Kawhi Leonard Is On Fire And The Nuggets Are In Trouble

Katelyn Mulcahy. Getty Images.

Kawhi Leonard is on fire and the Nuggets are in big trouble. Here is the latest NBA Brain Food (Western Conference) for Tuesday, December 30, 2025:

1) Oklahoma City Thunder (28-5, 1st in the West) via Nick C

• The Thunder absolutely dominate Eastern Conference teams — OKC has won 24 straight regular-season games against the East dating back to last season and has only lost once in the last 634 days.
• Isaiah Hartenstein is down again with the same calf injury that sidelined him earlier this month. Expect OKC to lean smaller, which could show up on the glass and against bigger, more physical opponents in the near future.
• The Thunder continue to own third quarters. No matter what the halftime score looks like, OKC is the NBA’s best third-quarter team, outscoring opponents by a combined +173 in third quarters this season (next best is +105).
• OKC’s defense is still elite overall, but the recent theme has been slow first halves — they’ve allowed some big first-half totals lately, including multiple games where opponents have hit 69+ points before halftime.
• While the 73-win record probably isn't in jeopardy of being beaten by the Thunder, 70 wins and a clear #1 seed are very much still in play

2) San Antonio Spurs (23-9, 2nd in the West) via Rob G

• San Antonio is in desperate need of a consistent knock down 3 point shooter. They have plenty of guys who can get hot, but if they plan on making a deep run in the playoffs they need a guy who isn't going to let the moment get too big for him. They lost back to back games shooting 23% from beyond the arc, and they struggle when teams knock down the three ball.  The Cavs didnt shoot a high percentage but were able to knock down 13 threes to the Spurs 7.  
• The Spurs returned Wemby to the starting lineup ending all hopes of him winning the 6th man of the year award.  But with that comes an adjustment period which sounds easy, but they can't seem to find lineups that work well together.  They averaged 123.5 ppg in wins this past week and only 102.5 ppg in losses. Sometimes basketball is just about knocking down open shots, which is something they struggle with this past week, even during wins. Its frustrating watching guys try to do things that they're not really known for. It hurts my chest watching Barnes dribble into the paint or Castle settling for 3s.  
• It seems to me this team has let the hype get to their heads, they come out hot expecting lesser teams to fold and end up giving up leads in the fourth. I'm bummed, just a fan who is upset at the moment. Hopefully they can figure out the line ups that work well together, they can't let these losses affect them the way they affect me. 

3) Denver Nuggets (22-10, 3rd in the West) via Grant M

• Nikola Jokic suffered a hyperextension in his left knee on Monday night and will miss at least four weeks. While this is definitely a serious injury and will cause the team to tread water for a little bit, it's a huge relief that no structural damage was caused and Jokic should be back around the All-Star break and playoff push. Also a positive, this is the first time in the Jokic era there has been this much confidence in the backup center with Jonas Valinciunas. Expect him to start with some more minutes for Zeke Nnaji (ugh) and hopefully DaRon Holmes II off the bench. 
• Also, Cam Johnson suffered a bone bruise in his knee and is expected to miss some time. Tim Hardaway Jr will most likely start in his place with a few more Bruce Brown minutes off the bench. As Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon remain out for the time being, the Nuggets will be down FOUR starters for at least the next few weeks so expect a lot of Jamal Murray iso ball. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a 50 point game or two in the next month.  This Nuggets team is going to look very different for the time being.
• Before the injury, Nikola Jokic had probably the best Christmas Day performance ever going for 56/16/15, the third most points ever on Christmas and the 7th best game score EVER for any day. He’s so incredibly good. No matter who else is on the floor, if Jokic is playing, this team can win. Without him for awhile it's going to be interesting 
• 1-3 for the Nuggets this week. The Nuggets have been blowing leads in the fourth quarter lately. They were able to overcome the Wolves comeback on Christmas Day but succumbed to the Magic (with the help of some questionable refereeing) on Saturday night. Rattled by the Jokic injury they got blown out by the Heat on Monday. They are in the midst of a seven-game east coast roadtrip, which feels much different without Nikola Jokic. 
• I've already said it but the next few weeks are uncharted waters for the Nuggets. Throughout his career Jokic has missed games here and there but this will be the first time the team will have to prepare to be without him for an extended time. Some role players who must step up include Valanciunas, Brown, Hardaway, Spencer Jones, and Julian Strawther. Keep an eye on Jalen Pickett as well. 

