NBA Paris: Get ready for a full course feast.
Before an ABC tripleheader featuring Nuggets-Wolves (3 ET), Celtics-Mavs (5:30 ET) & Lakers-Warriors (8:30 ET), Wemby and the Spurs tip the day off vs. the Pacers in All-Access Paris on ESPN (12 ET).
Bon appetit.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 25, 2025
All-Access Paris: Can Wemby top his historic homecoming against Indy in Round 2?
ABC Rematches: The Wolves & Nuggets meet again, while last year’s Finalists run it back
LeBron vs. Steph: Reliving the top regular season duels between two NBA legends
League Pass Lineup: Rockets-Cavs, Kings-Knicks, Bucks-Clips and more marquee matchups
Friday Highlights: Philly tops Cleveland in a thriller, Memphis & Portland extend streaks
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Thursday’s scores, Friday’s slate and a special Saturday…
14 games tip off today, beginning with All-Access Paris on ESPN and followed by a can’t-miss tripleheader on ABC, closing Rivals Week with a bang.
- 12 ET, ESPN: Wemby and the Spurs run it back against Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers in All-Access Paris
- 3 ET, ABC: Joker and Ant headline a rematch of last year’s wild 7-game series in the West Semis
- 5:30 ET, ABC: The Celtics and Mavs meet in Dallas for an NBA Finals rematch
- 8:30 ET, ABC: Another chapter of LeBron vs. Steph after an epic Christmas Day duel
League Pass boasts 10 more Saturday matchups, including Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey retirement with the Nets as Brooklyn hosts Miami (6 ET).
1. 2025 ALL-STAR GAME STARTERS UNVEILED: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Paris Games was unprecedented. In today’s All-Access Paris broadcast, what will Round 2 bring? (12 ET, ESPN).
Rewind: In the most-watched NBA game ever in France, Victor Wembanyama put on a show for his home country, posting a ridiculous stat line of 30 points, 11 boards, 6 dimes, 5 blocks and 1 alley-oop to himself.
- Historic Homecoming: With the performance, Wemby became the first player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ blocks in a game outside of North America
- The Result? A 140-110 Spurs win, marking their first game with 140+ points and 40+ assists since 1990
- For the Pacers, Thursday marked just their second loss since the New Year (8-2)
French Phenom: At 21 years old, Wemby is on pace to become the first-ever player to average 24+ points, 10+ rebounds, 4+ blocks and 3+ threes per game in a single season. And his record-breaking numbers don’t stop there.
- Wemby’s Streak: Thursday’s victory was Wembanyama’s 33rd consecutive game with at least one block and one 3 – the longest such streak in NBA history
- Block Party: In fact, Wemby’s blocked 197 of the 439 players he’s faced in his career — 44.9% of his opponents
- “He’s one of a kind,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after the game. “The country of France should be very, very proud.”
All-Access Paris extends beyond today’s rematch (12 ET, ESPN), also providing fans and players a unique opportunity to come together – from last night’s NBA Paris Jam celebrity game to interactions outside the arena.
- Wemby The Ref: Wemby tosses the opening tip for the NBA Paris Jam, but not before dishing out a tech
- The Big O Don’t Miss: As Lethal Shooter can attest, Oscar Robertson’s still got it
- Anytime, Anywhere: Tyrese Haliburton hits the Hoop Bus to show off his range
- Ball Is Life: Wemby ascends up the Eiffel Tower, rock in hand
Hear The Game: Wemby and Haliburton will both be mic’d up for today’s showdown. Which player will earn bragging rights with a dub?
2. AN ABC AFTERNOON: NUGGETS-WOLVES, CELTICS-MAVS
For a decade, Nuggets coach Michael Malone has gotten a courtside view of Nikola Jokić, watching the transcendent center shatter record after record while collecting a mountain of hardware.
But even for Malone, this season feels different.
“You think about his 10 years here, you think about the three MVPs, the championship, the Finals MVP – and this is the best season he’s ever had. And that’s saying a lot.”
