Welcome back to The Playlist — your weekly scan of the fantasy basketball landscape, where we break down waiver adds for 9-cat and standard points leagues to help you stay competitive.
Week 11 offers some normalcy in fantasy hoops, as no team plays fewer than three games this week. Streaming could be an option any day. Still, I’d prioritize teams like the 76ers, Celtics, Clippers, Jazz, Kings and Pistons on the lighter slates (playing Tuesday and Thursday). Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk pickups.
Brook Lopez – C, Los Angeles Clippers (22% rostered)
Lopez hit a career-best 9 3s a day after Christmas. That’s unlikely to happen again, but with Ivica Zubac out for weeks, Lopez should be added. His calling cards — blocks, FG% and low turnovers — still hold mid-round value in 9-cat even when the shot isn’t falling.
In points leagues, he’s more matchup-driven, but any night he posts 2–3 blocks with double-digit points, he’ll net at least 20-30 fantasy points. With the Clippers light in the frontcourt, Lopez’s role remains sturdy enough to prioritize in shallow formats.
Bilal Coulibaly – SG/SF, Washington Wizards (25% rostered)
Coulibaly hasn’t cracked 30 minutes lately, but he continues to produce on a per-minute basis in points, rebounds and stocks. Over his last three games, he’s averaging 1.36 FPPM, a high mark that shows he has mixed-league appeal for Week 11 with four games on tap.
The Wizards have plenty of incentive to get their young players more run. In Week 10, Coulibaly was 73rd in points leagues and 54th in 9-cat leagues — evidence that he should be a target across league formats.
🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: Deeper leagues
Pelle Larsson – SG/SF, Miami Heat (7% rostered)
Larsson is carving out a real rotation role with Tyler Herro out and Davion Mitchell dealing with a nagging ankle injury. Larsson is coming off two strong and efficient outings, averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists, so I’d get on it before someone beats you to it.
That’s a lot of value relative to the cost when Miami plays four games this week, including a Saturday-Sunday back-to-back to close out Week 11.
Luke Kornet – C, San Antonio Spurs (9% rostered)
Kornet is coming off the bench, but the production is still there. He’s been a top-50 player in 9-cat since Victor Wembanyama returned, and his value hinges on two strengths: rebounding and rim protection.
San Antonio plays four games, and Monday’s matchup comes against a Cavs defense that is bottom-10 against centers. Add in the possibility that Wemby could rest one leg of their Friday/Saturday back-to-back, and Kornet becomes a decent streaming option for his defense, rebounding and efficient scoring on low volume.
Kris Dunn – PG/SG, Los Angeles Clippers (11% rostered)
Dunn is shooting 57% from the field this season and continues to be one of the most reliable per-minute thieves in the league, averaging 1.5 steals per game. Over the last two weeks, he’s posted:
7.8 points
3.6 rebounds
4.2 assists
1.8 steals
Those numbers rank him 83rd in 9-cat over that span. The Clippers also play three games on lighter slates, making Dunn an excellent Week 11 plug-and-play option. I’ve added him to points league rosters as well as 9-cat.
Hugo González – SF, Boston Celtics (3% rostered)
The 19-year-old continues to impress as a hustle guy and rangy defender, doing the little things to help the Celtics win. He’s begun eating into Jordan Walsh’s minutes, and González has been putting in work, quietly posting two double-digit rebound games in Week 10 and having at least two stocks in four of his last five games.
The coaching staff seems pleased with his effort, as he played at least 30 minutes for the second time this season, scoring 13 points with 6 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Hugo is firmly in deep-league streaming territory with Boston playing on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday this week.
Other deep league options to consider:
Nique Clifford – SG/SF, Sacramento Kings (2%)
Max Christie – SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks (6%)
Bones Hyland – PG, Minnesota Timberwolves (2%)
Egor Dëmin – PG, Brooklyn Nets (10%)
Marvin Bagley III – PF/C, Washington Wizards (10%)
Kawhi Leonard did just about everything Sunday night to get the Los Angeles Clippers to a fourth straight win.