4) Houston Rockets (20-10, 4th in the West) via Freddy V

• The Rockets had a rough month of December finishing with a record 7-6 and losing to some bad teams like the Jazz, Mavericks, Pelicans, and Clippers.  They ended 2025 with some positivity beating the Pacers on Monday night and finishing the month with a three-game winning streak. 
• Amen Thompson had a great month of December where he averaged 19.2 PTS,7.9 REB,5.4 AST,1.2 STS, 62.1 TS%, 56.6 FG% (13.5 FGA/g), and 81.1 FT% (4.6 FTA/g). It's not just offense that Amen is excelling in, he’s also top 3 in DFG% this season and players are shooting less than 41% against him when he’s the primary defender. 
• Jabari Smith Jr Was heating up at the end of month averaging 18 points and 6.6 rebounds in his last six games. Jabari also has his longest streak of his career with 15 or more points a game going on currently (6). 
• Dorian Finney-Smith made his season debut on Christmas Day vs the Lakers returning from a leg injury. The Rockets are undefeated since Dorian Finney-Smith’s return, and it’s been great to have him back on the court 
• Steven Adams left Monday night's game with a right ankle sprain and did not return, hopefully he is all right and this isn't a long-term injury. 
• Alperen Sengun did not play Monday night against the Pacers due to calf tightness, this is now his second game in a row he has missed due to his calf. The Rockets are hoping that Sengun will return for Houston’s next game on Thursday in Brooklyn after he last played through the injury against the Lakers on Christmas. 

5) LA Lakers (20-10, 5th in the West) via Andrew K

• The Lakers have just wrapped a forgettable week playing with no care. The Lakers were dismantled by the Suns and Rockets; both with pace and offensive rebounding. Coach Redick appeared after the Christmas Calamity well pissed off and enraged by the teams lack of effort.
• The Lakers will be playing the Pistons tonight on LeBron James' 41st bithday. But they're coming off of a rough game against the Clippers, and the Grizzlies this week. Outside of these games, the Lakers have run into the injury bug again; Gabe Vincent out, Austin Reaves for four weeks, Jaxson Hayes dealing with ankle issues and Rui Hachimura dealing with calf soreness.
• Nick Smith Jr has been given a bigger role with guard injuries. Against the Kings, Nick scored 21 points on great efficiency. I would like the Lakers to give three other players some action: Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero and Chris Manon. These three players provide different styles, but they all rebound and that is desperately needed.
• Since Jarred Vanderbilt has reentered the rotation, he has been shooting with great confidence, 47% from three. Granted a small sample size, 17 attempts, this is needed for the team, having a GREAT defensive player that can stretch the floor is so important to play alongside LeBron and Luka.
• When the Lakers lose, they LOSE in great fashion. The Lakers in their losses are currently losing by an average of 18.6 points and when they win, it is by an average of 9.75 points. Truly mind boggling. 

6) Minnesota Timberwolves (21-12, 6th in the West) via Spencer C

• Wolves went 2-2 this week should of been 3-1. Lost in OT against Nuggets on Christmas in typical heartbreak fashion with some terrible calls by the refs in OT. 
• Anthony Edwards continues to be incredible every game. Averaging a career-high 29.1 points this year. 
• Naz Reid is making a splash for 6MOTY of the year especially after his last night performance of 33 points in the W against the Bulls. 
• Wolves are on a road trip for the next 3 games all against East teams which we usually struggle against. I expect to win 2 and we will lose most likely to the Heat or Wizards. 
• Bones Hyland starting to take the leap and looking like a legit PG option. 

7) Phoenix Suns (19-13, 7th in the West) via Connor F

• Suns have won 3 straight behind Colin Gillespie’s continuous efforts of 20+ point scoring.
• Jalen Green remains out with his hamstring injury.
• Mark Williams is serving a 1-game suspension after getting in a brawl with Pelicans G Jose Alvarado.
• Colin Gillespie and Royce O’Neale are each leading their position groups in Corner 3P%, executing at a super high level.
  • O’Neale: 53% 
  • Gillespie: 61%(!)
    • Each shooting 44% from 3, carrying the Suns offense on their backs from beyond the arc 

