NBA

Dereck Lively II ruled out for season after foot surgery

Dereck Lively II
December 2025

Dallas confirmed Lively will have season-ending surgery on his right foot after weeks of swelling and soreness limited him to seven games, where he averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes. The 21-year-old’s latest setback follows previous foot issues that restricted him to 55 and then 36 games in his first two seasons, compounding Dallas’ injury problems with Kyrie Irving still out after ACL surgery and putting more on Anthony Davis as the team fights from 11th in the West.

Injured Haliburton joins “NBA on Prime” to give active player’s voice on coverage

Tyrese Haliburton
December 2025

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, rehabbing an Achilles tear from Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, will join “NBA on Prime” as a player contributor, sharing behind the scenes content on his recovery and offering analysis across the season, starting with Tuesday’s NBA Nightcap broadcast. Haliburton says he wants to counter overly negative, narrative driven talk shows by joining Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, Udonis Haslem and host Taylor Rooks to highlight modern players positively, explain tactics more clearly for casual fans and add a current locker room perspective to Prime’s studio coverage.

Rookie Queen erupts for first triple double in Pelicans’ narrow loss to Spurs

Derik Queen
December 2025

Pelicans rookie Derik Queen delivered his first NBA triple double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in only his 25th game, carrying New Orleans back from a twenty point deficit before missing a late go ahead shot in a tight 135-132 defeat to the Spurs. Drafted thirteenth after New Orleans traded consecutive first rounders to Atlanta, Queen bullied defenders inside, finished tough paint looks and created for team mates, earning praise from Alvarado and interim coach Borrego as a rare bright spot amid the Pelicans’ 3-23 start and heavy external criticism of the trade.

Raptors’ Barrett out at least a week after knee injection ahead Knicks Cup clash

RJ Barrett
December 2025

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett will miss at least another week after receiving a platelet rich plasma injection in his sprained right knee, extending an absence that has already seen him sit out eight games ahead of the team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against the New York Knicks. Barrett, averaging 19.4 points on 50.6 percent shooting, will be re evaluated after missing at least two more games, with Toronto sliding after five losses in six and juggling NBA Cup scenarios that could send them to the semifinals or a consolation matchup.

Magic’s Bane fined $35,000 for firing game ball at opponent

Desmond Bane
December 2025

Desmond Bane has been fined $35,000 after the Orlando Magic guard was judged to have thrown the game ball with force at an opponent in an unsportsmanlike manner during the fourth quarter of a 106-100 defeat to the New York Knicks. The incident, announced in a statement by league operations chief James Jones, earned Bane a technical foul on the night and adds to the NBA’s recent clampdown on player conduct, though the guard avoided suspension and remains available for Orlando’s upcoming fixtures.

Magic sweat on Franz Wagner after leg injury vs Knicks

Franz Wagner
December 2025

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner suffered a lower leg injury in the first quarter against the New York Knicks, landing awkwardly on his left leg after a hard foul on a lob attempt and leaving the game needing assistance to reach the locker room. The Magic ruled Wagner out for the night and will reassess him in Orlando, a major concern given he leads the team in scoring and had just reunited with Paolo Banchero, forcing Jamahl Mosley to lean again on depth pieces while awaiting medical clarity.

Harden passes Carmelo to enter top 10 on NBA all-time scoring list

James Harden
December 2025

James Harden moved into the NBA’s top ten all-time scorers by passing Carmelo Anthony during the Clippers’ loss to the Timberwolves, hitting two free throws to reach 28,290 career points and extend a remarkable scoring career now spanning 17 seasons of constant offensive production. Starting the night 20 points behind Anthony, Harden finished with 34 on 10-of-18 shooting but missed a tying three at the buzzer in a 109-106 defeat, later calling the milestone a “blessing” and proof that work is paying off as he targets higher spots.

Doncic welcomes second daughter as MVP-level season pauses for family

Luka Doncic
December 2025

Luka Doncic announced the birth of his second daughter, Olivia, after leaving the Lakers to be in Ljubljana with fiancée Anamaria Goltes. Listed absent for “personal reasons”, he missed two games while leading the league in scoring during an MVP-calibre start to the season. With the Lakers going 1-1 in his absence, coach JJ Redick says Doncic could rejoin the team as early as Sunday in Philadelphia. Already averaging 35.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists, his brief family break slightly interrupts, but does not derail, Los Angeles’ strong 16-6 start.

Harden nears top-10 all-time scoring as he reflects on “life-changing” rise from sixth man

James Harden
December 2025

James Harden is on the brink of entering the NBA’s all-time top-10 scoring list and calls the achievement “like a dream come true”, recounting his journey from Oklahoma City sixth man to offensive centrepiece whose step-back three and foul-drawing mastery defined a modern scoring era. Harden credits his Houston years under Mike D’Antoni’s free-flowing system for unlocking his peak, while admitting he might have a ring had he stayed in OKC. He says limited athleticism forced him to perfect skill-based scoring, and at 36 he still believes he can climb higher on the list.

Kevin Durant joins 31,000-point club and climbs further up NBA’s all-time scoring ladder

Kevin Durant
December 2025

Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to reach 31,000 career points, hitting the milestone with a first-quarter jumper against the Suns after earlier free throws, continuing his late-career scoring excellence in his first season with the Houston Rockets. Durant achieved 31,000 points in his 1,141st game, matching LeBron James for the third-fewest games needed behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. The 37-year-old now sits in an elite group that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki.