Giannis Antetokounmpo

His Bucks trailing the Knicks by 26 midway through the fourth quarter yesterday, Giannis Antetokounmpo backed down OG Anunoby and missed a hook shot. New York threw the ball away, and Antetokounmpo barreled through the paint for another shot but missed the layup. Less than a minute later, he was done for the day.

And just like that, Antetokounmpo went from 10-of-19 to 10-of-21 – his first game all season missing a majority of his shots.

Antetokounmpo opened the season with 30 straight games making at least half his shots – one shy of Robert Williams' record, 31 with the 2022-23 Celtics.

Most consecutive games shooting at least 50% to start a season:

Antetokounmpo coming so close is absolutely astounding, considering his volume.

Williams took five shots per game during his record streak.

Antetokounmpo took 21 during his streak!

Nobody else on that leaderboard took even half as many.

Doug Christie

Under Doug Christie, the Kings have won game after game after game after game after game after game after game. Since losing his debut against the Lakers, Sacramento has won seven straight:

• vs. Mavericks
• vs. 76ers
• vs. Grizzlies
• at Warriors
• vs. Heat
• at Celtics
• at Bulls

Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler and Coby White missed those games. But De'Aaron Fox also missed three games during the streak, including a 17-point road win against full-strength Boston.

Most importantly, the Kings have regained their confidence under Christie.

But I was surprised how often teams got so hot after firing their coach.

A whopping 18 interim coaches have had a win streak of at least seven games:

• Doug Christie (2024-25 SAC): 7 games
• Jacque Vaughn (2022-23 BRK): 12 games
• Nate McMillan (2020-21 ATL): 8 games
• P.J. Carlesimo (2012-13 BRK): 7 games
• Tony DiLeo (2008-09 PHI): 7 games
• Lawrence Frank (2003-04 NJN): 13 games
• Paul Silas (1998-99 CHH): 9 games
• Kurt Rambis (1998-99 LAL): 9 games
• John Lucas (1992-93 SAS): 8 games, 10 games
• Richie Adubato (1989-90 DAL): 7 games
• Wes Unseld (1987-88 WSB): 7 games
• Dick Van Arsdale (1986-87 PHO): 7 games
• Pat Riley (1981-82 LAL): 7 games
• Paul Westhead (1979-80 LAL): 7 games
• Donnie Walsh (1978-79 DEN): 7 games
• Larry Staverman (1977-78 KCK): 7 games
• Elgin Baylor (1976-77 NOJ): 7 games
• Herb Brown (1975-76 DET): 7 games

If the Kings win in Milwaukee tomorrow and extended their streak to eight games, that'd put Christie in far more-select company. But winning in Milwaukee will be tough.

Jimmy Butler

Despite talking to multiple teams, Miami is not close to a Jimmy Butler trade, and it's becoming increasingly likely daily he'll rejoin the Heat when his suspension ends this week, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. The last game of Butler's seven-game suspension is scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles, and he'd be eligible to return Friday against the Nuggets at home.

What's the end game here? Will another team get more desperate and improve its offer? Will the Heat settle for less than their current demands? How much pressure will Butler apply internally? Will he show good habits to boost his stock externally?

Miami appears to be in no rush to trade Butler. Other teams clearly aren't racing to pry him away.

Really, this will most likely come down to whether Butler can move someone off those stances.

Ready the popcorn.

Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards got fined $50,000 for flipping off a ref during the Timberwolves' loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday

That's the fifth time the NBA has fined Edwards this season!

Even at his worst, Rasheed Wallace never had more than three publicly announced fines in a season.

Paul George

Paul George on playing as the 76ers' nominal center:

"It’s different. I’m used to scrapping and running around and chasing and fighting through screens. To be honest, I’m bored playing on a five. It just doesn’t do enough for me. But I think being mindful of my ability to clog the middle and kind of help and cut off passing lanes and driving lanes and kind of battle with the bigs, is what Nick sees in that style. But again, I enjoy chasing the little guys and matching up against wing offensive players."

On a certain level, George feels how he feels. I appreciate him being open about it. As long he's doing his best when playing center, it's OK to discuss the mental challenge.

