NBA Notebook: Biggest Celtics stories of 2025 and an early All-Star ballot

The NBA released its first round of All-Star fan voting on Monday afternoon, featuring Jaylen Brown as the lone appearance among the east's top-15 with 808,276 votes. The Celtics have campaigned for Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to join Brown, a relative lock at the moment, in Los Angeles during the Feb. 13-15 weekend. The league announced that the format will shift to USA vs. World after a string of overhauls in recent years. 

Voting will take place between Dec. 17-Jan. 14 for the same process as usual, that'll select five starters from each conference, regardless of position. The fan vote counts for 50%, media selections account for 25% and players choose the remaining 25%. The head coaches around the league pick the reserves. Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama currently lead the voting in the west while the east's top-five included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell ahead of Brown. 

Given the international nature of the competition, Adam Silver will select additional players to reach the 16 US and eight international player minimums. 

Here's my ballot as it stands...

Eastern Conference: 

Jalen Brunson (USA): 29.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.2 TOV, 48% FG, 38% 3PT, +3.7 BPM, +3.5 EPM, 4.0 WS, +1.4 VORP.

The driving force behind the Knicks' standout start to the season and one of the biggest stars in the NBA playing in New York City. His MVP case should receive some scrutiny for his defensive deficiency, posting a stunningly low -1.9 EPM. Offensively, he's as good as anyone in the league and fully deserves a starting spot in the east.  

Cade Cunningham (USA): 26.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 9.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 3.9 TOV, 46.2% FG, 33.1% 3PT, +6.0 BPM, +3.9 EPM, 3.8 WS, +2.1 VORP. 

A star last year who appears on the verge of one or two improvements across his game to become a player capable of leading his team to a championship. His efforts at questionable efficiency have already vaulted the Pistons atop the East standings through the first third of the season. Breaking a record for misses stands out from his first half, but he's the best player in the East I've watched against the Celtics this season. 

Donovan Mitchell (USA): 30.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 3.1 TOV, 49.7% FG, 39.0% 3PT, +5.8 BPM, +5.2 EPM, 3.6 WS, +2.1 VORP 

Thriving on a disappointing team that can't survive with him off the court. One of the most dynamic and exciting scorers to watch around the league and an easy choice for the game. It's less clear whether he deserves a starting spot over his conference counterparts who have won at a higher level to this point. He leads Jaylen Brown by less than 50,000 votes in fan voting for the fifth and final spot in the East. 

Tyrese Maxey (USA): 30.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.9 APG, 1.8 SPG, 2.7 TOV, 46.1% FG, 39.1% 3PT, +6.2 BPM, +3.4 EPM, 4.0 WS, +2.3 VORP 

Astonishing leap while carrying the Sixers through Joel Embiid and Paul George's sporadic availability. The Maxey era is here in Philadelphia and in the east, where he's a slam-dunk starting candidate. Currently second in voting to Giannis Antetokounmpo and outside of Brown's nightly exploits for the Celtics and Cade Cunningham, he's the most impressive east player I've watched in person this season. If you're counting, this gets us to four US players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (World): 28.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 5.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 3.2 TOV, 64.3% FG, 40.7% 3PT, +11.0 BPM, +7.6 EPM, 3.2 WS, +1.8 VORP 

Owns the largest share of the vote and, aside from his roughly month-long absence with a calf injury, is the strongest candidate in the East with his nightly earth-shattering performances on both ends of the floor. He'll lead the world team alongside Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the three perennial MVP candidates, but will Antetokounmpo represent the Bucks at the games? 

Jaylen Brown (USA): 29.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 3.7 TOV, 50.6% FG, 37.0% 3PT, +4.3 BPM, +2.3 EPM, 3.1 WS, +2.1 VORP 

Less of a conversation about whether he's an All-Star this year and more about whether he can break into the All-NBA First Team this season. He carried the Celtics through his consistency and availability, and emerged as the best mid-range shooter in the NBA through the first third of the season. 

