Basketball

Throughout the early part of the 2022-23 season, the NBA MVP conversation has centered on players like Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Dončić.

It seemed like Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić was being left out of the discussion, but his performance on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets reminded everyone why he was named MVP in each of the past two seasons.

Jokić had a monster triple-double with 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists to propel the Nuggets to a 119-115 win at Ball Arena. The 27-year-old grabbed 20 boards in the first half alone and shot 13-of-26 from the field in the victory. It was his second 40-point outing in his past three games.

NBA Twitter was blown away by Jokić's performance on Sunday:

The Nuggets opened the month of December with three straight losses, leading many to question whether they can compete against the elite teams in the Western Conference. However, Denver has reeled off wins in four of its past five games, and Jokić has been a major reason why.

After a somewhat slow start to the season, the Serbian seems to have found a groove in recent weeks. During this month, he's averaging 29.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists on 63.0 percent shooting from the field.

Jokić will look to keep up his dominance when the Nuggets (18-11) host the Memphis Grizzlies (19-10) in a marquee primetime matchup on Tuesday night.

Everyone knows Stephen Curry is the best shooter in NBA history, but Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard believes he is the second-best after passing the 18,000 point mark in Saturday's game against the Houston Rockets.

Lillard said, via Casey Holdahl of the team's website:

I always see stuff on social media where they talk about the greatest shooters of all-time and they always act like it's just crazy for people to mention me. I think for how many threes I've made, for how consistent I make them, the level of difficulty that I shoot threes with over years and years and years, I just think it's kind of crazy people don't mention me in those discussions.

Obviously I think Steph is the greatest ever, but I think after him, I don't see why I'm not clear-cut in that discussion, not just by makes, but how I shoot it, how I make tough ones all the time, how easy I shoot the ball. I'm looking forward to keep climbing that list so once I get up there in that top two, top three, I'm curious to see what people will say about me as a shooter at that point.

Lillard is certainly up there among some of the best shooters in league history. But saying he's the second-best shooter might be an overstatement, especially when considering the likes of Ray Allen, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Larry Bird and others.

That said, Lillard's impact is undeniable. In 18 games this season, he's averaging 28.3 points while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from deep.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without star center Anthony Davis after he suffered an injury to his right foot.

Per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania, Davis is expected to miss one month.

Davis was able to stay mostly healthy to start this season. He only missed three of the Lakers' first 28 games. The eight-time All-Star suffered the foot injury during their 126-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 16.

After favoring his foot early in the game, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham removed Davis in the first quarter to receive medical attention. He did return in the second quarter, but didn't score during that eight-minute stretch.

Davis sat out the entire second half. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported he was experiencing "discomfort" in his foot and would likely undergo an MRI.

Durability has been a problem for Davis for most of his tenure with the Lakers. He only played in 76 games over the previous two seasons combined.

Davis is off to arguably the best start of his career so far this season. The 29-year-old is averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He is shooting a career-high 59.3 percent from the field.

During a nine-game stretch from Nov. 13-Dec. 4, Davis averaged 35.3 points and 15.6 rebounds per contest.

The Lakers don't have a lot of depth on their roster anyway, let alone enough to compensate for losing one of their two best players. LeBron James will have to shoulder a heavier burden on the offensive end of the court.

Thomas Bryant will replace Davis in the starting lineup for the time being. He's been effective in a limited role, averaging 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 14 appearances.

The NBA announced Sunday it fined Boston Celtics star Al Horford $25,000 for "unnecessary and excessive contact" to the lower body of Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner.

Horford was ejected in the third quarter of Boston's 117-109 loss to the Magic on Friday after being assessed with a Flagrant-2 foul. He was jostling for position with Wagner on an inbounds play when he swung his right elbow toward Wagner's groin.

Wagner said after the game he was "a little surprised" by the elbow and pleaded ignorance on what specifically led to the excessive contact.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum criticized the decision to eject Horford and called it "unbelievable," especially since Wagner was whistled for a foul as he was engaged with Horford:

I couldn't believe Al got thrown out of the game. I didn't think that was warranted, especially once they went to go review and they saw that Mo fouled him first. That's why I got to shoot free throws. So I mean, sometimes guy get tired of people grabbing on him and the ref not seeing it, so (expletive) as a grown man, you take it into his own hands and get somebody up off of you, and that's all he did, just got him up off him because he was getting fouled.