On another level, this comes across as tone deaf. Philadelphia is 15-22. George has been a major disappointment. How about he embrace doing whatever he can to help the team win? It's hard to believe he's really putting his best foot forward on the court when talking this way.

This is a longstanding issue for George. All the way back in Indiana, he publicly resisted shifting to power forward. He sees himself as a wing, and he wants to make sure his coach knows it.

Pacers-Cavaliers

The Cavaliers won 12 straight – including a signature victory over fellow-elite Oklahoma City – and built their record to 33-4 before losing to the Pacers yesterday. And the Cavs didn't just lose to Indiana. They got beat soundly, 108-93.

That was just the eighth time in NBA history a team with a record so good so deep into the season lost so badly:

• 2025: Cavaliers (33-4) lost by 15 to Pacers
• 2016: Warriors (55-5) lost by 17 to Lakers
• 2016: Warriors (48-4) lost by 32 to Trail Blazers
• 2016: Warriors (37-3) lost by 18 to Pistons
• 1997: Bulls (42-5) lost by 16 to Lakers
• 1997: Bulls (34-4) lost by 16 to Rockets
• 1996: Bulls (54-6) lost by 32 to Knicks
• 1972: Lakers (39-3) lost by 16 to Bucks

Isaiah Collier

With the Jazz and Nets tied and just three seconds separating game clock and shot clock yesterday, Utah rookie Isaiah Collier gained possession in the backcourt. Collin Sexton repeatedly called for the ball. Collier waved him off and walked the ball up himself against no defensive pressure.

And committed an eight-second violation!

Sexton was INCENSED at his younger teammate. It was an all-time gaffe.

Then, Collier hit the game-winner in overtime (after nearly losing the ball on his drive)! Which felt good for Collier, but also gave Brooklyn a draft-position boost in the battle of tanking teams.

Just a completely wackadoodle game.

Nikola Jokic-Russell Westbrook

Teammates to get a triple-double in the same game in the last three years:

• Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook on Friday
• Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook two weeks ago

The 2024-25 Nuggets became the first team in NBA history with a pair of teammates getting triple-doubles in the same game multiple times.

The only other teammates with same-game triple-doubles multiple times at all are Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, for the Heat once in 2019-20 and once in 2020-21.

Complete history of teammates with triple-doubles in the same game, via Basketball-Reference:

• 2024-25 DEN: Nikola Jokic & Russell Westbrook
• 2024-25 DEN: Nikola Jokic & Russell Westbrook
• 2021-22 LAL: LeBron James & Russell Westbrook
• 2020-21 DET: Mason Plumlee & Dennis Smith Jr.
• 2020-21 MIA: Bam Adebayo & Jimmy Butler
• 2019-20 MEM: Ja Morant & Jonas Valanciunas
• 2019-20 MIA: Bam Adebayo & Jimmy Butler
• 2018-19 OKC: Paul George & Russell Westbrook
• 2018-19 LAL: Lonzo Ball & LeBron James
• 2006-07 NJN: Vince Carter & Jason Kidd
• 1988-89 CHI: Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen
• 1986-87 BOS: Larry Bird & Robert Parish
• 1981-82 LAL: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Magic Johnson
• 1968-69 SEA: Art Harris & Lenny Wilkens
• 1963-64 DET: Donnie Butcher & Ray Scott
• 1961-62 CIN: Bucky Bockhorn & Oscar Robertson

Jontay Porter

Jontay Porter texted one of his alleged co-conspirators during a Raptors game, prosecutors allege, as covered by Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Newly unsealed court documents revealed multiple Porter texts. The most damning?

“Hit unders for the big numbers. I told [Co-Conspirator 2] no blocks no steals. I’m going to play first 2-3 minute stint off the bench then when I get subbed out tell them my eye killing me again.”

He is so cooked.

Dunc'd On Live

Watch Nate and Danny react to what Karl-Anthony Towns did to Bobby Portis in the second quarter, Pacers' net rating with Andrew Nembhard on the floor and Lonzo Ball starting… and record a podcast:

-Dan Feldman