NBA news: Milwaukee Bucks are back, Jared McCain shines, Nikola Jokic in MVP contention

It was a memorable week in the NBA as the Cleveland Cavaliers finally lost a game, James Harden moved up to second in the all-time NBA three-pointer scoring list, and LaMelo Ball hit 50.

The Cavaliers remain atop the Eastern Conference with a 16-1 record and the Celtics are not far behind at 13-3, but the Wizards have fallen below the 76ers to sit bottom on 2-12.

In the Western Conference, it is a lot tighter as the Warriors and the Thunder are both 12-4 with the Rockets not far behind on 12-6, while the injury-stricken Pelicans and the Jazz are 4-13 and 4-12 respectively.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Christian Willis shares his top five NBA stories of the week.

Milwaukee Bucks back with a bang

When the Boston Celtics defeated the Bucks 113-107 earlier this month, the latter found themselves joint-bottom of the Eastern Conference table alongside the Philadelphia 76ers.

Pressure was starting to build on coach Doc Rivers who just could not seem to extract the best out of the stars in his squad.

Talk was even beginning to surround star man Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future as he was reportedly frustrated with the team’s start to the season and unwilling to wait longer for an improvement in results.

Since that defeat, however, the team has gone 6-1 with the only blemish a marginal 116-115 loss to the Charlotte Hornets as LaMelo Ball converted two late free throws after a non-existent Giannis foul.

The Greek international has undoubtedly been the main cause of this spike in form. Star performances include scoring 59 points against the Detroit Pistons, 41 points versus the Chicago Bulls, and a triple-double 37 pointer in a clash with the Indiana Pacers.

As a result, the Bucks have moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference and are back in contention for the play-off spots, where they will hope to remain for the rest of the regular season.

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Jared McCain continues to shine in dismal Philadelphia 76ers side

Even though there was a lot of excitement and hope surrounding the team at the start of the season as Paul George joined an already stacked roster that included the likes of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers have had a wretched start to the campaign.

In their defence, the squad has been badly affected by injuries to their three All-Star calibre players, with the trio having only played six minutes together all season.

That situation has predictably seen the 76ers slip to a 3-13 record having lost eight out of their last ten games.

Despite this, Duke University rookie McCain has come in and excelled in the point-guard position. He has averaged 26 points per game in the last seven and made statement performances against the then-unbeaten Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets.

As a result, McCain is one of the front runners for the NBA Rookie of the Year award and deservedly so.

Orlando Magic are play-off contenders

After a relatively successful 2023-24 season in which they narrowly lost out to the Cavaliers in the play-offs, many thought that the Magic had reached their peak.

However, with 18 games played this season, the Magic currently sit third in the Eastern Conference with an 11-7 record and are impressively unbeaten at home (8-0).

Despite an injury to All-Star Paulo Banchero, the team have recently been on fire, winning eight of their last nine matches.

This has largely been inspired by the form of Franz Wagner, who has stepped up in Banchero’s absence to average 26 points per game, including a game-winning three pointer against the Lakers.

The team looks well-rounded and in possession of good depth, with a number of solid role-players including the likes of Jalen Suggs and Franz’ brother Moritz Wagner.

As Banchero looks to make a comeback around Christmas time, the Magic look to be in a really good place — especially in a weak conference — to secure another play-off spot.

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Boston Celtics humble Cleveland Cavaliers

Heading into their clash with the defending champions, the Cavaliers had a perfect 15-0 record. It was the second-best start to a season in NBA history behind only the 24-0 managed by the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

And with All-Stars such as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White facing off against the most in-form team in the NBA, the match was always going to be a blockbuster, and it did not disappoint.

The Celtics controlled the first half thanks to a consistent barrage of three pointers that repeatedly worked to stretch out the advantage again whenever Cleveland fought back. The Boston team even led by as many as 21 points early in the third quarter.

However, the Cavaliers came back to within two points of the champions thanks to Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell exploiting the Celtics’ lack of defence within the paint.

In the end, although it was a lively game, the Celtics managed to hold on and claim a landmark victory over their Eastern Conference rivals.

Nikola Jokic in front seat for MVP award

Despite a recent break due to personal reasons, Jokic has clearly been the best player in the NBA this season.

Indeed, on Saturday evening when the Denver Nuggets faced the Lakers and their own MVP prospect in Anthony Davis, Jokic showed that he is the real deal with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists in a landslide victory for the Nuggets.

Jokic even nearly scored from full court — if you have not seen the clip yet, go check it out.

The Serbian is averaging over a triple double (30, 14 and 11) per game this season and has contributed to over 50% of the Nuggets’ total points. There are games where his statistics quite simply resemble a MyPLAYER creation on NBA 2K.

Even though Tatum is playing the best basketball of his career, becoming the main man in Boston in the process, it still feels like Jokic is destined to win his fourth MVP come the end of the season.

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