Malone’s praise came after Jokić’s historic performance on Thursday against Sacramento, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record 35+ points, 20+ rebounds and 15+ assists in a game – leading to the Nuggets’ 12th win in 15 outings.
- All-Around Ace: Thursday was Jokić’s 18th game this season leading his team in points, rebounds and assists – 10 more than the next closest player
- Joker & The King: It also marked the 203rd time in his career he’s led the team in all three categories – the second-most in NBA history behind LeBron James (331)
- Winning Results: In those games, the Nuggets are 135-68, with a 13-5 record this season
- Recently? Jokić has eight triple-doubles amid Denver’s 12-3 run, including five in a row
- “These numbers are translating to wins,” said Malone Thursday. “These are not empty stats.”
Today on ABC, the Nuggets will face the team that ended their season last year in heartbreaking fashion as they visit Anthony Edwards and the Wolves (3 ET).
- Playoff Rewind: In the 2024 West Semis, Minnesota staged the largest Game 7 comeback in the play-by-play era, erasing a 20-point deficit to end Denver’s title defense on its home floor
- Déjà Vu: In their first meeting this season, the Wolves erased a 10-point deficit in the final four minutes, with Edwards sinking the go-ahead bucket with 25.7 seconds left
Will Denver get its revenge and stay hot, or will the Wolves earn a fourth straight dub against their budding West rivals?
Speaking of rematches, the last time the Celtics and Mavs faced off was Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals, which ended in a confetti shower at TD Garden as Boston celebrated its 18th title.
Tonight, the two sides face off for the first time since that moment – now, in Dallas (5:30 ET, ABC).
- Dallas Depth: Despite being without Luka Dončić since Christmas, the Mavs have remained in West contention, with Kyrie Irving (27.8) leading eight scorers averaging double figures in that span
- The Result? The Mavs have notched two signature wins in the last week, beating West-leading OKC twice – a feat no other team has accomplished this season
- C’s Searching: Meanwhile, Boston (2nd in the East) enters Saturday on a 5-5 stretch, including a 21-point loss to the rival Lakers on Thursday
- One Problem? Scoring. After notching 100+ points in each of their first 35 games, the C’s have been held under 100 four times in their last 10 outings – all losses
- Tonight’s Key: In last year’s Finals, the C’s averaged 101.6 ppg. In their four wins, they scored 100+. In their one loss, the Mavs held them to 84
Will the defending champs find their groove in Dallas, or will Kyrie and the Mavs earn a statement win?
- Wired: Irving and the Celtics’ Kristaps Porziņģis will be mic’d up for the rematch
3. ABC PRIMETIME: LEBRON’S LAKERS vs. STEPH’S WARRIORS
“You don’t sleep great the night before when you play greatness the next day – you just don’t. You have that uncomfortable feeling because you know who you’re going up against.”
LeBron James’ words from the NBA OGs interview with Steph Curry and Kevin Durant hits home tonight as he and the Lakers face Curry’s Warriors to close out Rivals Week (8:30 ET, ABC).
From being born in the same hospital to clashing in four NBA Finals and teaming up this summer to win Olympic Gold with Team USA, LeBron and Steph’s legacies are forever intertwined.
The rivalry between the NBA’s scoring King and all-time 3-point leader is built on legendary postseason battles, mutual respect and iconic moments. The same goes for their 24 regular-season matchups, with each star owning 12 wins.
Before tonight’s tiebreaker, let’s relive just a few of their unforgettable regular-season classics.
Jan. 2, 2014: In his first All-Star season, a 25-year-old Curry goes off for 36 points and 12 dimes against the Heat to earn his second career victory over James.
Feb. 12, 2014: LeBron strikes back, stuffing the stat sheet (36 pts, 13 reb, 9 ast) and splashing the game-winning 3 with 0.1 seconds left before hitting his signature celebration.
Jan. 18, 2016: Steph pours in 35 points as the Warriors outpace the Cavs en route to an all-time best 73-9 record. But James and Cleveland would avenge the loss in that year’s Finals, erasing a 3-1 series deficit against Golden State to claim the franchise’s first title.