Jalen Johnson (USA): 23.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 3.5 TOV, 52.2% FG, 36.7% 3PT, +5.1 BPM, +1.9 EPM, 3.6 WS, +1.9 VORP 

Perhaps the least name recognition in the all-star field this year, but get used to him being in this mix. Johnson took over the Hawks' offense through Trae Young's injury and produced young Magic Johnson numbers. He's the future of the franchise and looks capable of becoming one of the more dynamic offensive engines in the league, and he's already more than deserving of a spot in Los Angeles. 

Karl-Anthony Towns (World): 22.0 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.4 TOV, 47.6% FG, 36.5% 3PT, +2.8 BPM, +3.5 EPM, 3.8 WS, +1.2 VORP 

Towns said he intends to play for the world team representing his mother's native Dominican Republic, where he plays for their national team. He'll pack a punch alongside the world's other bigs and can play the four and shoot threes next to them. It's an important addition and he's played the best basketball of his career early this season building on his successful playoff run. Towns isn't a perfect player, but he continues to improve deep into his career. 

Michael Porter Jr. (USA): 25.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 TOV, 49.6% FG, 41.0% 3PT, +5.2 BPM, +2.1 EPM, 2.5 WS, +1.6 VORP 

Traded from Denver to the Nets in the Cam Johnson trade alongside a first-round pick in 2030 in what now looks like a heist for Brooklyn, who can probably trade Porter again for a haul after he began this season as one of the more dynamic offensive players in the East so far. Porter assaulted the Celtics' defense late in their win over them in Boston and has led Brooklyn to another competitive start in a season where many expected them to fall into the mix for the worst record in the league. 

Scottie Barnes (USA): 19.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 2.6 TOV, 50.5% FG, 35.7% 3PT, +3.7 BPM, +1.4 EPM, 3.4 WS, +1.6 VORP 

A dynamic defensive player working his way toward becoming the offensive star he's shown flashes of, between ball-handling, driving, passing and a budding three-point shot. With some help from Brandon Ingram, he led a Raptors team that missed the playoffs last year entirely to home court status in the East to begin the season. That's more than worthy of a nod.

Jalen Duren (USA): 18.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 BPG, 2.2 TOV, 63.6% FG, +2.6 BPM, +1.9 EPM, 3.8 WS, +1.0 VORP 

He might be a bold choice over Evan Mobley, who's the better defender by far and a more dynamic overall offensive player at this point. That said, Duren has changed games for Detroit as they climbed to the top of the East. They're not miles ahead of the field, but they're good enough to warrant a second all-star, something the Cavs can't claim. Among players I've watched this season, Duren, with some help from running mate Isaiah Stewart, proved one of the most difficult for Boston to contain.  

Josh Giddey (World): 19.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 9.0 APG, 3.6 TOV, 46.6% FG, 38.6% 3PT, +2.9 BPM, +1.4 EPM, 2.2 WS, +1.2 VORP 

Saw his scorching start to the year fade over the past month along with his team's, but Giddey played some of the best basketball in the east through the start of the season and deserves consideration for this spot still alongside Knicks ancillary contributors, the Magic's injured stars Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, along with LaMelo Ball. Giddey deserves the selection more than them at the moment, though a hamstring injury he suffered on Tuesday could open the door for Brandon Ingram, Derrick White, Evan Mobley or another Knicks player to surpass him. 

Other contenders: Brandon Ingram, Derrick White, LaMelo Ball, Pascal Siakam, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Jalen Suggs, Bam Adebayo. 

Western Conference: 

Luka Dončić (World): 33.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 8.6 APG, 1.6 APG, 4.3 TOV, 46.2% FG, 32.4% 3PT, +8.0 BPM, +6.8 EPM, 3.4 WS, +2.1 VORP 

The easiest choice among the field this season as the best scorer in the league, the leading vote recipient to begin the process and capitalizing on all the potential his offseason weight loss and motivation following the trade from Dallas projected. He'll give the world every chance to beat the USA rosters as their primary option on offense, just as he gives the Lakers a chance in any playoff series. 

