FloaterDaily Brief
Friday, January 2, 2026Regular season · 10 games
← Jan 1CalendarJan 3 →

10 games, none went to overtime. Biggest comeback: MIL trailed CHA by 14 after the first quarter and won 122–121.

Final · Box score
Spurs123
Pacers113
Q1 SAS -1; Q2 SAS +13; Q3 SAS +8; Q4 SAS +10
Final · Box score
Nets99
Wizards119
Q1 WAS +13; Q2 WAS +14; Q3 WAS +23; Q4 WAS +20
Final · Box score
Nuggets108
Cavs113
Q1 CLE +4; Q2 CLE +3; Q3 CLE -9; Q4 CLE +5
Final · Box score
Hawks111
Knicks99
Q1 ATL +3; Q2 ATL +13; Q3 ATL +24; Q4 ATL +12
Final · Box score
Magic114
Bulls121
Q1 CHI -10; Q2 Bulls 0; Q3 CHI -4; Q4 CHI +7
Final · Box score
Hornets121
Bucks122
Q1 MIL -14; Q2 MIL -9; Q3 MIL -4; Q4 MIL +1
Final · Box score
Blazers122
Pelicans109
Q1 POR -8; Q2 POR +8; Q3 POR +10; Q4 POR +13
Final · Box score
Kings102
Suns129
Q1 PHX +3; Q2 PHX +6; Q3 PHX +14; Q4 PHX +27
Final · Box score
Thunder131
Warriors94
Q1 OKC +11; Q2 OKC +19; Q3 OKC +29; Q4 OKC +37
Final · Box score
Grizzlies121
Lakers128
Q1 LAL +8; Q2 LAL +6; Q3 Lakers 0; Q4 LAL +7
On this day · 2024–25Jan 2, 2025: 6 games. Top scorer: LeBron James (Lakers-Blazers), 38 points.
Jan 2 in other seasons2024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199819971996
The lead · Hornets-Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 30, Milwaukee rallies past Charlotte

Deni Avdija goes for 34 points

Game flow · MIL margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0-14-9-4+1MIL AHEAD ↑CHA AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Hornets38223130121
Bucks24273635122
Who led
Giannis AntetokounmpoPoints, last 10 games: 32, 14, 30, 29, 26, 2, 29, 24, 33, 30MIL30 PTS · 10 REB · 5 AST
Ryan RollinsPoints, last 10 games: 10, 11, 17, 16, 23, 15, 20, 13, 16, 29MIL29 PTS · 4 REB · 8 AST
Kon KnueppelPoints, last 10 games: 14, 33, 29, 28, 19, 20, 19, 16, 20, 26CHA26 PTS · 4 REB · 3 AST
Miles BridgesPoints, last 10 games: 24, 32, 20, 16, 19, 17, 10, 16, 3, 25CHA25 PTS · 6 REB · 2 AST
Second story · Magic-Bulls

Chicago climbs out of a 10-point hole against Orlando

Down 10 after one, the Bulls won the second quarter 37–27 and the game 121–114. Matas Buzelis led Chicago with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

Top-scorer duel · Bulls-Magic
Matas Buzelis · CHIPaolo Banchero · ORLPTS2131REB96AST76Top scorer on each side. Bars scale within each stat. Pink = the winning side.
Lead changes
Magic-Bulls19
Grizzlies-Lakers10
Hornets-Bucks9
Spurs-Pacers7
Nuggets-Cavs7
Hawks-Knicks7
Nets-Wizards3
Thunder-Warriors2
Shot of the night

Giannis's dunk with 4.7 seconds left puts the Bucks ahead, 122-121 final

The night in charts
Grizzlies-Lakers combined for 249, 6 more than any other game
Points by game
Grizzlies-LakersGrizzlies 121, Lakers 128
249
Hornets-BucksHornets 121, Bucks 122
243
Spurs-PacersSpurs 123, Pacers 113
236
Magic-BullsMagic 114, Bulls 121
235
Blazers-PelicansBlazers 122, Pelicans 109
231
Kings-SunsKings 102, Suns 129
231
Thunder-WarriorsThunder 131, Warriors 94
225
Nuggets-CavsNuggets 108, Cavs 113
221
Nets-WizardsNets 99, Wizards 119
218
Hawks-KnicksHawks 111, Knicks 99
210
2 of 10 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Hornets-BucksHornets 121, Bucks 122
+1 MIL
Nuggets-CavsNuggets 108, Cavs 113
+5 CLE
Magic-BullsMagic 114, Bulls 121
+7 CHI
Grizzlies-LakersGrizzlies 121, Lakers 128
+7 LAL
Spurs-PacersSpurs 123, Pacers 113
+10 SAS
Hawks-KnicksHawks 111, Knicks 99
+12 ATL
Blazers-PelicansBlazers 122, Pelicans 109
+13 POR
Nets-WizardsNets 99, Wizards 119
+20 WAS
Kings-SunsKings 102, Suns 129
+27 PHX
Thunder-WarriorsThunder 131, Warriors 94
+37 OKC
MIL erased a 14-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Hornets-BucksMIL won · Hornets 121, Bucks 122
14 pts
Magic-BullsCHI won · Magic 114, Bulls 121
10 pts
Nuggets-CavsCLE won · Nuggets 108, Cavs 113
9 pts
Blazers-PelicansPOR won · Blazers 122, Pelicans 109
8 pts
Spurs-PacersSAS won · Spurs 123, Pacers 113
1 pt
Rollins shot 11-of-13 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
RollinsMIL · 29 PTS, 8 AST, 4 REB, 3 STL
85% (11-13)
JJJMEM · 25 PTS, 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL
80% (12-15)
ChampagnieWAS · 20 PTS, 7 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK
75% (9-12)
NembhardIND · 19 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL
70% (7-10)
KuzmaMIL · 18 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST
70% (7-10)
Final · Hornets-Bucks
Hornets 121Bucks 122
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Hornets38223130121
Bucks24273635122
The story
Ryan Rollins had 29 points and 8 assists as Milwaukee beat Charlotte 122-121

Miles Bridges led Charlotte with 25 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST 29 PTS, 8 AST, 4 REB, 3 STL · 11-13 FG, 6-7 3PT

The swing

Down 14 after the first, the Bucks took the second 27-22.

MIL lead by quarter
200 −14−9−4+1 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Nuggets-Cavs
Nuggets 108Cavs 113
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Nuggets24353811108
Cavs28342625113
The story
Cleveland beat Denver 113-108 behind 33 points from Donovan Mitchell

Peyton Watson paced Denver: 21 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST 33 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST · 14-24 FG, 5-12 3PT

The swing

A 25-11 fourth quarter erased a 9-point hole for the Cavaliers.

CLE lead by quarter
200 +4+3−9+5 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Jamal Murray topped the game at 56.7 FPTS: 34 PTS, 7 AST, 6 REB

Final · Magic-Bulls
Magic 114Bulls 121
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Magic32273619114
Bulls22373230121
The story
Matas Buzelis' 21 points carried Chicago past Orlando, 121-114

For Orlando, Anthony Black had 18 PTS, 7 AST, 2 REB 21 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST · 6-14 FG, 2-8 3PT

The swing

The Bulls trailed by 4 going into the fourth, then won it 30-19.

CHI lead by quarter
200 −100−4+7 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Paolo Banchero was the fantasy play: 54.2 FPTS on 31 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST

Fantasy angle
Heating up
+9.0points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
15.4Season avg24.4Last 5

24.4 points a game over his last five games, against 15.4 in 34 earlier games. Today: 18 points in 33 minutes.

Losing minutes
−8.5minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
26.2Season avg17.7Last 3

17.7 minutes a game over his last three games, against 26.2 in 32 earlier games. Today: 0 points in 17 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+18.2minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
9.8Season avg28Today

28 minutes today, against 9.8 a game in 20 earlier games. Line: 8 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists.

Top performances

Zion Williamson leads the day with 35

Zion WilliamsonPoints, last 10 games: 18, 9, 29, 24, 26, 20, 22, 32, 31, 35Pelicans-Blazers · L
23.4 PPG season to date · +12.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high35 PTS · 8 REB · 2 AST
Deni AvdijaPoints, last 10 games: 26, 35, 24, 18, 25, 29, 24, 27, 17, 34Blazers-Pelicans · W
25.6 PPG season to date · +8.7 vs his regular-season average before tonight
34 PTS · 7 REB · 11 AST
Luka DoncicPoints, last 10 games: 38, 31, 35, 29, 45, 12, 25, 34, 30, 34Lakers-Grizzlies · W
33.6 PPG season to date · +0.5 vs his regular-season average before tonight
34 PTS · 6 REB · 8 AST
Jamal MurrayPoints, last 10 games: 35, 32, 16, 27, 31, 35, 24, 20, 21, 34Nuggets-Cavs · L
25.4 PPG season to date · +8.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
34 PTS · 6 REB · 7 AST
Donovan MitchellPoints, last 10 games: 48, 17, 32, 30, 27, 34, 16, 10, 34, 33Cavs-Nuggets · W
29.8 PPG season to date · +3.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
33 PTS · 6 REB · 5 AST
Devin BookerPoints, last 10 games: 11, 27, 25, 38, 21, 30, 20, 22, 32, 33Suns-Kings · W
25.7 PPG season to date · +7.5 vs his regular-season average before tonight
33 PTS · 2 REB · 5 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Anthony BlackORL+6.2 21.7 last 10 · 15.5 season
Bobby PortisMIL+4.8 18.1 last 10 · 13.3 season
Cooper FlaggDAL+4.5 23.7 last 10 · 19.2 season
Keyonte GeorgeUTA+3.9 28.5 last 10 · 24.6 season
Jusuf NurkicUTA+3.7 13.6 last 10 · 9.9 season
Cold
Malik MonkSAC−4.5 6.9 last 10 · 11.4 season
Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL−4.1 24.9 last 10 · 29.0 season
Isaiah JoeOKC−4.0 6.7 last 10 · 10.7 season
Quentin GrimesPHI−3.9 10.9 last 10 · 14.8 season
Harrison BarnesSAS−3.7 8.2 last 10 · 11.9 season