8) Golden State Warriors (17-16, 8th in the West) via TJ

• The Warriors continue to play just as their record has shown to this point…a play-in team. Going 2-1 over the last week, starting with a win over the Mavericks on Christmas Day. 
• But following it up with an OT loss in Toronto due to their fatal flaws (turnovers and rebounds). Committing three turnovers in a tight game over the last 1:30 is an easy way to lose in the NBA, and the Warriors just haven't been able to get out of their own way all season.  
• The Raptors outrebounded the Warriors 61-51 in part due to Scottie Barnes setting a new career-high with 25 rebounds himself (more O-REBs than any Warrior had total), and a key tip-in to send the game to OT. From there, it was more poor late-game execution from the Warriors, leading to a 19-5 OT finish. 
• Coach Kerr's quote after the game summed up the theme of the season, “Just turnovers end of the third and end of the fourth. We got scattered,” Kerr said. “They turned up the pressure. We didn’t handle it well, and they scored 35 points off our turnovers. That was the game.”
• While they bounced back with a road win over the 10-20 Nets, this team needs to find consistency in their rebounding effort and late-game execution to make any kind of run in the West. Kerr detailed the optimal possession approach for crunch time, emphasizing spacing and ball control. “Take care of the ball, get spaced, get the ball to Jimmy or Steph, let them attack one way or the other, screen or ISO,” he said.
• Steph's shooting splits were down again this last week from his season average - shooting 41% from the field and 33%, but still averaging 30 ppg.
• Some positives to take away from this last week - De'Anthony Melton was a +22.5 when on the floor (by far the best on the team). Draymond is stepping up his efforts after an embarrassing incident on the bench last week, averaging 12 ppg on 46% from the field and 39% from 3. Will Richard was reinserted into the lineup to provide energy off the bench in 24 minutes/game. Coach Kerr clearly trusts him, saying, "He arrived in our facility over the summer as a very well-developed player," Kerr said on Monday. "He played four years of college and, obviously, played in huge games, won a national championship, but you can see he is very fundamentally sound: The jump stops, the pivots, the passing, shooting the ball well. He just has a good feel. He is one of our best runners in transition, which sets up an entire possession for everybody else, even if he doesn't get the ball." 

9) Memphis Grizzlies (15-17, 9th in the West) via Alex B

• The quest to .500 lives on for the Grizzlies as they fell short to the Wizards for the second time in eight days. This time a 116-112 defeat and failing to reach .500 since they were 3-3 in late October.
• It was a solid week for Jaren Jackson Jr. who averaged 25.3 points, 8 rebounds, and four blocks per game in the three game stretch between 12/23-12/28.
• Jock Landale has earned some much-deserved rest as he deals with a "calf injury". One of the offseason signings for Memphis has played a much larger role than fans would have expected heading into the year with injuries to Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke. Landale had 17 points and eight rebounds in a road win at Utah on December 23 and didn't play in the last two contests. He is averaging 11 points and 5.9 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.
• Memphis will have a decision to make on Christian Koloko who signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies on Monday (12/23). Koloko had four points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in 25 minutes against Washington on Sunday evening.

10) Portland Trail Blazers (14-19, 10th in the West) via Casey G

• It was a weird 4 game stretch for the Blazers this week as it was a pretty uninspiring first two games, followed up by two very impressive wins. 
• The offense hadn’t been good at all leading up to the Celtics game, scoring 102 ppg in the previous four so it was good to see them put up 114 and then 125 in back to back games. 
• The Magic game was the first time the Blazers hadn’t covered on zero in their last 14 opportunities. Fortunately, they responded against the Celtics and were able to move their record to 15-1 ATS on the second night of back to backs. 
• The Blazers continue to be spearheaded by the two horses, Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, but sometimes I believe that’s bad for the offenses. There’s a lot of standing around letting these two go to work, and even though they can go get a bucket, I’d love to see more ball movement. 

11) Utah Jazz (12-19, 11th in the West) via Steven Cheah

• Utah is playing some frisky basketball having won their last two games against the #1 seed in the East, Detroit Pistons and the #2 team in the West, the San Antonio Spurs. 
• Keyonte George, who we've been raving about on here, has scored 20+ points in each of his last 8 games averaging 30 ppg over that stretch
• The Jazz get another tough test in the Celtics tonight, but George is questionable with an illness, which is certainly something to monitor.
  • Opponent note: Jaylen Brown on the Celtics has nine straight 30+ point games which has tied the Celtics franchise record with Larry Bird. He goes for sole possession of that record tonight in Utah and that's my Prop of the Month coupled with Celtics ML to get this to basically even money.

12) Dallas Mavericks (12-22, 12th in the West) via J.D.

• After a solid start to the week with a 1 point win over the Nuggets, the Mavs lost their next 3 games to the Warriors, Kings, and Blazers.
• The Mavs road woes continue. They have lost 7 straight on the road and are 3-12 on the road this season.
• The Mavs also continue to struggle without Anthony Davis this season. With Davis out, the Mavs are 4-14. With him playing, they are 8-8.
• The Mavs rank 28th in Offensive Rating (109.6) and 9th in Defensive Rating (113.2) although their defensive rating has steadily fallen over the last month.
• This upcoming week, the Mavs have games against the Sixers, Rockets, and Kings.