Nikola Jokić (World): 29.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 11.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 3.5 TOV, 60.5% FG, 43.5% 3PT, +16.4 BPM, +9.1 EPM, 8.7 WS, +5.1 VORP 

He posted the best numbers in NBA history and just finished one of the finest performances of his career on Christmas before he fell with what resembled a severe knee injury days later. He seemingly avoided the worst-case scenarios and will miss 1-2 months, leaving his All-Star status in question. There's an increasing argument nobody has ever played better basketball than Jokić was playing to begin this season. Even if he's available, he never fully embraced the All-Star competition, though the Dončić combination and pride involved for the world team make them a compelling US challenger. 

Steph Curry (USA): 28.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 3.0 TOV, 46.5% FG, 39.0% 3PT, +6.1 BPM, +5.6 EPM, 2.5 WS, +1.5 VORP 

Playing some of the best basketball of his career, while the Warriors struggle to support him. Would become the engine for the US immediately, even given his age and advanced stage of his career, having already done so for the US Olympic team two summers ago. He remains the most exciting player to watch in an All-Star environment, and it's a must to appreciate each one left in his career. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (World): 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 2.0 TOV, 55.9% FG, 41.9% 3PT, +12.8 BPM, +8.5 EPM, 8.0 WS, +4.0 VORP 

Even with his style drawing many detractors, there's no denying the impressiveness of Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder building on what they accomplished last season with one of the small handful of best starts in NBA history. They're a machine built around his strengths, and he should roll to another MVP this season after Jokić's injury, and already held a slight edge in my eyes given Oklahoma City's two-way dominance. The world already looks like the better team to me through six players

Victor Wembanyama (World): 24.0 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 3.0 BPG, 3.3 TOV, 51.4% FG, 34.9% 3PT, +8.1 BPM, +4.9 EPM, 2.5 WS, +1.5 VORP 

A calf injury only slightly derailed his rise to the highest class in the league between his unmatched defensive impact and increasingly strong primary scoring abilities that shined over the past month in a bench role. He'll continue to get back on track in the coming months with his standard and if he's at full strength for the game, he makes the world an effective lock alongside the other top-end talents on the team. 

Anthony Edwards (USA): 29.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 2.8 TOV, 49.7% FG, 39.7% 3PT, +5.6 BPM, +2.7 EPM, 3.1 WS, +2.1 VORP

One of the best scorers in the game continues to operate efficiently and lead a legitimate title contender. He's among the strongest candidates to lead US basketball into the future and could emerge as a west starter in case of injury. His improvement as a shooter since draft night continues to amaze me. 

Alperen Şengün (World): 22.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 3.5 TOV, 50.8% FG, 31.7% 3PT, +5.7 BPM, +2.9 EPM, 3.5 WS, +1.7 VORP

Since opening night, nobody in the league surprised more as an ascendant offensive facilitator for a team than Şengün, who nearly shocked the Thunder on opening running offense for the Rockets before leading a third-ranked offense through the first half alongside Kevin Durant. Between Şengün's own scoring and passing prowess, and his offensive rebounding alongside Steven Adams which makes Houston unique, he's in position to become one of the league's most impactful offensive forces. 

Kevin Durant (USA): 25.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.0 BPG, 3.1 TOV, 52.2% FG, 43.7% 3PT, +3.8 BPM, +3.4 EPM, 3.9 WS, +1.4 VORP

An ageless wonder who's still one of the most efficient scorers in basketball as he approaches 40. Durant can legitimately lead the US team through this tournament alongside fellow NBA veterans Steph Curry and LeBron James, should the latter sneak into the competition for a 22nd time. This will become Durant's 16th appearance. 

Deni Avdija (World): 25.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, 3.9 TOV, 46.9% FG, 35.5% 3PT, +4.2 BPM, +2.6 EPM, 3.6 WS, +1.8 VORP

The most surprising All-Star this season became a slam dunk candidate as an offensive engine for the Blazers. Avdija found his shot, moved to point guard with the team's other facilitators down, and dominated the board to give Portland a grab-and-go game. He also defends multiple positions effectively. It's still hard to believe the Wizards gave him away for Bub Carrington, Malcolm Brogdon, and several draft picks. 

