FloaterDaily Brief
Monday, January 5, 2026Regular season · 8 games
← Jan 4CalendarJan 6 →

8 games, 1 went to overtime. Biggest comeback: 6 points, by HOU (vs PHX) and DEN (vs PHI).

Final · Box score
Knicks90
Pistons121
Q1 DET +1; Q2 DET +10; Q3 DET +20; Q4 DET +31
Final · Box score
Bulls101
Celtics115
Q1 BOS +17; Q2 BOS +21; Q3 BOS +18; Q4 BOS +14
Final · Box score
Hawks100
Raptors118
Q1 TOR +5; Q2 TOR +12; Q3 TOR +13; Q4 TOR +18
Final · Box score
Suns97
Rockets100
Q1 HOU -4; Q2 HOU -6; Q3 Rockets 0; Q4 HOU +3
Final · Box score
Hornets124
Thunder97
Q1 Hornets 0; Q2 CHA +17; Q3 CHA +28; Q4 CHA +27
Final · OT · Box score
Nuggets125
Sixers124
Q1 DEN +3; Q2 Nuggets 0; Q3 DEN -6; Q4 Nuggets 0; OT1 DEN +1
Final · Box score
Warriors102
Clippers103
Q1 LAC +12; Q2 LAC +4; Q3 LAC +12; Q4 LAC +1
Final · Box score
Jazz117
Blazers137
Q1 POR +10; Q2 POR +21; Q3 POR +31; Q4 POR +20
On this day · 2024–25Jan 5, 2025: 6 games. Top scorer: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder-Celtics), 33 points.
Jan 5 in other seasons2024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199819971996
The lead · Nuggets-Sixers

Denver needs overtime to survive Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey goes for 28 points

Game flow · DEN margin at each break
-15-10-50+5+10+15OVERTIMETipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3End reg.Final0+30-60+1DEN AHEAD ↑PHI AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4OT1T
Nuggets292929335125
Sixers263235274124
Who led
Jalen PickettPoints, last 10 games: 9, 10, 3, 0, 0, 2, 10, 9, 3, 29DEN29 PTS · 5 REB · 7 AST
Peyton WatsonPoints, last 10 games: 5, 20, 4, 9, 15, 11, 24, 21, 23, 24DEN24 PTS · 7 REB · 4 AST
Joel EmbiidPoints, last 10 games: 12, 16, 39, 22, 27, 31, 34, 22, 26, 32PHI32 PTS · 10 REB · 2 AST
Tyrese MaxeyPoints, last 10 games: 28, 30, 38, 13, 27, 28, 34, 34, 36, 28PHI28 PTS · 6 REB · 6 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Three games go down to the wire

Three of 8 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: Detroit by 31.

DEN over PHI1LAC over GSW1HOU over PHX3BOS over CHI14TOR over ATL18POR over UTA20CHA over OKC27DET over NYK31Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
Lead changes
Suns-Rockets5
Jazz-Blazers5
Bulls-Celtics4
Warriors-Clippers2
Knicks-Pistons1
Hornets-Thunder1
Shot of the night

KD's three with 1.1 seconds left breaks the tie, 100-97 final

The night in charts
Jazz-Blazers combined for 254, 5 more than any other game
Points by game
Jazz-BlazersJazz 117, Blazers 137
254
Nuggets-SixersNuggets 125, Sixers 124 · OT
249
Hornets-ThunderHornets 124, Thunder 97
221
Hawks-RaptorsHawks 100, Raptors 118
218
Bulls-CelticsBulls 101, Celtics 115
216
Knicks-PistonsKnicks 90, Pistons 121
211
Warriors-ClippersWarriors 102, Clippers 103
205
Suns-RocketsSuns 97, Rockets 100
197
3 of 8 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Nuggets-SixersNuggets 125, Sixers 124 · OT
+1 DEN
Warriors-ClippersWarriors 102, Clippers 103
+1 LAC
Suns-RocketsSuns 97, Rockets 100
+3 HOU
Bulls-CelticsBulls 101, Celtics 115
+14 BOS
Hawks-RaptorsHawks 100, Raptors 118
+18 TOR
Jazz-BlazersJazz 117, Blazers 137
+20 POR
Hornets-ThunderHornets 124, Thunder 97
+27 CHA
Knicks-PistonsKnicks 90, Pistons 121
+31 DET
HOU rallied from 6 down, the night's biggest comeback
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Suns-RocketsHOU won · Suns 97, Rockets 100
6 pts
Nuggets-SixersDEN won · Nuggets 125, Sixers 124 · OT
6 pts
Murray-Boyles shot 8-of-10 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
Murray-BoylesTOR · 17 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL
80% (8-10)
BuzelisCHI · 26 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK
75% (9-12)
NurkicUTA · 21 PTS, 12 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL
75% (9-12)
Gary Payton IIGSW · 14 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK
70% (7-10)
CadeDET · 29 PTS, 13 AST, 3 REB, 2 BLK
65% (11-17)
Final · Nuggets-Sixers
Nuggets 125Sixers 124
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Nuggets292929335125
Sixers263235274124
The story
Jalen Pickett had 29 points as Denver beat Philadelphia 125-124 in OT

Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 32 PTS, 10 REB, 2 AST 29 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REB · 11-20 FG, 7-11 3PT

The swing

Down 6 after the third, the Nuggets took the fourth 33-27.

DEN lead by quarter
200 +30−60+1 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Final · Warriors-Clippers
Warriors 102Clippers 103
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Warriors19321338102
Clippers31242127103
The story
Kawhi Leonard's 24 points and 12 rebounds carried LA past Golden State, 103-102

For Golden State, Jimmy Butler had 24 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST 24 PTS, 12 REB, 5 AST · 10-25 FG, 0-8 3PT

The swing

The first quarter, 31-19, was where the Clippers built it.

LAC lead by quarter
200 +12+4+12+1 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Stephen Curry was the fantasy play: 50.8 FPTS on 27 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB

Final · Suns-Rockets
Suns 97Rockets 100
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Suns2931181997
Rockets25292422100
The story
Houston beat Phoenix 100-97 behind 26 points and 10 rebounds from Kevin Durant

Royce O'Neale paced Phoenix: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST 26 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST · 9-21 FG, 2-12 3PT

The swing

A 24-18 third quarter erased a 6-point hole for the Rockets.

HOU lead by quarter
200 −4−60+3 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+9.3points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
9.9Season avg19.2Last 5

19.2 points a game over his last five games, against 9.9 in 29 earlier games. Today: 21 points in 31 minutes.

Losing minutes
−10.4minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
25.4Season avg15.0Last 3

15.0 minutes a game over his last three games, against 25.4 in 23 earlier games. Today: 6 points in 13 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+29.7minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
12.3Season avg42Today

42 minutes today, against 12.3 a game in 20 earlier games. Line: 29 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists.

Top performances

Deni Avdija leads the day with 33

Deni AvdijaPoints, last 10 games: 24, 18, 25, 29, 24, 27, 17, 34, 29, 33Blazers-Jazz · W
25.9 PPG season to date · +7.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
33 PTS · 8 REB · 9 AST
Joel EmbiidPoints, last 10 games: 12, 16, 39, 22, 27, 31, 34, 22, 26, 32Sixers-Nuggets · L
23.4 PPG season to date · +9.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
32 PTS · 10 REB · 2 AST
Cade CunninghamPoints, last 10 games: 29, 22, 14, 23, 29, 27, 27, 31, 27, 29Pistons-Knicks · W
26.7 PPG season to date · +2.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
29 PTS · 3 REB · 13 AST
Jalen PickettPoints, last 10 games: 9, 10, 3, 0, 0, 2, 10, 9, 3, 29Nuggets-Sixers · W
5.0 PPG season to date · +25.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Career high29 PTS · 5 REB · 7 AST
Shaedon SharpePoints, last 10 games: 23, 25, 22, 16, 26, 24, 14, 23, 6, 29Blazers-Jazz · W
21.6 PPG season to date · +7.7 vs his regular-season average before tonight
29 PTS · 5 REB · 7 AST
Tyrese MaxeyPoints, last 10 games: 28, 30, 38, 13, 27, 28, 34, 34, 36, 28Sixers-Nuggets · L
31.0 PPG season to date · −3.1 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 6 REB · 6 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Anthony BlackORL+7.4 23.2 last 10 · 15.8 season
VJ EdgecombePHI+4.3 20.8 last 10 · 16.5 season
Kawhi LeonardLAC+4.2 32.3 last 10 · 28.1 season
Caleb LovePOR+4.1 14.2 last 10 · 10.1 season
Jaren Jackson Jr.MEM+3.8 22.2 last 10 · 18.4 season
Cold
Isaiah JoeOKC−5.2 4.9 last 10 · 10.1 season
Malik MonkSAC−4.5 6.9 last 10 · 11.4 season
Quentin GrimesPHI−4.1 10.6 last 10 · 14.7 season
Aaron WigginsOKC−4.0 6.3 last 10 · 10.3 season
Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL−3.9 25.4 last 10 · 29.3 season