Boston and Horford are fortunate to a degree the NBA decided against suspending him and only issued a fine. His ejection already carried a cost to the team, though.

The Celtics trailed by 10 points, 66-56, when the five-time All-Star was sent to the locker room. Wagner sank two free throws for the flagrant foul to make it a 12-point game, leaving Joe Mazzulla's squad with a hefty deficit to overcome without its starting center.

Horford will at least be able to suit up for Sunday's rematch with the Magic at home inside TD Garden.

Former six-time NBA All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire was arrested Sunday on a count of misdemeanor battery, according to David J. Neal and David Ovalle of the Miami Herald.

One of Stoudemire's daughters told police he "punched her in the jaw and slapped her hard enough to draw blood."

An officer wrote in their report the daughter had blood stains on her sweater and sweatpants. Her mother also provided authorities with a photo in which her daughter was crying and had blood running down her face.

Stoudemire allegedly took exception to how his daughter addressed her grandmother in his condo, per Neal and Ovalle:

When the daughter denied having such a tone with her grandmother, she said her father "then responded with 'You're talking back again' and punched her on the right side of her jaw.' As a follow up, she said, he slapped her face, bloodying her nose "and continued slapping her on the left side of her body.

The daughter subsequently reached out to her mother, Stoudemire's ex-wife Alexis, to come and pick her up. Stoudemire told officers her daughter "was sad because she received a whooping from him for being disrespectful and a liar."

Stoudemire took to Twitter on Sunday to provide a statement:

Stoudemire spent 14 seasons in the NBA across spells with the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. He also played abroad and suited up in the BIG3 league.

The 40-year-old joined the Brooklyn Nets in a player development role in October 2020. He announced in May he wouldn't return to the franchise for the 2022-23 season.

The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly showed interest in reacquiring Kyle Kuzma, which Washington Wizards forward believes is a compliment.

"I think it just shows you the grass is not always greener," Kuzma told Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports. "It's definitely a good thing because at the end of the day, that means I've been playing well and I have value in this league that a team would want to trade for me. It's a blessing."

Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes first reported the Lakers' interest in Kuzma, noting the Wizards don't want to deal away the 27-year-old:

Kuzma is averaging 21.3 points per game, which would be a career high, to go with 7.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Washington acquired Kuzma in the 2021 deal that brought Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles.

Kuzma had spent his first four years with the Lakers, contributing both as a go-to offensive player and as an energy option off the bench. He averaged 15.2 points per game during this time there, helping the team win the NBA title in 2020.

Despite his production, the 6'9" forward was constantly the subject of trade rumors before eventually being dealt to the Wizards.

"I always look back and wish I would've gotten the fairer end of the stick a little bit, just with my role and how much I sacrificed," Kuzma said.

The trade has paid off for him personally, averaging 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his first season before breaking out in 29 games this year. The Wizards have struggled as a team with an 11-19 record, although the Lakers haven't fared much better at 12-16. Both squads are 12th in their respective conference.

Kuzma has a $13 million player option for next season, although his improved play in 2022-23 makes testing free agency a smart move.

Haynes reported the Wizards are "open to signing him to a long-term extension," but it's clear there is plenty of interest in Kuzma around the league.

In one of their highest-profile games thus far, Bronny and Bryce James played their father's alma mater.

St. Vincent-St. Mary's came out on top 67-61 over Sierra Canyon on Saturday night from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

LeBron James first arrived on the national scene when he was a student at St. Vincent-St. Mary's. He led the Akron, Ohio, school to three state titles before being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and becoming one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Despite all the hype around the James brothers squaring off against St. Vincent-St. Mary's, neither Bronny nor Bryce is likely to put this game on their highlight reel.

Bronny made just one field goal in the first half and finished the game with seven points, six rebounds and four assists. The 18-year-old fouled out late in the fourth quarter as the Trailblazers were attempting to make a comeback.

Sierra Canyon did cut the deficit to four at 61-57 with 40 seconds remaining, but the Fighting Irish were able to make clutch free throws to preserve the win.

Bryce didn't even make an appearance in the game, though there were fans in the stands who wanted to see him. LeBron was not in attendance after the Lakers played Friday night in Los Angeles and play at home again Sunday.

The loss is just the second of the season for Sierra Canyon, which came into the game ranked No. 25 in the nation by ESPN.com. St. Vincent-St. Mary improved to 4-1 with the win.