Jamal Murray (World): 25.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.3 TOV, 48.7% FG, 45.4% 3PT, +3.5 BPM, +3.3 EPM, 3.8 WS, +1.5 VORP

Should show his value as a legitimate complement to Jokić in Denver rather than purely a beneficiary with his fellow star down for the next month or two. Murray has struggled through injuries for the Nuggets and Canada in the last Olympics, but this year looks like one of their key contributors in this tournament. A slam dunk All-Star. 

Kawhi Leonard (USA): 27.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.1 SPG, 2.0 TOV, 49.9% FG, 38.6% 3PT, +6.8 BPM, +5.5 EPM, 2.7 WS, +1.6 VORP 

Climbed back into this mix with an astonishing run reminiscent of his best days since he last missed a game on Nov. 22. He ranks among the most efficient scorers from the field this season while maintaining a ridiculous streak at the free throw line (129-133, 97% FT). Leonard even gave the despondent Clippers some hope for a turnaround with his play in recent weeks. 

Lauri Markkanen (World): 27.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.4 TOV, 47.3% FG, 36.6% 3PT, +2.8 BPM, +3.5 EPM, 2.7 WS, +1.7 VORP

Emerged as one of the league's best volume scorers with the Jazz to begin this season and should return to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2023, his first season in Utah. No longer flying below the radar, he continues to ascend into his age-28 season and gives the world a compelling option to stay big while maintaining strong shooting alongside their playmaking stars. Markkanen ranks 13th in total scoring this season. 

Other candidates: Julius Randle, LeBron James, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, James Harden, Devin Booker, De'Aaron Fox, Aaron Gordon, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Ivica Zubac, Amen Thompson

Additional All-Stars: These selections would leave the world with 11 players and the US teams with only 13, which would prompt Adam Silver to select three additional American players to the tournament. This event, one way or another, won't happen without LeBron James, whether he's selected by the coaches, Silver or as an injury replacement, so count him among the additional Americans who will assuredly take part in the tournament. After that, Julius Randle is a strong candidate statistically and to help the US combat the world's size. Depending on where Silver wants to go from there, Aaron Gordon, James Harden and Brandon Ingram played at close to All-Star levels in the first half, but with a free spot the most fun selection could go to Cooper Flagg, the standout rookie and almost certain major contributor to USA basketball into the future both for the league and international team. 

To recap, that could theoretically create three teams: 

World - Antetokounmpo, Jokić, Dončić, Wembanyama, Gilgeous-Alexander, Şengün, Towns, Avdija, Murray, Giddey, Markkanen. 

USA 1 - James, Curry, Brunson, Edwards, Cunningham, Barnes, Duren, Porter

USA 2 - Durant, Leonard, Brown, Mitchell, Maxey, Johnson, Randle, Flagg 

Before we get to the final NBA round-up of 2025, here are the moments, stories, and games that defined 2025 for the Celtics. 

1. Jayson Tatum tears his Achilles: The Celtics trailed in the fourth quarter against the Knicks on their way to a 3-1 deficit in the second round of the playoffs as they attempted to repeat. They would already struggle to turn around the series, but Tatum stepped awkwardly as he lunged toward a loose ball and fell in agony. Boston's players quickly realized the magnitude of the moment after the loss -- Tatum tore his Achilles and the following year of Celtics basketball and the franchise star's career fell into question. Seven months later, Tatum has rapidly progressed in his recovery following a surgery he underwent within 24 hours of the injury and he aims to play again before the 2026 season concludes. 

2. Kristaps Porziņģis falls ill and gets traded: The Porziņģis era in Boston ended abruptly and left his tenure here with mixed results and feelings as his limited championship contributions played an important part of the 2024 run, but after he hoped to fill a larger role in the repeat, he struggled immensely in the first round against Orlando. Still, Celtics fans loved the big man to the point where his emergence from the locker room following an injury that left his head bloodied and bandaged drew the largest applause all season from the TD Garden crowd. A week later in that same building, he disappeared at halftime and later described feeling completely gassed. The Celtics played him sparingly after that throughout the second round against the Knicks, with Porziņģis looking like a small percentage of his usual self. Luke Kornet later replaced him as a starter in the decisive Game 6, and Boston traded him to the Hawks for Georges Niang in a three-team salary dump with Brooklyn. Porziņģis later revealed he suffered from POTS following an intense bronchitis battle in February. 

