NBA News Today: Brooklyn Nets stay hot for 9th win in a row, Luka Doncic and Pascal Siakam named Players of the Week, and more
There were seven games in the NBA a day after Christmas. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets stayed hot to earn their ninth straight win. The Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to move into third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Pascal Siakam were named NBA Players of the Week. Doncic continued to lift the Mavericks back into playoff contention, while Siakam exploded for a career night last week.
Here is the latest NBA news today, Dec. 27, brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Brooklyn Nets stay hot for 9th straight win
The Brooklyn Nets continued their rampage on Monday by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 125-117 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving each had 32 points to lead the Nets, while T.J. Warren added 23 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, Darius Garland exploded for 46 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell struggled shooting the ball, finishing with just 15 points. Jarret Allen added 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Evan Mobley had 12 points and six boards.
The Nets improved to 22-12 for the season, which is good for No. 3 in the Eastern Conference standings. They currently own the longest active winning streak in the NBA. As for the Cavaliers, they slid down to fourth place with a record of 22-13.
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Luka Doncic and Pascal Siakam named NBA Players of the Week
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors were announced as the NBA Players of the Week for Week 10.
Doncic led the Mavericks to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 31.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists. The highlight of his week came against the Houston Rockets when he scored 50 points, which was a point shy of his career high.
After this πππππππ week, we had this graphic ready to go.
@luka7doncic is your Western Conference Player of the Week! πͺ #MFFL https://t.co/OU8ix70HKC
Meanwhile, Siakam was even better for the Raptors, averaging 38.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists in three games. Toronto had a 2-1 record last week, with Siakam recording 52 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a win over the New York Knicks.
VOTE NOW : rpt.rs/3YIBtSz Pascal been putting in the work! π₯
Congrats to @pskills43 for being awarded Eastern Conference Player of the Week
How can yβall not VOTE for this man?
βοΈ VOTE NOW : rpt.rs/3YIBtSz βοΈ https://t.co/tfPEJHAe5l
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NBA scouts compare Scott Henderson to two former MVPs
Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite Team is among the best prospects entering the 2023 NBA Draft. Henderson is the expected second overall pick behind French prospect Victor Wembanyama.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, several NBA executives and scouts have compared Henderson to several stars, including two former MVPs.
"Scoot Henderson has drawn comparisons to Donovan Mitchell, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall, according to several NBA executives and scouts who spoke with HoopsHype," Scotto wrote. "Henderson was the unanimous No. 2 overall pick in all 10 mock drafts polled. In any other draft class without a generational talent like Wembanyama, Henderson would be the top prospect."
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Domantas Sabonis to try playing through fractured thumb
Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings suffered a right hand injury on Friday against the Washington Wizards. The Kings announced on Monday that Sabonis has a fractured thumb, but the All-Star center wants to play through the injury.
Sabonis has been listed as questionable for the Kings' next game on Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski further explained Sabonis' injury as an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament of the right thumb.
The 26-year-old big man is a natural lefty, so he could play through the injury until further notice. He's averaging 17.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists for the Kings this season. Sacramento currently has a record of 17-14 and are sitting at No. 6 in the Western Conference standings.
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Complete NBA scores for Dec. 26
The post-Christmas edition of the NBA has seven games on the schedule. The day was headlined by the Portland Trail Blazers facing the Charlotte Hornets. The Detroit Pistons and LA Clippers battled it out into overtime, while the Miami Heat outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets earned upset wins over the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls, respectively. The Indiana Pacers were also in action, but weren't prepared against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here are the complete scores for Dec. 26:
- LA Clippers def. Detroit Pistons 142-131
- Brooklyn Nets def. Cleveland Cavaliers 125-117
- Miami Heat def. Minnesota Timberwolves 113-110
- Houston Rockets def. Chicago Bulls 133-118
- New Orleans Pelicans def. Indiana Pacers 113-93
- San Antonio Spurs def. Utah Jazz 126-122
- Portland Trail Blazers def. Charlotte Hornets 124-113
Ex-Bulls player explains his theory why Isiah Thomas hated Michael Jordan in an interview from 2020