Leonard scored a career-high 55 points while leading the Clippers to a 112-99 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons at Intuit Dome on Sunday. He had all but four of those points in the first three quarters, and had 11 rebounds to go with it. Leonard’s 55-points also matched the Clippers’ franchise record for most points scored in a single game, a mark James Harden set earlier this season.
Leonard hit the 50-point mark in the final minute of the third period with a pull-up jumper from the short corner over Ronald Holland. That got him to 51 points in the game, six more than his previous career high from 2019 when he was with the Toronto Raptors. Leonard dropped 26 of his 55 points in the third quarter alone, one more than he scored in the entire first half.
The Clippers held a 23-point lead entering the final period, and Leonard sat for the first half or so of the quarter as a result. He eventually came back in to finish the night and got his 55-point outing.
Leonard ended up shooting 17-of-26 from the floor and 5-of-10 from behind the arc. He went 16-of-17 from the free-throw line, which snapped his streak of 64 consecutive made free throws. Leonard has missed only three free throws all season, and has shot a ridiculous 123-of-126 from the stripe.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 27 points and nine assists in the loss, which dropped Detroit to 24-8 on the season. The loss was its second straight. Jalen Duren added 18 points, and Jaden Ivey added 11 off the bench. They were the only three Pistons to hit double figures.
Harden added 28 points to go with Leonard’s historic night. Nicolas Batum finished with 12. The Clippers shot 47% from the field and managed only five points off the bench.
While Leonard gets almost all of the credit for Sunday night’s win, and deservedly so, the Clippers have been on a roll lately after a very tough start to the season. They entered this four-game win streak on the heels of a stretch in which they lost 10 of 11 to plummet in the Western Conference standings. All four of these wins have come by double digits, including a 20-point victory over Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
The Clippers will be back in action Tuesday night when they host the Sacramento Kings.
There is still quite a ways to go in the 2025-26 NBA season, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are off a great start.
Though they’ve fallen off their scorching pace to start the season, they still could threaten the Golden State Warriors’ single-season wins record of 73.
Only two teams in league history have won more than 70 games in a single season. The first was the Chicago Bulls during the 1995-96 campaign, when they won 72 games. The Warriors broke that record by one in 2016. The Bulls won the NBA championship in their record-breaking season, while the Warriors ultimately fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers during their Finals run.
It’s still early. A lot can change between now and April. But the Thunder’s campaign is definitely something to keep an eye on. Here’s everything you need to know about the Thunder’s quest to set the NBA’s single-season wins record.
OKC’s current pace: 69.2 wins
OKC’s last game
Most wins in NBA history, single season
73: Golden State Warriors, 2015-16 72: Chicago Bulls, 1995-96 69: Chicago Bulls, 1996-97 69: Los Angeles Lakers, 1971-72 68: Oklahoma City Thunder, 2024-25 68: Boston Celtics, 1972-73 68: Philadelphia 76ers, 1966-67
Thunder vs. ‘95-96 Bulls vs. ‘15-16 Warriors
Record after 32 games ‘25-26 Thunder: 27-5 (.844) ‘95-96 Bulls: 29-3 (.906) ‘15-16 Warriors: 30-2 (.934)
SGA vs. MJ vs. Steph Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 31.97 PPG, 4.77 RPG, 6.42 APG (31 games) Michael Jordan: 30.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.3 APG (82 games) Stephen Curry: 30.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.7 APG (79 games)
OKC’s upcoming schedule
Dec. 29: vs. Hawks Dec. 31: vs. Trail Blazers Jan. 2: at Warriors Full schedule
Tracking Thunder’s historic start
Largest average margin of victory in a season ‘25-26 Thunder: 13.9 ‘24-25 Thunder: 12.87 ‘71-72 Lakers: 12.28 ‘70-71 Bucks: 12.26 ‘95-96 Bulls: 12.24
Highest net rating in a season ‘25-26 Thunder: 14.7 ‘95-96 Bulls: 13.4 ‘24-25 Thunder: 12.8 ‘96-97 Bulls: 12.0 ‘25-26 Rockets: 11.9
Giannis Antetokounmpo made his long-awaited return to the Milwaukee Bucks’ lineup on Saturday night, and he caused a bit of chaos at the United Center in the process.
