On January 2, 2025, Beijing time, several NBA games continued to be played, with important matches as follows: Mavericks 99 - 110 Rockets This was a match between the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the West, with both sides very close in strength. The game started with fierce competition from both sides. Although the Rockets had the advantage of playing at home, they were very passive at the beginning. Fortunately, when the East was not bright, Whitmore became a trump card, continuously scoring to help the Rockets keep up with their opponents. Then Green played bravely, leading the Rockets to overtake in the second quarter. In the second half, the Rockets stabilized the situation on the court, with multiple points blooming to take control of the game. They eventually won the Mavericks at home by 11 points, further widening the gap between the two sides. Nets 113 - 130 Raptors After the opening, both sides played very fiercely, with each other taking the lead in the first three quarters, but without a significant difference. In the crucial fourth quarter, the Raptors launched a 20-6 offensive climax, sweeping away the game, thus ending their embarrassing 11-game losing streak. Magic 96 - 105 Pistons The Magic, ranked fourth in the East, lost to the Pistons with a low win rate, causing a big upset. Today's NBA Results Latest Rankings The latest NBA standings show that while the Eastern Conference rankings are gradually becoming clear, the Western Conference is still fiercely contested, with a small margin, and the situation can change…

Here are the top 10 best players under 25 in the NBA, as ranked by ESPN: Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets) Sengun is 22 years old and was the 16th pick in the 2021 draft. He became the MVP of the Turkish League at 19, which caught the attention of the Houston Rockets. Despite not having great athleticism, Sengun has high basketball IQ and excellent skills, earning him a spot as the team's first core player under coach Stephen Silas. This season, he has a chance to make the All-Star team with an average of 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1 block per game. Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder) Williams is 23 years old and was the 12th pick in the 2023 draft. His rise to prominence was unexpected, but it speaks to the Oklahoma City Thunder's keen eye for talent. As one of the "Thunder Three," Williams is an all-around player with strong offensive and defensive capabilities. His athleticism is impressive, and his unselfish play style makes him an ideal second-in-command. This season, he averages 21.2 points, 6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers) Mobley is 23 years old and was the third pick in the 2021 draft. He may be underrated in this ranking, as he sacrifices his offensive stats for the team's benefit. However, his contributions on defense are significant, with excellent sweeping defense abilities. Under his leadership, the Cleveland Cavaliers have climbed to the top of the league this season. Mobley averages 18.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9…

In the NBA, a player's fate is often determined by their talent. Some become superstars through their natural abilities, while others, despite constant injuries and low attendance rates, continue to receive the favor of teams and lucrative contracts. Take Jonathan Isaac as an example. This talented forward, selected sixth overall in the 2017 draft, has had a bumpy career so far but remains viewed by the Magic as a "future cornerstone." What is puzzling is that Isaac's career attendance rate is extremely low, even struggling to complete a full season. However, the Magic still have faith in him: from a four-year, 80millioncontractextensiontoanotherfive−year,80 million contract extension to another five-year, 80millioncontractextensiontoanotherfive−year,84 million deal this summer, keeping him with the team. Why is the Magic willing to invest $160 million in this "glass man"? Let's delve into the reasons. Jonathan Isaac was highly anticipated from the moment he entered the league. Standing at 2.11 meters tall with an impressive wingspan and agile movement, he possesses both offensive and defensive talents. However, health issues have always been his biggest enemy. Throughout his career, he only played more than 70 games in the 2018-19 season; in other seasons, his appearances never exceeded 35 games, and there were even two seasons where he did not play at all. Especially since the 2019-20 season, Isaac suffered serious injuries consecutively. He first tore his left knee ligament and then reinjured himself during pre-season training in 2021, missing two entire seasons. Even after recovering, his playing time was strictly limited, averaging only 16 minutes last season, which undoubtedly raises…

After trading away Bridges in the offseason, the Brooklyn Nets have made it clear that their goal for this season is to tank and pursue the 25th super star, Flag, as the cornerstone of their team building. However, while the team may have its own plans, the players on the court will not intentionally cooperate with the team's tanking strategy, as every opportunity to play directly affects their personal interests. This has led to the Nets, who are aiming to tank, upsetting strong teams one after another at the beginning of the season, becoming a dark horse in the Eastern Conference and entering the ranks of competitors. This kind of performance has caused great concern among the Nets' management, leading them to quickly put their immediate combat power on the market. Do not think that this is an exaggeration; just look at the absurd behavior of the Jazz coach in the West, who called a timeout at a critical moment to kill his own team, and it is not difficult to understand the fierce competition among various teams. After all, Flag is simply too tempting. Not only does he possess super strength and talent, but he also has an excellent appearance and is a native American star. From the draft picks of the past few seasons, it is not difficult to see that international players are dominating the NBA, and the number of top American stars is decreasing. The NBA urgently needs to find local stars to support the domestic market after the old generation of stars like James, Curry,…