3. Jaylen Brown's career night and Luke Kornet's stunning Garden finale: Signs filled TD Garden in support of Tatum two nights after his Achilles tear as the Celtics rallied to extend their season one more night behind the best Jaylen Brown game of his career (26 pts, 8 reb, 12 ast) and a Luke Kornet masterpiece that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Kornet, coming off the bench, blocked seven shots, scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds to cap a breakthrough year where he developed enormous chemistry with Tatum, and at times played like the team's top center. Brown assumed and carried his productivity from that night into the 2025-26 season after struggling immensely in the Game 6 loss that followed. Kornet cashed in after five seasons with the Celtics, signing a four-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs where he has started 17 games. 

4. Bill Chisholm purchases the Celtics: An extensive sale process ended in August after Georgetown native and private equity CIO Bill Chisholm led a group that defeated Celtics co-owner Steph Pagliuca in the bidding process. Wyc Grousbeck maintained a significant share in the process, roughly 13%, while numerous contributors joined Chisholm to finalize a record $6.1 billion purchase that marked the largest for an American sports franchise. Pagliuca later unsuccessfully attempted to purchase the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and move them to Boston in 2027, an attempt thwarted by the W as the Sun turned toward talks with the Houston Rockets that could move the team out of New England to Texas. Chisholm has pledged to go for it in a reasonable way in terms of spending in the near term. As many speculate about a potential move out of TD Garden, Chisholm said that he sees the Celtics and Bruins playing together as what fans want. The W has advocated for Chisholm's group to pursue expansion into the 2030s after other cities. 

5. Jordan Walsh emerges: After beginning the season on the back of the Celtics' bench following two redshirt seasons to begin his career, Walsh rose at Jaylen Brown's urging into a rotation player and then a starter for 19 games. He's slowed some of the best players in the league in a defensive stopper role, where he's assigned the other team's top scorer and on offense managed 7.0 points per game on 58.2% shooting (45.1% 3PT). At 21, he now resembles a significant part of the team's future. 

6. Hugo González draft pick: The Celtics stayed at the No. 30 overall pick following reports of league-wide interest in Jaylen Brown and Derrick White that could've vaulted Boston to the top of the draft or at least the lottery. Instead, the Celtics selected 19-year-old Hugo González, a Spanish native who rose quickly through the Real Madrid youth program but played sparingly for the club in 2024-25, hurting his once high draft stock. Boston expected a long development curve and González struggled in Summer League following a quick turnaround from the Spanish season, but he quickly entered situational defensive spots for the Celtics before growing throughout the schedule into a significant contributor, even starting in the third game of the regular season against Detroit. In December, he closed a game at center, guarded Karl-Anthony Towns and averaged 6.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 0.8 SPG in 19.6 minutes, shooting 57.6% from the field and 33.3% from three. Joe Mazzulla does not anticipate any González G-League stints for now. 

7. Anfernee Simons trade saga and transition to Boston: Simons arrived to Celtics training camp after a quiet offseason where Boston reportedly looked at redirecting him elsewhere following his addition in the Jrue Holiday trade to Portland. The Celtics also expected to add a pair of second-rounders in the deal before the Blazers revoked them following an issue with Holiday's physical. Since then, Holiday has missed 20 straight games with a hamstring injury, Simons underwent a defensive transformation beginning in the summer and stepped into a modest but consistent bench role where he's delivered 13.1 PPG and hasn't complained despite receiving nearly 10 minutes per night fewer than he did in Portland. 