While most of the attention was on LeBron's sons playing against his high school team, Isaiah Elohim was the best player for Sierra Canyon with 22 points. The 6'5" shooting guard is a 5-star prospect and 12th-ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports.

Sierra Canyon will look to rebound in its next game on Wednesday against Venice in Los Angeles.

The NBA currently has no plans to add an expansion team in Mexico, though commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday ahead of the league's Mexico City game between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat that adding a franchise south of the American border could eventually become reality.

"It's definitely possible," Silver said. "... I don't have a specific timeline right now in terms of expansion, but there's no doubt we will be looking seriously at Mexico City over time."

Saturday's game between the Spurs and Heat marks the first NBA game in Mexico City since 2019. However, the league has held 30 games in Mexico dating back to 1992, which is more than in any other country outside the United States and Canada.

It only feels like a matter of time before the NBA expands to Mexico, especially because it added the Mexico City Capitanes to the G League in 2019. However, expanding to Las Vegas and/or Seattle has been at the peak of rumors about the league possibly adding more teams.

While the logistics of adding another franchise in America might be slightly easier, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum told Marc J. Spears of Andscape in November that Mexico City is absolutely a viable option for expansion.

Tatum said:

Expansion is currently not on the docket, but at some point, if we were to turn to expansion, there's no doubt that Mexico City would have to be one the cities that would be in consideration along with a host of other very big and relevant cities in North America. One of the biggest challenges around international expansion has always been the travel issues, the facility issues. But there is a world-class facility in Mexico City in Arena CDMX, which is where we've been playing our games and our global games in Mexico. And that's actually the home of the G League team, the Capitanes. And so that's not an issue.

And the travel is not an issue. It's a pretty short flight for several of our teams, particularly our Texas teams, our Florida teams, our New Orleans team. Arizona actually is a pretty short flight. So, those are all the kinds of things that we would take into consideration, and for those reasons you'd have to consider it. But again, I'd say it's not immediately on the docket right now.

Additionally, NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director Raul Zarraga said the league sees "enormous potential for basketball and the NBA to continue to grow in Mexico," per Morten Stig Jensen of Forbes.

Zarraga added there are roughly 30 million NBA fans in Mexico and that basketball "is the second-most played sport among Mexican sports fans." A rise in TV viewership, NBA League Pass subscriptions and digital engagement across the country show a growing interest in the NBA, he said.

If the NBA does eventually expand into Mexico, it likely won't be for at least several years. The last time the league expanded was in 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets) were founded.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer announced before tipoff the two-time NBA MVP is dealing with rest with soreness in his left knee.

While Antetokounmpo has been durable for much of his career and appeared in at least 61 games in each of his first nine seasons, he missed time during EuroBasket in September with knee discomfort and was sidelined with knee soreness in November.

Any health concerns for Antetokounmpo will be amplified, given his overall importance to the Bucks' championship hopes.

The six-time All-Star is arguably the best player in the league and someone who can take over games on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. His ability to overpower defenders on his way to the rim while shutting down the opponent's best players is unmatched in today's game, and much of what Milwaukee does on the court runs through him.

He is averaging 30.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals in 24 games in 2022-23.

The Bucks can't realistically hope to replicate his impact if he is sidelined, but they can turn to the combination of Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez and Serge Ibaka for more playing time in the frontcourt as they attempt to tread water without their biggest star.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić is out for Saturday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers because of a right quad strain, the team announced.

In addition to Dončić, the Mavs (15-14) will be without Spencer Dinwiddie (knee), Josh Green (elbow), Dwight Powell (thigh) and Maxi Kleber (hamstring).

Dončić's absence will be felt the most against the Cavs (19-11), as he's the focal point of the offense and leads the team with averages of 33.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

The 23-year-old missed 17 contests in 2021-22 while dealing with injuries to his ankle. He also missed the first three games of the postseason after he suffered a calf strain in the last game of the regular season. The Mavericks went 10-10 last year when he was out of the lineup, including the playoffs.

One of the best players in the NBA, Dončić is coming off a stellar run while competing for Slovenia in the EuroBasket tournament last summer. He nearly set a EuroBasket record with 47 points in a win over France, the second-highest point total in the history of the European championships. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists in seven games during the tournament.

While Dončić is out, the Mavericks offense will need multiple players to help replace his production. Power forward Christian Wood, who was acquired over the offseason in a trade with the Houston Rockets, will likely get more touches on the offensive end.