Antetokounmpo dropped 29 points and had eight rebounds in the Bucks’ 112-103 win over the Chicago Bulls. He shot 10-of-15 from the field, too.
But Antetokounmpo’s final points ended up being his most notable, as he threw down a windmill dunk in the final seconds of the game, when the Bucks had a seven-point lead. A couple of Bulls players took exception to Antetokounmpo’s exclamation point, as the Bucks star had words with Nikola Vučević after the buzzer. Coby White then got involved.
“He shouldn’t have dunked the ball,” White said after the game, via CHSN’s K.C. Johnson. “It’s disrespectful to the game. I said, ‘Bro, you’re better than that.’ The game is over with. Why you gotta do that? It’s a respect thing.”
But Antetokounmpo, with the current state of the Bucks, isn’t worried about respect.
“What, we’re 11th in the East? … Just gotta keep finding our identity,” he said, via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “And if that is to get a little bit of scrappy at the end, so be it. Like, we’re not the champs. Why should we play the clock out and have respect and fair play? Like, we’re fighting for our lives right now.”
He also posted a photo of the dunk on social media on Saturday night.
The Bucks went 2-6 in Antetokounmpo’s absence and are 13-19 overall on the season. That puts them 11th in the Eastern Conference, chasing the Bulls and Atlanta Hawks for a play-in spot, and five games behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth seed.
Entering Saturday, the 30-year-old Antetokounmpo was averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
Antetokounmpo’s injury, coupled with his contract status, has also caused the rumor mill to heat up while he’s been out. After inking a three-year extension with Milwaukee in 2023, he still has a year and a half remaining on his current deal before he can opt out.
After a report came out that the former MVP was talking to the team about his future with the franchise, Antetokounmpo denied any role in the talks and indicated his agent was handling them without his input.
While there would be a large market interested in acquiring his services, Antetokounmpo has been focused on his health and pushing the Bucks back into winning ways.
“I’m still locked in, locked in on my teammates. Most importantly, locked in on me getting back healthy,” Antetokounmpo said on Dec. 18. “And then, locked in on my teammates and how can I help them from the sideline or encourage them to be able to play and play free?
“Because at the end of the day, it takes a toll on them, too, right? They’re playing game after game after game. Thank God we’ve had a very good schedule in the last couple of weeks, but it takes a toll on them, too — rumors, injuries, lose, win. It’s hard, right? As a leader, but most importantly as a winner, you just gotta be there for them first.”
Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel came into Friday averaging 19.4 points on 47.4% shooting. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Julio Aguilar via Getty Images
Kon Knueppel went off before he went out on Friday night. The rookie guard erupted for 16 points in the first quarter of the Charlotte Hornets’ 120-105 win over the Orlando Magic (17-14), but the No. 4 overall draft pick suffered a right ankle injury late in the first half that sidelined him the rest of the game.
Head coach Charles Lee said afterward that it sounded like the X-rays on Knueppel’s ankle were negative, and that the Hornets (11-20) will get more information about Knueppel when the team returns home, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
With less than 30 seconds to go in the second quarter, Knueppel appeared to roll his ankle after landing on the shoe of Magic guard Desmond Bane on a contest in the paint.
Charlotte Hornets rookie sensation Kon Knueppel left tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic with a right ankle injury. He’s out for the rest of the game. Entering the game, Knueppel’s averaged 19.4 points, including shooting 42% from 3-point range, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. pic.twitter.com/ecxMV1bKUF
While Knueppel was quiet in the second quarter before his injury, he turned heads with his first-quarter outburst, which saw him make all four of his 3-point attempts.
The Duke product has enjoyed record-breaking success from beyond the arc this season. Earlier this week, during a 139-132 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 20-year-old Knueppel became the fastest player in NBA history to make 100 3s.
He needed only 29 games to do it, surpassing Lauri Markkanen, who reached the milestone in 41 games with the Chicago Bulls in 2017-18.
Knueppel came into Friday’s matchup in Orlando averaging 19.4 points per game on 47.4% shooting, with a 41.9% clip from long range.
Like college teammate Cooper Flagg, Knueppel has swiftly translated his skill set to the NBA.