13) LA Clippers (10-21, 13th in the West) via Jeremiah D

• The Clippers are 16th in offensive rating (114.4) and 26th in defensive rating (117.7) on the season, but over the last 4 games they rank 1st in offensive rating (126.2) and 4th in defensive rating (108.7). 
• The Clippers have won 4 in a row beating The Lakers, Rockets, Blazers and Pistons. Kawhi Leonard has averaged 39.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg and 4 apg over those last 4 games he’s also shooting 98% from the free throw line which is a career best. Kawhi has been elite in his most recent game Sunday against the Pistons he dropped 55 points (career high), 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks just an absolute masterpiece! 
• Kawhi Leonard joins Bob McAdoo as the only players in franchise history to have consecutive 40-point games at home.
• Since December 3rd the Clippers have outscored opponents by 103 points in the 256 minutes that Leonard and Harden have played together. It’s good for a +20.0 Net Rating in that time.
• James Harden is 1 of 4 players averaging 25/5/8 joining Luka, Jokic and Cade. 
• Brook Lopez joined Stephen Curry and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history over the age of 37 to make 9+ three-pointers in a game. Lopez made 9-14 on Friday against the Blazers. 
• Derrick Jones Jr. made his return from injury Sunday against the Pistons. Jones Jr. has been out since Nov. 16th with a sprained MCL. Jones Jr. has averaged career highs in both points (10.5) and TS% (65.2) this season.

14) Sacramento Kings (8-24, 14th in the West) via Ben M

• Over their last 10 games, they’ve gone 3-7, scoring around 108-113 points/game while allowing 124+ in poorer stretches, highlighting defensive issues
•    •  December 28: Loss at Los Angeles Lakers, 101-125. Blowout defeat; Lakers shot over 52%. DeMar DeRozan led with 22 points; rookie Maxime Raynaud had 16 points and 10 rebounds stepping in at center.
•    •  December 27: Win vs. Dallas Mavericks, 113-107Strong team effort win; Russell Westbrook scored 21 points and passed Magic Johnson for 7th on the all-time assists list. Keon Ellis had a season-high 21 points (5 threes), and the Kings forced 16 steals.
• Shown improved competitiveness in recent games, with close losses and better energy despite injuries (e.g., Keegan Murray - calf, Domantas Sabonis - out, Drew Eubanks - thumb).
• Key contributors emerging: Rookie Maxime Raynaud filling in effectively at center; young players like Keon Ellis and Nique Clifford providing sparks off the bench.
• Malik Monk’s minutes have been limited recently, fueling trade rumors ahead of the deadline.
• Upcoming: At Los Angeles Clippers on December 31.
• The team has only one instance of back-to-back wins this season and remains in rebuild/tank territory with a poor net rating.

15) New Orleans Pelicans (8-26, 15th in the West) via Colby J

• New Orleans is back to their old ways as they’ve lost their last 4 games since going on a 5 game winning streak. Despite having 4 players score over 20 points and getting a 23 point first quarter from Saddiq Bey the Pels lost a close and hard fought game to the Knicks on Monday night, after B2B frustrating losses against Phoenix. 
• Zion returned to the starting lineup for the first time in 8 games since coming back from injury. Williamson had his highest scoring game of the season against New York as he had 32 points on 11/16 shooting from the field. Zion in the 8 games since he’s came back: 22.5 PPG 5.8 REB with a 60.2 FG%.
• Saddiq Bey has been one of the most under-the-radar stories of the NBA season. In March of 2024, he tore his ACL while playing for the Atlanta Hawks in a game against the Pelicans. The following offseason he signed a 3 year deal with Washington but then missed the entire 2025 season while still rehabbing his injury. Bey was seen as a “throw-in” in the Jordan Poole-CJ McCollum trade just to make the salaries match but has made himself a real asset for New Orleans. Saddiq has nine 20 point games already this season and is playing himself into a nice contract next offseason. 
• Derik Queen had a couple rough games this week but he’s still filling the stat sheet as he had 21 against the Cavs and the Suns. DQ over his last 10 games is averaging 16.2 PTS 8.9 REB and 5.2 AST. #BabyJokic. 
• Jose Alvarado will miss one more game after being suspended for 2 games after his fight with Suns center Mark Williams. Herb Jones has missed the last 4 games with an ankle sprain.
• The Pelicans will play their last game of 2025 on Wednesday in Chicago before starting off 2026 with a home game against the Blazers and a road trip to Miami to take on the Heat. The Pels are only averaging 109.5 PPG on the road and have a 2-11 record which is the 2nd worst in the entire league.