8. Neemias Queta leads Portugal to EuroBasket knockout round: Queta played the only international competition for the Celtics over the summer, one the team and fans watched closely as he prepared to assume the starting center role with Porziņģis, Kornet and Al Horford gone. After recovering from a clean-up knee surgery, Queta assumed a primary role for his native Portuguese national team and thrived, posting 15.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 1.7 BPG on 57.6% shooting and even hitting a pair of threes while battling with Nikola Jokić, Alperen Şengün and Porziņģis. Officials ejected Queta from the decisive group play game against Estonia for a second technical before Portugal held on late to earn the country's first appearance in the EuroBasket knockout round since 2007. In the exhibition leading up to the tournament, Portugal beat Spain in basketball for the first time ever while Queta's 18 points and 11 rebounds pushed defending champion Germany in the knockout round. Queta earned his starting role in camp after and has thrived in it, averaging 10.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 1.3 BPG on 66.2% shooting. He's signed for the 2026-27 season. 

9. Former Celtic Aaron Nesmith helps lead Pacers to NBA Finals: Former Celtic first-round pick Aaron Nesmith nearly went down as an Indiana basketball icon when his eight threes flipped a Knicks lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Tyrese Haliburton delivered the game-winner among other heroic moments throughout the series as the Pacers secured the east title, supplanting the Celtics team that defeated them in a hard-fought East Finals battle the previous spring. Indiana pushed the Thunder to a seventh game in the Finals, where Haliburton hit three early threes before tearing his Achilles in the eventual loss. Nesmith averaged 13.2 PPG and shot 53.3% from three in the East Finals, and 47.2% for the entirety of the playoffs. Haliburton is out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, while Nesmith has struggled to stay on the court, too, for a Pacers team that fell to the bottom of the east without numerous key players available. 

10. Payton Pritchard wins Sixth Man of the Year: Pritchard expanded his role after providing ancillary contributions to the 2024 championship team, stepping up through injuries, fatigue and rest to average 14.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 3.5 APG on 47.2% shooting (40.7% 3PT) across 80 games. He became a heavy favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year, eventually beating Malik Beasley in a close race statistically. Pritchard stepped up again into a starting role to begin 2025-26 following Holiday's departure, posting 16.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 5.2 APG on 44.4% shooting after navigating an early-season slump and more attention from defenses. He's signed through 2027-28 at $7.5 million average annual value. 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta (15-19): Lost their seventh straight game against the Thunder after falling to 0-5 with Trae Young back in the lineup against New York. He's averaged 20.8 PPG and 10.0 APG on 46.2% shooting (39.4% 3PT) since his return from a knee sprain. The Hawks are reportedly intrigued by potentially adding Anthony Davis, but Chris Haynes added that Atlanta wouldn't be included in a Davis deal. Marc Stein wrote that there's an increasing belief league-wide that the Hawks are more open than ever to trading Young ahead of his $49 million option to become a free agent this summer. Kristaps Porziņģis (illness) remains out on Monday against the Thunder but is nearing a return from his two-week hiatus and will improve to day-to-day for the rest of the week. He's now missed 10 straight games and 21 overall this season related to his POTS illness that began afflicting him late last season with the Celtics. Porziņģis, former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, other young players and picks alongside expiring salary could go back to Dallas in a deal.

Boston (20-12)/Portland (14-19): Won four straight games and stand alone in the Eastern Conference's third seed by a game over Toronto before the Blazers shocked them on Sunday night. Jaylen Brown scored 30 points for the ninth straight game, reaching that threshold in every December game he's played in so far, tying Larry Bird's Celtics franchise record from 1984-85. Luka Garza played rotation minutes for the fourth straight game after surpassing Neemias Queta in minutes through the previous three wins over the Raptors and Indiana. Both centers struggled on Sunday with foul trouble, thrusting rookie Hugo González into more minutes at center, a spot he thrived in across several games during the win streak. He's played 28+ minutes in four of the Celtics' last five games. Boston scored the third-most points in a quarter in franchise history in Friday's second quarter against the Pacers. 

Former Celtics Jrue Holiday (calf) and Robert Williams III did not play on Sunday, Holiday missing his 20th straight game and Williams resting on the front half of a back-to-back. Williams still hasn't faced his former Celtics since being traded on Oct. 1, 2023. Boston visits Sacramento and LA to round out this week and their longest road trip. Chris Boucher (personal) missed the first three games of the trip, the latest a win over Utah where Derrick White blocked seven shots. 

