The Pistons and the Raptors may have taken the spotlight recently, but the fact remains that the Thunder are still the cream of the crop in the NBA. The defending champions boast a 20-1 record and are the most in-form team with a 12-game winning streak. Oklahoma City did not play yesterday because it’s their day off.
At this rate, we won’t be surprised if the Thunder repeat as champions next June, and the NBA 2025 odds are backing Mark Daigneault’s men to do so.
On the other hand, several All-Star bigs have made their presence felt in yesterday’s busy nine-game slate. Joel Embiid finally returned for the Sixers, and Anthony Davis put up a solid individual performance for the Mavericks, though their NBA 2025 results produced a mixed bag.
Just in case you missed it, worry not, as SBOTOP has you covered with the latest updates around the Association.
Thunder continue to roll despite lineup changes
The Thunder have a realistic shot of winning this year’s Larry O’Brien trophy and NBA Cup because of their solid play thus far. Jalen Williams recently made his season debut after undergoing wrist surgery, giving the team a huge boost. However, Oklahoma City also lost center Isaiah Hartenstein due to a strained calf.
Williams had 11 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and two steals on 3-for-12 shooting from the field against the Suns before contributing 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three blocks on 7-for-18 shooting from the field against the Blazers on Sunday.
Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the head of the snake for Oklahoma City. The reigning league MVP had led the Thunder in scoring in almost every game so far this season. He is currently second on the official MVP ladder, averaging 32.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals on 55/41/89 shooting splits across 21 regular season starts.
Another Thunder player who deserves a shoutout is Ajay Mitchell, an early candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award. The 23-year-old combo guard returned from a minor knee injury on Sunday and had 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists against the Blazers.
Sixers star finally makes on-court return
Joel Embiid finally returned to the court after a three-week absence, but his comeback wasn’t enough as the Sixers lost 142-134 to the Hawks at home in double overtime. This game marked the first time this season that Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George played together.
Embiid, who missed the past nine games, did well in his first start since recovering from a knee injury. The one-time league MVP had 18 points and four rebounds on 6-for-14 shooting from the field across 30 minutes of action, a season-high.
“I’m just happy that I got a chance to play the game of basketball, build on it, and go from here,” Embiid said. “I don’t really judge myself based on shots falling. Tonight is all about how I moved laterally, jumping, and all that stuff. Tonight was a good step towards that.”
Maxey shouldered the heavy scoring load and produced 44 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists on 14-for-31 shooting from the field and 14-for-17 shooting from the charity stripe. George added 16 points, and Quentin Grimes and Dominick Barlow chipped in 28 and 10 points, respectively. VJ Edgecombe also returned to action, recording seven points and two steals in 21 minutes of action.
The Sixers dropped to 10-9 despite their stars’ comebacks, and they will aim to bounce back when they host the cellar-dwelling Wizards on Tuesday night.
Davis leads Mavericks to upset win over Nuggets
The Mavericks improved to 7-15, following back-to-back wins against the Clippers and the Nuggets. Cooper Flagg led the way against the Clippers on Saturday with a season-high 35 points, while Anthony Davis took charge in their comeback victory over the Nuggets.
Davis scored a season-high 32 points on 13-for-23 shooting in his second game back from injury, while adding 13 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 32 minutes of action. The Mavericks also witnessed a breakout game from Ryan Nembhard, as he dropped 28 points, three rebounds, 10 assists, and four three-pointers on 12-for-14 shooting from the field. Flagg and Klay Thompson also chipped in 24 and 15 points.
Before this, Davis missed 14 games due to a strained left calf before returning against the Lakers on Friday, where he had 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks on 6-for-10 shooting in the 129-119 road loss. He didn’t play on Saturday due to load management.
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