FloaterDaily Brief
2025–26 season archive
Thursday, December 18, 2025Regular season · 12 games
← Dec 17CalendarDec 19 →
Final
ATL126
CHA133
Final
NYK114
IND113
Final
MIA106
BKN95
Final
TOR111
MIL105
Final · OT
HOU128
NOP133
Final
LAC101
OKC122
Final
WAS94
SAS119
Final · OT
DET114
DAL116
Final
ORL115
DEN126
Final
GSW98
PHX99
Final
LAL143
UTA135
Final · OT
SAC133
POR134
The lead · HOU @ NOP

New Orleans needs overtime to survive Houston

Tied 119–119 after regulation. New Orleans won the final period 14–9 for a 133–128 win. Saddiq Bey led New Orleans with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist.

Game flow · NOP margin at each break
Quarter-end scores only (5 points, including overtime), so swings inside a period don't show. Pink = the comeback, from the biggest deficit to the final.
-30-20-100+10+20+30OVERTIMETipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3End reg.Final0-9-22-160+5NOP AHEAD ↑HOU AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4OT1T
HOU333432209128
NOP2421383614133
Who led
Saddiq BeyNOP29 PTS · 9 REB · 1 AST
Trey Murphy IIINOP27 PTS · 3 REB · 2 AST
Kevin DurantHOU32 PTS · 7 REB · 2 AST
Alperen SengunHOU28 PTS · 11 REB · 8 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Four games go down to the wire

Four of 12 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: San Antonio by 25.

NYK over IND1PHX over GSW1POR over SAC1DAL over DET2NOP over HOU5TOR over MIL6CHA over ATL7LAL over UTA8MIA over BKN11DEN over ORL11OKC over LAC21SAS over WAS25Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
Fantasy angleRecent form and minutes against each player's season average from games before today.
Heating up
+6.9points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
8.5Season avg15.4Last 5

15.4 points a game over his last five games, against 8.5 in 18 earlier games. Today: 29 points in 37 minutes.

Our take: Start everywhere
Losing minutes
−13.5minutes, last 3 vs 2024–25 avg
Minutes per game
27.82024–25 avg14.3Last 3

14.3 minutes a game over his last three games, against 27.8 in 2024–25 (68 games). Today: 3 points in 11 minutes.

Our take: Bench until the minutes return
Stepped-up role
+18.5minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
10.5Season avg29Today

29 minutes today, against 10.5 a game in 17 earlier games. Line: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists.

Our take: Add in deep leagues
Top performances

Luka Doncic leads the day with 45

Luka DoncicLAL @ UTA · W
35.2 PPG season to date
45 PTS · 11 REB · 14 AST
Jalen JohnsonATL @ CHA · L
23.6 PPG season to date
43 PTS · 11 REB · 9 AST
Deni AvdijaPOR vs SAC · W
25.8 PPG season to date
35 PTS · 5 REB · 5 AST
Keyonte GeorgeUTA vs LAL · L
23.9 PPG season to date
34 PTS · 4 REB · 8 AST
DeMar DeRozanSAC @ POR · L
18.2 PPG season to date
33 PTS · 4 REB · 3 AST
Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderOKC vs LAC · W
32.4 PPG season to date
32 PTS · 7 REB · 6 AST