allow the Spurs to launch an aggressive defense with a lineup that has him, Stephon Castle, Harrison Banes, and Victor Wembanyama. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers made history on Wednesday, and point guard Donovan Mitchell spoke a little about the team’s 13-0 start to the year.  “We’re the hunted, but it’s also November,” Cleveland’s star forward said after he had 23 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the Cavaliers’ 114-106 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday night. “Let’s relax. You know, I’m saying it’s November and we’re not winning a championship right now. But these are good tests for us.” The Cavaliers became the first team since Golden State in 2015-16 to win 13 straight to begin a campaign. The Warriors hold the record for most victories to start a season at 24 straight.  They are just the sixth club in NBA/BAA history to begin 13-0. Besides the 2015-16 Warriors, the other four teams are: Four of the last five clubs advanced to the championship round. It also tied with Cleveland’s franchise record of 13 straight victories set three times in – 2009, 2010, and 2017 all with LeBron James.  “It’s an 82-game season and we’re only 13 games in,” said guard Darius Garland, who led Cleveland with 25 points in their latest win. “There’s a lot of stuff that we have to clean up. But it’s a good thing that we can have these wins as well. It’s a good balance that we have right now because we know that we can get a lot better, even though we’re still undefeated.” Some parts of Cleveland’s success has hinged on ball movement and scoring. Garland, Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Caris LaVert, Evan Moblely, Ty Jerome- played on Wednesday night to average double figures in scoring.  “We’ve all been able to play a lot of games, and you can be mentally and physically tired,” Mitchell said. “But you have to be able to continue to do the little things for one another. That’s what it’s going to take on a night like tonight (to win). “You have to be the team that does the little things for one another through those moments and continues to make the right plays.” Wednesday turned out to be a struggle for a short-handed Philadelphia lineup that played without Joel Embiid (left knee injury maintenance), Paul George (left knee injury maintenance), Tyrese Maxey (right hamstring strain), and backup center Andre Drummond (sickness).  That game also revealed just how heavy the weight on the Cavaliers is to maintain their winning streak.  “If you were the Sixers coming in, you’re thinking ’We could end the streak,’” Cleveland first-year coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That always motivates players and coaches that you know you can knock someone off their block. I know our players feel it and they’ve talked about it.” Jared McCain scored a career high 34 points and had the 76ers within three with only over three minutes left. “He came out and showed that he’s got some game,” Garland said. “He is looking for a spot on that team as well. It was good, it was a good showing for all of us.” That’s when Mitchell got hot, closing the game with 11 points in the final three minutes and just missing his first career triple-double. “He made those big step-back 3’s,” Atkinson said. “We’ll forgive him (for missing the triple-double).” After a break on Thursday, Cleveland will welcome the Chicago Bulls on Friday and Charlotte Hornets on Sunday before its hardest test — a Tuesday night game with defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. “We have a mature group and a steady group that doesn’t get too high or too low,” Atkinson said. “They are a humble group. I don’t know if they are reading the media quotes and I don’t think that anyone is pounding the drum or saying how great we are. Donovan is always saying that we haven’t done anything yet, so they understand what we need to do and what the next step is. And they are keeping that chip on their shoulder.”

Joel Embiid has been suspended for three matches without pay for shoving a media personnel. Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced this on Tuesday. Embiid shoved the reporter in the Philadelphia 76ers locker room after their 127-107 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at Wells Fargo Center. “Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” Dumars said.  “While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical.” Joel’s suspension will begin on the next NBA regular-season match he is eligible and able to feature in. 

San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan will undergo surgery to treat a fractured left thumb he injured Monday night in a defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers.  Sochan shattered the proximal phalanx when he ran into a screen close to the Clippers bench late into the second quarter. He left the match with 3:31 remaining in the first half and did not come back.  The Spurs will update Sochan’s status after the surgery. San Antonio was leading by 26 points in the first quarter with Sochan on the court, but in the second half,  Los Angeles turned things around to secure their first victory at the Intuit Dome.  He averages career highs in points (15.7) and rebounds (7.7). 

The NBA fined the Philadelphia 76ers a sum of $100,000 for public statements made about Joel Embiid’s health status. Embiid had not been playing for the Sixers. The list of defaulters included president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse, who made comments that were inconsistent with Embiid’s health and violated NBA rules, including the league’s Player Participation Policy.  An investigation by the NBA also confirmed that Embiid has been absent for Sixers regular season fixtures this campaign due to a left knee injury. Therefore, the matches he missed did not violate the Player Participation Policy.