The Denver Nuggets didn’t go to sleep until nearly five in the morning and had to play the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee less than twenty-four hours after they defeated the Utah Jazz in Denver. Missing three starters, plus Mason Plumlee, and facing the top team in the NBA it seemed all but a foregone conclusion that they would lose. They did not. The Bucks, behind a great game from Giannis Antetokounmpo, got an early lead and looked to have the blowout but Denver fought back and, just like last night, they rode a huge third quarter to take the lead and never look back. Every single player who got minutes scored in double figures and a total team effort earned the Nuggets their biggest win of the year. Denver takes it going away 127-115.

All nine occupants have been killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Califonia, northwest of Los Angeles on Sunday morning.

Former American basketball champion Kobe Bryant (41), his daughter Gianna (13), a pilot and six other passengers were on board the helicopter at the time it crashed.

LeBron James made some history tonight, but the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t get the result they wanted, losing 108-91 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. 91 is the fewest points the Lakers have scored this season.

Things started to fall apart pretty early for the purple and gold. They allowed a 17-4 run spanning the end of the second quarter to the start of the third, and only scored two points over the first seven-and-a-half minutes of the third period. James made history by passing Kobe Bryant later in the quarter, but it hardly felt great given the score at the time.

The Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 113-106 behind the superstar performance of Nikola Jokic and key two-way play of Torrey Craig. Jokic had 27 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals, doing everything for the Nuggets, even though he struggled to hit shots late. Craig was massively important, hitting three of his six three-pointers, grabbing 10 rebounds, and getting a key stop on Jrue Holiday late. Zion Williamson was impressive in his second professional game, but the Nuggets survived his athletic exploits in a key road win.

Let’s start with a disclaimer that nobody needs: The Golden State Warriors, as presently constructed, are bad.

One night after shooting just 43.9% from the field and 33.9% from three, the Los Angeles Lakers exploded offensively, led by a 27-point, 10-assist, 12-rebound triple-double from LeBron James and 50% shooting from distance overall to beat the Brooklyn Nets, 128-113.

Jared Dudley has never groused about playing a bit role for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. He’ll go handfuls of games without seeing the floor for even a second of playing time, but steps up every time he’s called upon. Every time he speaks with reporters after the games he does play in, he’ll make a self-effacing joke about being old or tired, deflect any praise of his performance by publicly hoping whichever teammate he’s replacing comes back soon, and walks off into the night.

The Trail Blazers secured a much-needed 129-124 win over the Warriors thanks to an amazing 61-point outing from Damian Lillard. Portland’s leader was not going to be denied. Lillard recorded 40 points in the second half, pulling the Blazers through a hard-fought victory over the Warriors. Outside of Dame’s big night, Hassan Whiteside produced another solid double-double.

With the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline just over two weeks away, the Los Angeles Lakers have made calls to try and upgrade their roster, and one of the names they’ve reportedly inquired about is Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose.

Somehow, someway, the Indiana Pacers dug (Doug*?) deep enough to top the Denver Nuggets in the first game of their five game road trip. The Pacers needed a staggering 41 points in the fourth, a season high, to complete what was an eight-point comeback in the final period.