The NBA Cup champions New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers all claimed narrow but important wins, highlighted by clutch late plays and historic milestones, as Jalen Brunson, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic delivered standout performances across a packed Thursday night schedule.
Brunson hit a decisive 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds remaining, lifting the Knicks to a 114-113 comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers. Brunson finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, helping New York stretch its winning run to seven games despite missing several regular rotation players.
The Knicks overturned an early 16-point deficit against Indiana, with Mikal Bridges adding 22 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Kolek produced career-best
figures of 16 points and 11 assists, giving New York valuable playmaking on a night when Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet were all unavailable.
Indiana’s offence was led by Andrew Nembhard, who scored 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Pascal Siakam contributed 26 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Bennedict Mathurin added 16 points and eight rebounds as the defending Eastern Conference champions dropped a third straight game.
OG Anunoby delivered the final defensive stand, stealing the Pacers’ inbounds pass after Brunson’s go-ahead shot to seal the Knicks’ win. The defeat left coach Rick Carlisle still on 999 career victories, one short of becoming the 11th coach with 1,000 NBA wins and the first since Doc Rivers achieved the mark in November 2021.
VOTE KNICKS FOR ALL-STAR https://t.co/Ov3esq1PY7JB 25 PTSMIKAL 22 PTS JORDAN 18 PTSOG 16 PTSTYLER 16 PTS pic.twitter.com/M1NnQrqtzJ NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 19, 2025
Nikola Jokic recorded 23 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as Denver beat the Orlando Magic 126-115. The triple-double, Jokic’s 13th this season, moved Jokic past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time assists leader among centres, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 5,660 assists.
Jokic broke the record with 6:26 left in the second quarter, finding Jalen Pickett for a 3-pointer. Jamal Murray backed up Jokic with 32 points, including 20 during a decisive second period, as Denver secured a sixth consecutive win. The Nuggets’ offence controlled the game after that key stretch.
Paolo Banchero posted 26 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for Orlando, completing a triple-double for the third time in Banchero’s career and the first since 20 March 2024. The Magic were already without top scorer Franz Wagner due to a left ankle sprain and also missed Jalen Suggs, who had a left hip contusion from the NBA Cup semifinal loss to New York.
Officially the best passing big EVER pic.twitter.com/c4fA62NJ7m Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2025
NBA Lakers ride Luka Doncic triple-double past Jazz
Luka Doncic delivered 45 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 143-135 win over the Utah Jazz, recording a fifth triple-double this season. The Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Utah 41-29, to secure the result in a high-scoring matchup.
LeBron James supported Doncic with 28 points and 10 assists, while Jaxson Hayes scored 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting. Hayes remained perfect in six games against Utah as a Laker, now 26-of-26 from the field. The Lakers played without regular starters Deandre Ayton, who had an elbow issue, and Austin Reaves, sidelined by a calf problem.
Utah was missing leading scorer Lauri Markkanen due to a groin injury, yet still pushed Los Angeles late. The Jazz cut a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to 134-130 before Doncic found Hayes for the final crucial basket. Keyonte George scored 33 points, reaching more than 30 for a third straight game, while rookie Ace Bailey added 19 points for a Jazz team still seeking a three-game winning streak this season.
First 40-point triple-double as a Laker pic.twitter.com/bP8YBnETZ2 Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 19, 2025
Key contributions across the three NBA games can be summarised in the following table, highlighting leading performers for the Knicks, Nuggets, Lakers and their opponents.
The night featured late drama in New York, a historic assists mark in Denver and a high-scoring duel in Los Angeles, with all three NBA Cup champions managing injuries while relying on star players to close out wins against short-handed but competitive opponents.
