Dec. 7: Trae Young and LeBron James Make History with Record-Breaking Performances in OT Thriller

Cold-blooded.

Ice Trae sinks the 3, serves the shiver and keeps the Hawks hot.

THE LINEUP

Dec. 7, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?

Unprecedented OT Duel: Trae Young overcomes history with history — and calls game vs LeBron, Lakers

Statements & Streaks: Celtics edge Bucks, Wolves clamp Warriors for marquee wins

More Friday Fire: PG helps outpace Orlando, DeRozan joins an elite club and two timely dubs

Saturday Sizzle: Inside Dallas & Memphis’ quick turnarounds and ascent up the standings

Opposites Atop The League: How Cleveland and OKC are thriving with different formulas

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Friday’s scoreboard and Saturday’s slate…

Saturday features seven games on League Pass, beginning with the NBA-best Cavs taking on the Hornets in a mid-day clash (1 ET).

Later tonight, the West-leading Thunder will face the Pelicans (7 ET), before two scorching squads, the Celtics and Grizzlies, go head-to-head (8 ET).

The Emirates NBA Cup champion will be crowned in Las Vegas, following the Semifinals and Championship on Dec. 15 and 17, respectively. And you can be there to witness it live. Don’t miss your shot — tap here to secure your tickets now!

1. TRAE OUTSHINES LEBRON & AD IN HISTORIC STAR SHOWDOWN

Ten days ago, Trae Young posted the second 20+ point, 20+ assist game of his career while becoming the first Hawk ever with 20 dimes in multiple games.

The record performance led Atlanta to a win over the league-leading Cavs, snapping a three-game slide.

Since then, Atlanta hasn’t lost. And on Friday, Young put together an even better performance than the one that sparked it.

Hawks 134, Lakers 132 (OT): With Atlanta seeking its sixth straight win, Young posted an unprecedented stat line of 31 points, 20 dimes and five 3s, including the game-winning triple in OT, to outlast the Lakers despite a historic night from LeBron James and Anthony Davis. | Recap | Catch the OT Finish

points, 20+ assists and 5+ 3s in a gameHawks History: He is also the first player in franchise history to record a 30+ point, 20+ assist game and the 11th player all-time to do soThis Rarely Happens: A 30/20 game has only occurred 18 times in league history and twice since the turn of the century (Luka Dončić and Russell Westbrook in 2021)Trae Takeover: Young reached the mark in the clutch, as he was responsible for 13 of Atlanta’s 15 points in OT, with 7 points, three dimes and the game-winner with 7.4 seconds left“I pride myself

on making others better,” said Young after the win. “Trying to make not only myself look good, but my teammates look good too.”

James and Davis also made history, becoming the first pair of teammates to reach at least 38+ points, 10+ rebounds, 8+ assists and 2+ blocks in the same game.

Never Witnessed Before: With 39 points, 10 boards, 11 dimes, three blocks, two steals and six 3s, LeBron became the first player in NBA history to ever record such a stat lineThe King Keeps Cooking: It’s the 41st 30+ point triple-double of James’ career and his seventh triple-double this season, trailing only Nikola Jokić (9) for the most in the NBAOh, And A Reminder: He turns 40 in 23 daysAD’s Monster Day:

Davis (38 pts, 10 rebs, 8 ast, 2 blk) tallied his fourth 30+ pt, 10+ reb, 2+ blk game this season, breaking a tie with Giannis Antetokounmpo for the most in the NBA

2. HOT STREAKS: DUOS DUEL IN BOSTON, WOLVES’ DEFENSE DOMINATES AGAIN

Celtics 111, Bucks 105: In a battle that featured no double-digit leads, 14 lead changes and 11 ties, Jayson Tatum dropped a game-high 34 points and ignited a 16-6 run in the final 5:21 to lead the Celtics to a hard-fought win over the Bucks for their 10th dub in 11 games. | Recap

Giannis & Dame: On his 30th birthday, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, while combining for 61 with Damian Lillard (31)But Tatum and Jaylen Brown (25 pts) went blow-for-blow with the Bucks tandem and got help from Jrue Holiday (20 pts) and Sam Hauser (16 pts) to earn the winHome Sweet Home: It’s the Celtics’ seventh straight home win as they improved to 10-2 at TD Garden and 19-4 on the seasonC’s Sweep: With the victory, Boston completed a 3-0 season series sweep over MilwaukeeMiddleton’s Return:

Khris Middleton had 11 points and five assists in his season debut for the Bucks

Wolves 107, Warriors 90: Make it four straight for the Wolves. Anthony Edwards notched 11 of his game-high 30 points in the 4th quarter as Minnesota outscored Golden State 29-18 in the final frame to pull away from Steph Curry (23 pts) and company in the Bay. | Recap

Howling Defense: The Wolves have allowed 92 points or fewer in each of their last four games, the longest such streak since Memphis did so in 2021Stops & Scorers:

Minnesota also forced Golden State into a season-high 22 turnovers and all five of its starters finished in double figures

3. ROUNDUP: PG RETURNS, DEROZAN JOINS 24K CLUB, INDY & UTAH ROLL

76ers 102, Magic 94: After being sidelined for Philly’s loss to Orlando on Wednesday, Paul George returned and notched 21 points and nine assists to help douse the sizzling Magic, marking just their third loss in their last 16 games. | Recap