Knueppel’s injury is the latest the Hornets have taken on this season. They were notably down two of their top-three centers Friday, as both Ryan Kalkbrenner and Mason Plumlee weren’t available.
Still, Charlotte found a way to win on the road. Seven different Hornets scored in double figures. LaMelo Ball led the charge with 22 points and splashed four 3s, albeit with six turnovers attached to his stat line. Collin Sexton, in just his second game back from a quad injury, chipped in 13 points off the bench.
The Hornets have been playing better basketball of late, but losing Knueppel for any significant amount of time could stunt that progress.
The announcement comes two weeks after Reaves first suffered a mild left calf strain, which caused him to miss three games. He was deemed ready to return last week, but left Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets with another calf injury and will now be out for at least a month.
Austin Reaves has become the Lakers’ third star. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Reaves probably wasn’t one of those players Redick had an issue with. He has been one of the NBA’s breakout players this season, averaging career highs nearly across the board and supplying an effective complement for stars Luka Dončić and LeBron James.
If Reaves can return in exactly four weeks from Friday, that’s 14 games he’ll be missing. The NBA trade deadline is not long after that on Feb. 5, which is significant given the trade speculation around him.
Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis is likely to miss several upcoming games after suffering a groin injury on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Davis tallied 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal before he left the game.
Another injury for Davis
This injury for the 32-year-old Davis is the latest in a season and a career filled with them. Davis missed 14 consecutive games early in the season with a calf strain. He’s now missed 14 or more games in 11 of his 14 NBA seasons.
The Mavericks acquired Davis as the centerpiece of the return in the trade that sent franchise cornerstone and perennial All-NBA guard Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in his prime at 25 years old. They were aware of Davis’ injury history when they acquired him.
Davis missed 24 of a possible 33 games with the Mavericks last season due to injury following the midseason trade. He’s missed 16 of 31 games this season and now appears to be in line to miss more time. The Mavericks dropped to 12-20 with Thursday’s loss, good for 11th place in the Western Conference.
The final matchup of the NBA’s five-game Christmas Day slate produced a rousing way to end a busy holiday of basketball.
The Denver Nuggets held on for a 142-138 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that featured a Nikola Jokić triple-double with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists, as well as an eventful night from Anthony Edwards.
We’ll start with Edwards, who finished the game with 44 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 game-tying shot with 1.1 seconds to go in regulation, and 1 ejection.
The fifth 40-point game of the season for Edwards was highlighted by his 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The game needed only an extra period because of the Timberwolves’ guard’s clutch shot late in regulation to erase a 15-point lead by Minnesota.
Edwards would not finish overtime, however, as he picked up his second technical foul with 20.5 seconds remaining.
On the other side, Jokić’s night saw him record the 179th triple-double of his career in the victory. The three-time MVP put up 18 points in the first quarter and completed his triple-double by the middle of the third quarter. He finished by scoring 18 of Denver’s 27 points in overtime for the first 55/15/15 game in NBA history.
NIKOLA JOKIĆ WITH VIDEO GAME STATS ON CHRISTMAS DAY 🤯
Jokić’s 56 points puts him third all-time on the NBA’s Christmas Day scoring list behind Bernard King (60) and Wilt Chamberlain (59). He also seems to enjoy playing the Timberwolves after posting triple-doubles in each of his past four games against Minnesota, which includes his career-high of 61 points last April.
“Bro, it’s unbelievable. We’re watching history on a night-to-night basis,” Nuggets guard Peyton Watson said afterward.
The win improved the Nuggets to 22-8 as they sit second in the Northwest Division, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Timberwolves. Denver remains in third place in the Western Conference, one game behind the San Antonio Spurs and 3 1/2 games behind the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Splitting a pair of free-throw attempts, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ended his night as the buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter. That was all asked out of him in a mostly stress-free game. He clocked out of his shift earlier than expected. First time in a long time for the reigning MVP.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a much-needed runaway game with a 129-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a get-right performance as they returned to their dominant ways.
That wasn’t the case early on, though. Don’t get me wrong, the Thunder offense was rolling. It looked elementary out there. Isaiah Hartenstein fed a bounce pass to Jalen Williams on the baseline cut for the open dunk. The only problem is that the Sixers had the same fun on their end.