Dec. 25, 2016: A much-anticipated Finals rematch lives up to the hype, as James (31 pts) ignites a 14-point 4th-quarter comeback, capped by Kyrie Irving’s game-winning turnaround in the final seconds to rally past Golden State again.
March 5, 2022: Now on the Lakers following two more Finals matchups against Steph, both ending in Warriors’ titles (2017, 2018), LeBron goes off for 56 points – his career-high against Curry – to lead Los Angeles to a win over their in-state rivals.
Jan. 27, 2024: Steph erupts for his career-high against LeBron with 46 points on nine 9 3s, but James outduels him in a double-OT thriller with a monster triple-double (36 pts, 20 reb, 12 ast), capped by the go-ahead free throws with 1.2 ticks left.
Dec. 25, 2024: In their most recent Christmas Day classic, Curry (38 pts, 8 3s) and James (31 pts, 10 ast) go back-and-forth in a vintage battle, and the Lakers earn a dramatic dub thanks to Austin Reaves’ game-winning layup.
“We don’t know how many times we’re gonna have this matchup,” said LeBron after the #NBAXmas win. “But when we do, we try to give the game what it deserves.”
With both teams in the thick of the West race and coming off big wins – Los Angeles over Boston by 21, Golden State over Chicago by 26 – which star will shine brighter tonight?
- Wearing Tonight’s Mics? Austin Reaves for the Lakers and Golden State’s lockdown defender Gary Payton II
4. LEAGUE PASS LINEUP: INTERCONFERENCE DUELS TO WATCH
10 more games tip off today on League Pass, including a trio of can’t-miss interconference matchups.
Rockets at Cavaliers (7:30 ET): Following 12 straight wins, the Cavs have gone 3-4 in their last seven games, including a 109-108 loss in Houston on Wednesday. Will the East leaders bounce back tonight in Cleveland?
Kings at Knicks (7:30 ET): No team has more wins in its last 12 games than Sacramento (10). But after falling to the Nuggets on Thursday, Domantas Sabonis and company have another tough test tonight. Can they save the hot streak?
Bucks at Clippers (10:30 ET): Riding five-straight wins, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the surging Bucks face the Clippers in a star-studded nightcap, with Kawhi Leonard back in the fold for LA.
Saturday on League Pass also features an East battle between the 6th-place Pistons and the 7th-place Magic (7 ET) and Vince Carter’s jersey retirement with the Nets as they host the Heat (6 ET).
5. FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS: SIXERS TOP CAVS, GRIZZ & BLAZERS STAY HOT
76ers 132, Cavaliers 129: In a shootout featuring 30 lead changes and 18 ties, the Cavs tied a franchise record with 25 3s, but the Sixers were just as hot, tallying a season-high in triples (21) and points to outduel Cleveland, snapping their 7-game skid. | Recap
- Sixers’ Stars Shine: Paul George (30) and Tyrese Maxey (29) combined for 59 points for Philly, which used a late 13-0 run in the 4th to seal the dub
- Tyrese Time: It’s Maxey’s 9th straight game with 25+ points, plus he added 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks
- Spida & Ty: Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 37 points for Cleveland, while Ty Jerome went 8-for-8 from downtown for a career-high in points (33) and triples
- Bench Boost: Jerome is the only reserve in NBA history to record such a stat line and the first-ever Cav to make 8+ 3s without a miss
Grizzlies 139, Pelicans 126: Make that five straight dubs for Memphis. The league’s leading offense tallied 130+ points for an NBA-best 14th time, as the Grizz won the second half 77-55 to snap the Pelicans’ four-game win streak while extending theirs. | Recap
- Grizz Gang: Jaren Jackson Jr. (29 pts) led the way with Ja Morant out, while Luke Kennard scored a season-high (27) and Desmond Bane added 20 points and 14 dimes
- Can’t-Missi: NOLA’s Yves Missi threw down a gargantuan poster for the 9th-highest Dunk Score this season
Blazers 102, Hornets 97: Anfernee Simons turned in a game-high 27 points, and Portland outscored Charlotte 29-22 in the 4th quarter to earn a hard-fought defensive win – its fourth in a row. | Recap