Philly Buckets: KJ Martin added 20 points for the Sixers, while Tyrese Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele scored 16 apieceFranz Wagner

tallied his third straight 30-piece and his eighth of the season, but Orlando went 13-of-46 (28.3%) from deep

Pacers 132, Bulls 123: With Indiana searching for a timely win, Tyrese Haliburton posted 23 points on five 3s along with eight dimes to help stave off a late rally from Zach LaVine (32 pts, 5 3s) and the Bulls, halting the Pacers’ four-game slide. | Recap

Kings 140, Spurs 113: DeMar DeRozan dropped 23 points to eclipse 24,000 for his career, while Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk all scored 22 apiece in the Kings’ highest-scoring game this season to beat the Spurs, who were without Victor Wembanyama. | Recap

DeMar & Domantas: DeRozan (24,014) became the 30th player in NBA history to score 24K+ career points, and Sabonis added 16 boards for his league-leading 20th double-double of the seasonDeRozan:

“Being top-30 all-time in scoring and to still have the opportunity to add to that is beyond humbling.”

Jazz 141, Blazers 99: Johnny Juzang (22 pts) and John Collins (20 pts) led nine Utah players in double figures as the Jazz dropped a season-high 141 points to snap their five-game losing streak with a big road dub in Portland. | Recap

4. SURGING SQUADS OUT WEST RETURN TO ACTION ON SATURDAY

Three weeks ago, the Grizzlies and Mavericks found themselves in eighth and 10th place in the West, respectively.

Now, they’re tied with Houston for second, with a combined record of 18-3 in their last 21 games.

On Saturday, they’ll look to continue their hot streaks in a pair of marquee matchups on League Pass.

Grizzlies at Celtics (8 ET, LP): In a clash between two of the hottest teams in hoops, Memphis will look to earn its ninth victory since Nov. 20 against the defending champion Celtics, who beat the Bucks on Friday for their 10th win in 11 outings.

Roaring & Scoring: The Grizz have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, averaging the fourth-most points in the NBA in that span (121.5 ppg)And Running’s Sparked The Run: Memphis ranks third in rebounding (47.5 rpg), PACE (104.3) and catch-and-shoot field goal attempts (32.1), which leads to…Easy buckets, as they lead the league in assists (30.3), transition field goals (13.2), points in the paint (58.6) and wide-open FGA frequency (29.4%)Another Effect? Balanced scoring, as seven Grizzlies are averaging double figures amid their 10-game heaterNumber To Know:

The Grizzlies are 10-0 this season when they hit more 3s than their opponent, while the Celtics — who lead the league in 3s per game (19.0) — are 17-3

Mavericks at Raptors (7 ET, LP): Looking to extend its league-best win streak to seven games, Dallas will travel north of the border to take on Scottie Barnes and the rejuvenated Raptors.

Success In The 6: Toronto holds a 7-16 record but is 6-5 at home and 4-4 since Barnes returned from an 11-game absence due to injuryTexas Heat: After a 5-7 start, the West champs have gone 10-1 in their last 11 games and have tallied 120+ points eight times1, 2, 3, 4:

In that same span, Dallas ranks first in net rating (12.2), second in scoring (123.9), third in field goal percentage (49.7%) and fourth in opponent FG% (44.1%)

5. CONTRASTING CONFERENCE LEADERS TAKE CENTER STAGE TODAY

Both conference leaders

are in action today on League Pass, with the East-leading Cavs taking on the Hornets (

1 ET

), before the West-leading Thunder face the Pelicans (

7 ET

).

Cleveland and OKC

have each been a force this season, with the Cavs owning an NBA-best 20-3 record and the Thunder boasting an NBA-best 12.0 net rating. While a potent offense fuels Cleveland, OKC dominates with defense.

Cavaliers

Historic Splits: Leading the league in points (122.0 ppg), field goal percentage (50.9%) and 3-point percentage (40.5%), the Cavs are on pace to become the first team to shoot over 50/40 for a full seasonFire From 3: With 358 triples, Cleveland is just the second team in NBA history to make 350+ 3s at a 40.5% clip or better through their first 23 gamesThe first team? The 2020-21 Jazz, led by Donovan Mitchell. Since joining the Cavs in 2022-23, Mitchell has led the team to a 99-46 record (.682) in games he’s playedChasing 100:

A win in Charlotte would make him just the 10th Cav to reach 100 wins in fewer than 150 games (146)

Thunder

Storming Defense: Meanwhile, OKC ranks first in defensive rating (103.2), opponent field goal percentage (42.3%), steals (12.0), forced turnovers (19.3) and turnover/assist ratio (2.28)But Wait, There’s More: Through 22 games, the Thunder have more total steals (265) than turnovers (249) — a feat that’s never been achieved throughout an entire season since steals were first tracked in 1973-74OKC’s MVP: While the Cavs have Mitchell thriving at the point, the Thunder’s offensive orchestrator is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ranked fourth on the Kia MVP LadderSGA

also ranks fourth in scoring this season (29.8 ppg) on 50.7% shooting and leads the NBA with 18 games of 25+ points

Three more matchups get underway on League Pass tonight, including Kia Race to the MVP leader Nikola Jokić, in action as he seeks his 10th triple-double in 18 games after passing Magic Johnson for the third-most all-time (139) on Thursday.

Nuggets at Wizards (7 ET)Pistons at Knicks (7:30 ET)Suns at Heat

(8 ET)