Tyrese Maxey was unstoppable from the jump. He made Lu Dort and Alex Caruso look incredibly slow. He was too fast for OKC’s perimeter defenders as he blew by them for layups. The Thunder had a 32-29 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw much of the same. The Thunder offense was humming along, but so was the Sixers when they had the ball. Maxey had an unreal 23 points in the first half. It’s impressive enough when an undersized ball-handler puts that up in any game against the league-best defense. Much less in one half.
The Thunder scored 32 points in the second frame. They entered halftime with a 64-62 lead over the Sixers. Paired with a puppet halftime show that had the entire OKC crowd quiet and confused, there were some pretty bizarro vibes from the first half.
Eventually, the Thunder returned to their defensive ways. Playing elite one-on-one defense, Caruso forced Maxey to put up a Hail Mary attempt from deep. Gilgeous-Alexander went the other way for the underhanded layup. Chet Holmgren hunted for his shot. They scored 38 points in the third frame to create some cushion on the scoreboard.
The Thunder had a 102-86 lead over the Sixers. Besides a couple of injury scares, everything was going right. Gilgeous-Alexander rested in the final frame. They scored 27 points in the final frame to fluff up the margin. They led by as many as 27 points.
The Thunder shot 58% from the field and went 10-of-28 (35.7%) from 3. They shot 19-of-25 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 50 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 27 points and five assists. Holmgren had an efficient 29 points and nine rebounds. Williams tallied 14 points, six assists and four rebounds. Ajay Mitchell had 13 points and three assists in his return. Aaron Wiggins scored 15 points.
Meanwhile, the Sixers shot 42% from the field and went 17-of-43 (39.5%) from 3. They shot 17-of-21 on free throws. They had 21 assists on 35 baskets. Seven Sixers players scored double-digit points.
Maxey led the way with an efficient 28 points and five assists. Paul George had 12 points and four rebounds in his return to OKC. VJ Edgecombe struggled with 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting. Quentin Grimes had 13 points and three assists. Adem Bona tallied 11 points and eight rebounds. Justin Edwards scored 12 points. Jared McCain had 10 points and four rebounds.
Back to business as usual for the Thunder. The Sixers have been a cute story this season, but the reigning NBA champions are several tiers ahead. They snapped a two-game losing streak as a nice palate cleanser after their Christmas Day debacle. The defense needs to be tightened better throughout the entire game, but OKC showed it can still flip the switch when needed.
The Thunder finally grabbed a win with the starting lineup that won them an NBA championship last year. Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren looked like a pair of future All-Star teammates in about two months. A strong second half put this one away and allowed viewers to tune back into their NFL action.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Getting Edwards to bite on the pump-fake, Gilgeous-Alexander took a giraffe-esque step forward. He switched hands with the ball as he went up for the easy layup that should make his highlight reel. The footwork remains impeccable. That’s one way to score your last bucket.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, five assists and two rebounds. He shot 0-of-2 from 3 and went 7-of-9 on free throws. He also had two steals.
Considering how many holes Philadelphia’s defense has, this was light work for Gilgeous-Alexander. Sporting a new ‘Clean Slate’ bright white colorway shoe, there weren’t many marks or creases carved into them. Things were too easy for the drive-heavy scorer. He sliced through the Sixers’ defense as Joel Embiid sat out.
That got him into a flow. Gilgeous-Alexander dribbled to his favorite mid-range spots. He pulled up at the elbow on several Philadelphia defenders. None could cause enough disruption. This was a vintage outing as the reigning MVP did all his scoring damage in the paint, around the mid-range and at the free-throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander helped put this one away early with 11 points in the third quarter. Chilling on the bench the rest of the way, the Thunder badly needed this. At the very least, to get their confidence back up. The following days after Christmas had fans question if they’re the true title favorite.
This showed why that’s the case. The Thunder remain an NBA win machine. One blip at home shouldn’t erase all of that work over the years. As long as Gilgeous-Alexander suits up, OKC will always have a chance against any opponent. Even if they look daunting.
