Starting 5: LeBron & Rui Win It, VJ & Maxey Save It

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Dec. 5, 2025

The right Play: LeBron passes on expectations to help team take thriller up North

Stick It, Swat It: Sixers go all-out to save last-minute win, highlighting Thursday’s action

Homecourt Advantage: OKC fans fueling Thunder’s historic start as Flagg, Mavs visit

Tonight On prime: LBJ and reloaded Lakers renew rivalry with new-look Celtics

On League Pass: Top West teams heating up with season’s first quarter complete

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A Friday feast of hoops…

!Scores & Schedule

It’s the busiest night of the month until Christmas week as a 12-game slate heads your way tonight, highlighted by a Prime double-header: the next chapter in an all-time rivalry between the Lakers & Celtics (7 ET), followed by the historic Thunder taking on red-hot rook Cooper Flagg and the Mavs (9:30 ET).

1. RED-HOT REAVES, KING-RUI CONNECTION WINS IT FOR LA

!LeBron James finds Rui Hachimura

The King has always put winning above all other stats.

Thursday with the game on the line, he did it again on a grand scale.

Lakers 123, Raptors 120: In a tie game with less than 3 seconds left, LeBron James swung the ball to the far corner where Rui Hachimura (12 pts, 2-3 3PM) drilled the Tissot game-winning triple to spoil the Raptors’ 13-point comeback in Toronto.

A fateful extra pass is rewarded with a winner.

LeBron and Rui deliver one of Thursday’s two can’t-miss clinchers, as Bron’s record-smashing, 18+ year double-digit scoring streak comes to an end.

!Lakers celebrate Rui Hachimura’s game-winner

NBA Roundup: Edgecombe’s Buzzer-Beater, Celtics Explode, and More

sixers 121, Warriors 118: VJ Edgecombe (10 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl) tipped in the game-winning bucket and Tyrese Maxey (35 pts, 4 3s) sprinted back to erase De’Anthony Melton’s response as Philly hung on after Golden State’s 24-point, 3-quarter comeback grabbed the lead with under 3 minutes to play.

* “Game on the line.Gotta crash,” Edgecombe explained postgame, while also admitting with a laugh this was his first ever game-winner.
* tyrese tempo: Maxey alone outscored the Warriors 12-10 in the 1st quarter,finishing with his 3rd straight 35+ point game. Wilt, Dr. J, Charles barkley, Iverson and Joel Embiid are the only other Sixers with three straight 35+ point games.
* ty & AI: Maxey now ties Iverson for Philly’s second-longest streak of 20+ point games to start a season (21), trailing only Embiid’s 33-game streak.
* Way Back: After struggling in the 1st, the Warriors outscored Philly 88-69 and rode a 15-0 4th quarter run to take a 4-point lead, fueled by 12 points in the frame from Pat Spencer (16 total pts).
* dub Debut: Melton scored 14 points with two steals and a block in his first game as 2024.

(Image: Tyrese Maxey – Scott Taetsch/NBAE via Getty Images)

Celtics 146, Wizards 101: without Jaylen Brown (illness), Derrick White (30 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast, 5 3s) led seven Celtics in double-figures for their highest scoring game and biggest win of the season over CJ McCollum (22 pts, 3 3s) and the Wizards.

* C’s Step Up: Jordan Walsh’s career-high 22 points and 20 from Payton Pritchard, including 3 threes, made the difference, as they combined for 42.

Timberwolves 125, pelicans 116: Julius randle (28 pts, 9 reb) led seven Wolves in double-figures to overcome NOLA’s trio of 20-point scorers as Minnesota won its fourth straight. Anthony Edwards (11 pts, 6 reb, 3 blk) was held under 30 points for the first time in six games.

* Flock Firepower: Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists, while Jeremiah Fears (20 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) and Saddiq Bey (20 pts, 3 stl) combined for 40.

Jazz 123, Nets 110: Lauri Markkanen (30 pts, 8 reb) and Keyonte George (29 pts, 10 ast, 4 3s) led the Jazz past Noah Clowney (29 pts, 3 blk) and a Nets team without leading scorer Michael Porter Jr.(back).