Charlotte (11-21): Kon Knueppel (ankle) left the Hornets' win on Friday over the Magic, and missed Monday's game against the Bucks. Charles Lee called the injury day-to-day and X-Rays returned negative. Knueppel emerged alongside Cooper Flagg as the top rookie of the year contenders from the 2025 draft class. He's averaging 19.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 3.5 APG on 47.8% shooting (42.8% 3PT) as the team's offensive hub. 

Chicago (15-17)/Milwaukee (14-19): The Bucks snapped the Bulls' five-game win streak with an exclamation point when Giannis Antetokounmpo, in his return from a calf injury, threw down a windmill dunk as time expired at the end of the game. Nikola Vučević confronted Antetokounmpo as the two teams briefly clashed at mid-court, and Antetokounmpo later called the move a wake-up call for his team as they sat 1.5 games outside of the postseason picture in the east following the win. Antetokounmpo scored 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting in his first night back from an eight-game absence. As trade rumors continue to surround Antetokounmpo, reports have maintained that Bucks GM Jon Horst is not engaging teams interested in Antetokounmpo. 

"What, we’re 11th in the East? Are we 11th in the East or 12th? 11th? Just gotta keep finding our identity. And if that is to get a little bit of scrappy at the end, so be it," Antetokounmpo said. "Like, we’re not the champs. Why should we play the clock out and have respect and fair play? Like we’re fighting for our lives right now. This is real talk, I’ve been 13 years in the league, if we keep on losing, brother, probably half of the team’s not gonna be here. We’re not going to make the playoffs (in 11th). Like I really don’t care. At the end of the day, I just want to be available, be healthy, and help my team win. And if that’s what has to happen for them – everybody – to wake up and understand like we’re fighting for our lives and we gotta get our hands dirty, so be it."

Josh Giddey (hamstring) is expected to miss multiple weeks after leaving Wednesday's Bulls loss to Minnesota. Coby White (calf) exited with a strain.

Cleveland (18-16): Had lost two straight, blowing a 17-point second-half lead on Christmas before dropping a trip to Houston that Kenny Atkinson saw as over in the first quarter. They bounced back with a win over the Spurs, where Jarrett Allen scored 27 points, but this group continues to look, sound and feel exasperated after finishing last season as the top seed in the east. They're currently eighth in the conference as losers of 6-of-11. 

“Their physicality, we weren’t ready for the fight tonight. I don’t know how else to say it," Atkinson said.

Dallas (12-22): Anthony Davis (groin) is expected to miss more time for the Mavericks after exiting the Mavs' Christmas Day loss to the Warriors. While termed a precautionary move on that night, he'll likely miss several games with the ailment, according to ESPN. He sat out Saturday's loss to the Kings, which dropped Dallas to 12th in the West behind Utah. While the Hawks reportedly have interest in Davis as well as the Warriors, Patrick Dumont desires seeing Davis, Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving play together before making decisions about the franchise's future. The Mavs are 14-11 with Davis, 11-31 without him, and have only had him available for 25 of the possible 67 games they've played since he arrived before the trade deadline last season. 

Denver (22-9): The Nuggets continued to impress on Christmas while Nikola Jokić posted a stat line never seen before, 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in the overtime win over the Wolves. Denver squandered a late lead as Anthony Edwards surged toward 42 points, a run he continued into overtime to go ahead by nine points before Jokić flipped the game again. Over Denver's last three games, Jokić became the first player in NBA history to reach 110 points, 40 rebounds and 40 assists over such a stretch. Denver won 7-of-10 with reinforcements coming, David Adelman indicating on Saturday that Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) could return during the team's seven game road trip that includes the Celtics on Jan. 7. Jokić fell with a scary non-contact knee injury later deemed less serious than initially feared, a bone bruise that'll cost him at least four weeks.

Golden State (17-16): Al Horford returned from missing seven straight games and 11 of the Warriors' last 12 with sciatica on Christmas and buried four threes in 11 minutes to add 14 points to the Warriors' win off the bench. Horford added seven more in 14 minutes in Toronto, where Golden State's three-game win streak ended despite 39 points from Steph Curry, the third time over the team's last seven games that he's reached that mark. Draymond Green left the team's bench for the final 20 minutes of their win over the Magic last week, a spat Steve Kerr downplayed after the game. 

