What we know ahead of Monday night’s games:
- Our night opens with Hornets-Cavaliers (7 ET) on Peacock.
- Jaren Jackson Jr., in action tonight against Oklahoma City (9:30 ET, League Pass), was named Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 27.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 2.7 bpg.
- LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Lauri Markkanen and Cooper Flagg are available tonight. Chet Holmgren is out for Oklahoma City.
7:50 PM / DECEMBER 22, 2025
Kon in the record books
The Duke product, No. 2 on the latest Kia Rookie Ladder, keeps knocking in three-pointers.
100 threes for Kon Knueppel in 29 games… the fastest rookie to ever hit that mark!
Previous record: Lauri Markkanen, 41 games pic.twitter.com/uMxwGlyKVn
— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2025
7:20 PM / DECEMBER 22, 2025
LaMelo starts out with a dime
9 points so far for LaMelo Ball, but the Cavaliers are up 31-30 with 2:43 to go in the first quarter.
3 threes for LaMelo… and this wild halfcourt lob to Brandon Miller early on Peacock 🍿 pic.twitter.com/zjTbPmlysV
— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2025
6:30 PM / DECEMBER 22, 2025
The Spencers show out
As Cam shines in Memphis, Pat Spencer has been a force for Golden State, which faces Orlando (10 ET, League Pass) tonight.
Learn more about his journey!
Pat Spencer’s NBA journey is truly one-of-one 🔥
From college lacrosse icon to college hoops.
From going undrafted to then playing in the NBA G League.
Now an important piece in the Warriors’ rotation!Go inside his unique path to the league before GSW hosts ORL tonight at… pic.twitter.com/SBQMTjhr4f
— NBA (@NBA) December 22, 2025
6:00 PM / DECEMBER 22, 2025
Welcome to a seven-game night in the NBA!
Tonight’s schedule is highlighted by Hornets-Cavaliers on Peacock, featuring a battle of swaggy guards, and the surging Grizzlies taking on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who boast a sterling 25-3 record.
The Hornets defeated the Cavaliers 119-111 in overtime on Dec. 14, led by 29 points from Kon Knueppel (19.4 pts, 5.4 reb, 3.6 ast, 40.9 percent from three-point range), who stands at No. 2 on the latest Kia Rookie Ladder.
LaMelo Ball (19.2 ppg, 8.6 ast) is recently recovered from a calf strain, as the Hornets seek to step up in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers, 3-7 in their last 10, are also trying to right a recent skid.
“We’re not playing well. The city deserves better than what we’ve been giving, and we’ve got to go out there and figure it out,” said Donovan Mitchell (30.7 ppg) after their Friday 136-125 loss to the Bulls. “If we want to be who we want to be, we’ve got to go out there and figure it out as a collective.”
Darius Garland put up a season-high 35 points in the loss to Chicago.
The Grizzlies are 7-3 in their last 10, rising into 10th in the Western Conference, as Cam Spencer (17.0 ppg, 6.0 ast) becomes a force in Memphis.
“He is shooting on the gun, he is shooting by himself. He doesn’t even need a rebounder,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said of Spencer’s practice habits. “Sometimes he is there at night. Sometimes he is there when we don’t want him to be there. Honestly, people stay trying to kick him out (of the practice facility).”
The Thunder lost a showdown with Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves 112-107 Dec. 19, falling for just the third time this season.
“We’ve been in almost every situation a team can be in,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of the teams’ poise in the hostile environment. “We just grow with time, as we should.”