4.ON PRIME: RIVALRY RENEWS AS STREAKING CELTICS & LAKERS COLLIDE

!LeBron James,Jaylen Brown
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

There is no more storied rivalry in NBA history than Lakers-Celtics.

A combined 35 titles between them – including a dozen decided head-to-head in the NBA Finals – spanning the history of the league.

Tonight in Boston, a rivalry that began on Nov. 9, 1948 enters its 78th year and 303rd regular-season matchup when the Lakers visit the Celtics (7 ET, Prime Video).

* Celtics On A Roll: Boston (13-9) is riding a three-game win streak, and put up a season-high 146 points on Thursday
* Lakers Riding High: L.A. (16-5) is coming off Thursday’s dramatic win LeBron finding Rui Hachimura for the game-winning 3 at the buzzer

with league-leading scorer Luka Dončić missing Thursday’s game,it was fellow top-10 scorer Austin Reaves that helped fill the void – pouring in 44 points with 10 assists and five 3s in a game-high 41 minutes.

* Breakout Year: Thursday was Reaves’ 3rd 40+ point game of the season, upping his average to a career-best 29.4 ppg, which good for 6th in the NBA for the 5th year pro
* Double Threat: Reaves can take over a game when needed – he scored 51 with Luka and LeBron out, and 44 on Thursday with Luka out. But he can also complement L.A.’s stars, averaging 26.6 in five games with the trio together
* No surprise: After Reaves’ 38-point game vs. Dallas last week, reporters asked lebron “What are the things that Austin Reaves dose that still impresses you as a teammate?” The answer: “Nothing.Nothing. I told y’all. How long ago did I tell you all, AR can play ball? … It’s nothing [new]. AR, he’s great.”
* His Own Celtics Rivalry: LeBron is 34-27 vs. the celtics in his career, posting his third-highest scoring average (28.6 ppg) against any opponent

The Celtics put up 146 points on Thursday despite not having their own top-10 NBA scorer in Jaylen Brown (29.0 ppg, 5th) as Boston won for the 5th time in their last six games to rise to 5th in the East.

* Offence Is Clicking: Over all teams’ last 10 games,Boston (8-2) leads the league in offensive rating (128.5), 3-pointers made (16.5 per game) and lowest turnover rate (12.4%), while ranking second

NBA Daily Rundown: Rockets Aim for Best Start in Years, Key Matchups Across the League

The NBA schedule is packed with action tonight, highlighted by a potential milestone for the houston Rockets and several intriguing matchups featuring top teams in both conferences. Here’s a breakdown of the key games, storylines, and notable performances to watch.

Rockets on the Verge of Historic Start, Face Suns

The Houston Rockets (14-5) have an opportunity to achieve their best start to a season as 2017-18 with a win against the Phoenix Suns (13-6). Both teams are demonstrating strong play on both ends of the court, setting the stage for a compelling contest.

* Triple Threat in Houston: The Rockets are benefiting from a balanced offensive attack led by Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, and Amen Thompson.All three players scored over 20 points in Wednesday’s game, with Sengun contributing 28 points and Durant and Thompson adding 44 and 20 respectively. https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defensive-rating/ Phoenix has also considerably improved defensively, now ranking as a top-10 defense with a Defensive Rating of 113.2.
* Suns Adjustments: With Devin Booker sidelined due to a groin injury, Dillon Brooks (averaging 22.3 points) and Colin Gillespie (averaging 24.3 points and 6.0 three-pointers made in his last three starts) will be crucial for the Suns’ offensive output. Other Notable Games & Storylines

The Denver Nuggets continue to be a dominant force in the Western Conference, with eight players already having scored 50+ points this season, including Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon. This demonstrates the team’s offensive depth and versatility. https://www.nba.com/news/nuggets-eight-players-50-point-games-season

Note: Game times are listed in Eastern Time.Standings and player availability are subject to change.