"We had it out a little bit," Kerr said. "He made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off. That's all I'm going to say about it. Everything is private."

Clippers (10-21): Won their fourth straight game behind Kawhi Leonard's 55 points over the East-best Pistons then followed with a 41-point rout of the Kings. The outbreak followed Leonard's 32 points against the Lakers, 41 to beat the Rockets and 28 at Portland. Leonard is now averaging 27.8 PPG on 49.9% shooting (38.6% 3PT), has made 64 straight free throws to set a franchise record (123-126, 97.6% would mark an NBA record) and he's appeared in 15 straight Clippers games since his last injury. With Ivica Zubac (calf) out, Brook Lopez stepped into the lineup and buried nine threes on 14 tries in the Portland win. Rival executives are reportedly monitoring James Harden's availability with the Clippers outside of the playoff mix for now, but Harden has a no-trade clause and LA has signaled no desire to move him. The Clippers host the Celtics on Saturday at 10:30 EST. 

Lakers (20-11): A ghastly Christmas loss to the Rockets led JJ Redick to schedule an uncomfortable practice after a string of comments criticizing the team's offense since LeBron James returned, one player's knowledge of the playbook and the team's overall effort following three straight defeats. LA responded with a blowout win over the Kings. They'll play without Austin Reaves (calf) for at least the next four weeks after an MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain. Marcus Smart replaced Reaves in the starting lineup in Sunday's win, but lost his minutes by 24 points in a blowout loss to the Pistons on Tuesday.

“The two words of the day were ‘effort’ and ‘execution.’ I feel like when we’ve done both of those things at a high level, we’ve been a good basketball team. When we haven’t, we’re a terrible basketball team. And tonight, we were a terrible basketball team," Redick said on Christmas. 

“We don’t care enough right now. That’s the part that bothers me a lot. We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be professional." 

Oklahoma City (28-5)/San Antonio (23-9): Have now lost four of their last eight games after beginning the season 24-1, three of those losses coming to the Spurs, though one did not count toward their regular-season records because it came in the NBA Cup final. Still, the Spurs have emerged as a serious threat to the Thunder in the west as the second seed, 4.5 games behind Oklahoma City. De'Aaron Fox out-dueled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the latest matchup, 29-22, while Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson combined for 49 points in their previous matchup. Victor Wembanyama, who's come off the bench in limited minutes since his return from a calf injury, has averaged 20.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.8 APG and 2.1 BPG on 53.7% shooting (36.0% 3PT). He started on Saturday against Utah, scoring 32 points with seven rebounds, three assists and five blocks in a loss that broke an eight-game win streak. 

Sacramento (8-24): Keegan Murray (calf) will miss at least one week after an MRI revealed a strain, likely knocking him out of the Kings' New Year's Day matchup with the Celtics. Sacramento has lost 7-of-10, including Sunday's loss at the Lakers, where rookie Maxime Raynaud and mid-season pick-up Previous Achiuwa started. The Kings are one of two teams (Wizards) with a worse defensive rebounding percentage than the Celtics this year. Russell Westbrook passed Magic Johnson for seventh-most assists in NBA history with 10,142, and hit the game-tying shot late in an overtime win over the Rockets last Sunday. Devin Carter (ankle), Zach LaVine (ankle), Domantas Sabonis (knee) and Drew Eubanks (finger) also remain out for Sacramento.

Utah (12-19): Quietly up to 11th in the west after impressive wins over the Pistons and Spurs, after which Walter Clayton Jr. said the Jazz grew sick of losing. Utah has scored 127+ points in three straight games while Keyonte George has scored 31+ in four of his last eight appearances, including 31 in the stunner over the Pistons, which he followed with 28 at San Antonio and 37 against the Celtics. George is averaging 24.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 6.8 APG on 45.5% shooting (37.4% 3PT) in his third season as the No. 16 pick out of Baylor.