National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

Christmas Day is usually a time for family and basketball, but the NFL is presenting a new challenge for the NBA this holiday season. After a doubleheader of NFL games on Christmas last year, the league added one more matchup at night to kick off Week 17. All three NFL matchups are between divisional opponents. Meanwhile, the NBA is set to feature its regular slate of five games (all on ABC/ESPN) for the 18th straight year.

The Lakers' defense collapsed in a 132-108 loss to the Suns on Tuesday at Mortgage Matchup Center, giving up a season-high field goal percentage (59%), tying their mark for most points allowed this season. Led by 17-for-29 shooting from star guard Devin Booker (21 points) and Dillon Brooks (25 points), the Suns easily eclipsed the 56.5% they shot against the Lakers on Dec. 1.

Kentucky dropped out of these Power Rankings back on Dec. 4, following a 5-3 start. A day later, the Wildcats lost by 35 points to Gonzaga in Nashville, and it looked like the wheels were falling off. Less than three weeks later, Mark Pope's team returns to the mix. Kentucky has won four straight games, all by double-figures, including 12-point victories over Indiana and St. John's.

Remember the wave of excitement surrounding the Miami Heat's selection of Kasparas Jakucionis as the 20th overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft? That was never tied to any hopes of him competing for a rotation role on opening night and vying for Rookie of the Year honors. And even if it was, his shaky showing in summer league basically underlined and highlighted his need for further development.

The Washington Wizards are being monitored ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February for a variety of reasons. Not only do the Wizards have several glaring holes on the roster that need to be addressed, but they also have multiple players who could be major additions for playoff-bound teams looking for an upgrade to their depth chart. Whether the Wizards plan to be buyers or sellers at the deadline is still unknown,

The players I'm talking about are Ja'Kobe Walter, Gradey Dick, and Ochai Agbaji. For most of the 2025-26 season, these three have been the swingmen options Toronto has used, and they've all had their ups and downs. Agbaji has definitely been the most disappointing of the three, Dick continues to be inconsistent in his third NBA season, and while Ja'Kobe Walter still catches my eye with potential - he's still very much unproven to warrant a significant role.

After hard-fought victories over the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks in their previous encounters, the Toronto Raptors headed into the past weekend facing a back-to-back schedule against the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. While the Raptors didn't secure those two prior straight wins with absolute perfection, I was hopeful that Toronto could carry this positive momentum into December as they aim to close out 2025 on a high note.

NEW ORLEANS -- Zion Williamson scored 24 points, including 10 straight in a decisive two-minute span of the fourth quarter, to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 119-113 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, extending the Pelicans' season-long winning streak to five games. The Pelicans, who started the season 3-22, have posted their longest winning streak since 2022. New Orleans erased an 87-79 deficit after three quarters with a 38-19 run in the first 10:24 of the final quarter.

As Lakers coach JJ Redick talked after practice Monday about the long list of his players who would be listed as day-to-day for Tuesday night's game at Phoenix, he at least knew that center Deandre Ayton will be back after missing the previous two games with left elbow soreness. Redick said Luka Doncic (left leg contusion), Austin Reaves (mild left calf strain) and Rui Hachimura (right groin soreness) are day-to-day.

His pre-game words proved prophetic as the Raptors 905 narrowly outlasted the Grand Rapids Gold 103-101 in the G League's Winter Showcase Semifinal, while extending their historic start to 16 consecutive wins. The victory required overcoming a double-digit first-half deficit and about as many lead changes as there are palm trees in sunny Orlando, where the tournament is being held.

RJ Barrett has been at the heart of trade speculation since the moment the Toronto Raptors first acquired him in 2023. Cast aside by critics as a player who simply doesn't play a winning style, Barrett has quietly grown into the type of contributor many swore he couldn't be. As the trade rumors return in 2025-26, it's become perfectly clear that those who expect him to be moved aren't properly quantifying how valuable he is to the Raptors.