Thunder strikes first on the first possession of the game ⚡️
Going at Dominick Barlow, Holmgren went into the post. A couple of spin moves and shoulder shimmies later, he flipped through enough angles to create just enough space. He went with the turnaround that rattled in. One minute in, that was the only sign you needed to see to know we were due a big game.
Holmgren finished with 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had four blocks.
Stuck in his own head in these last two matchups against San Antonio, Holmgren’s confidence soared through the floor and became visible once again. He utilized his lanky frame to back up into the post and swish in a couple of fadeaway jumpers over defenders’ reach.
When Holmgren didn’t do that, he caught a handful of alley-oop passes. He was active throughout the night. When the ball reached his possession, he hunted for his shot. The Sixers had no answers to slow him down as a scorer. Several undersized players didn’t have the defensive talent to throw him off-kilter.
On the other end, Holmgren looked like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. This was the best he’s looked as a rim protector in a while. After a hot first half, the Sixers went cold in the second half. Maxey only had five points in the latter two quarters as the open lanes were no longer there.
This is the peak version of Holmgren. He’s shown this season that he can put up buckets when needed. It’s all consistency for him. And specifically, against the NBA’s best teams. No offense to the Sixers, but they were treated as a get-right opponent. Now that he’s got a little bit of swagger, it’s about leveraging that confidence for higher-stakes matchups.
Staying on Grimes, Williams redirected the ball away from him. He out-raced him for the loose ball and went straight to the rim for the steal-and-score sequence. The Thunder piled the Sixers on the scoreboard in the second half to put this one away.
Williams finished with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 6-of-7 on free throws. He also had two steals.
Not much was needed from Williams in this one. He played within the flow of the offense. The drives to the basket resulted in either buckets or drawn fouls. That will likely be his bread and butter until his wrist feels more normalized. That’s been an ongoing battle this season.
Daigneault said pregame that Williams has to get used to his new normal with his surgically-repaired wrist. Which likely explains why the scoring efficiency numbers aren’t near where they were last season when he broke out as an All-NBA player for the first time.
Williams’ jumper wasn’t there once again. He had several misses from his usual signature spots. He badly missed a pull-up outside shot that was nowhere near the rim. The Thunder can survive his return pains for now. But if they want to go back-to-back, they need him to return to being a more reliable shooter.
Faking the pass, Mitchell had Edgecombe in the air. That split-second was enough for him to put the ball down and drive to the basket. He flew up for the floater that was out of Bonas’ reach. His finesse and scoring talent were badly missed in OKC’s last two losses.
Mitchell finished with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, three assists and one rebound. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had two steals.
Out of concussion protocol, Thunder fans were excited that Mitchell returned. While not the sole reason for their two losses to the Spurs, the second unit’s minutes badly missed his ability to create and keep things moving. You saw why folks thought that as he slid right back into things against the Sixers.
When the ball swung to him, Mitchell wasn’t afraid to put up a shot. He could also drive his way to the basket. He’s not afraid to get physical with defenders. Andre Drummond roaming the paint didn’t scare him off. The Thunder need that type of personality on their offense.
Breaking up an alley-oop, Mitchell limped for a couple of possessions. He eventually checked out and went to the locker room. It’ll be interesting to see his status on the second night of this home back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks. Even though OKC collected the win, rotation players like Mitchell, Isaiah Hartenstein and Isaiah Joe were all knocked out with injuries.
Aaron Wiggins: B
Punching the ball out of Philadelphia’s possession, Wiggins created another transition opportunity. Running the break, Wiggins eventually caught the look-ahead pass. He threw down the fastbreak dunk in the final seconds of a game-winning third quarter.
Wiggins finished with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, three rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had two steals.
For the first time in a while, Wiggins looked him his early-season self. He sliced through the Sixers’ defense. Savvy off-ball cuts were rewarded with easy layups. He finished through traffic as the game got out of hand. He even saw a couple of outside jumpers fall in.
A nagging adductor injury has hindered Wiggins. You can tell that he’s not playing at the same speed or ferociousness since he first sustained the injury early in the season. This was the first time that wasn’t the case, though. Shoutout to the Sixers for letting everybody in OKC get its mojo back.
