NBA Fast Break Classic | Run 6 | Day 5
Nets Drop Denver, Suns Stun Thunder, Lakers Close Out Memphis
NBA Recap: January 4, 2026
Detroit set the tone early with a 114–110 win in Cleveland, one of the Pistons’ most composed performances of the season. They controlled long stretches, absorbed multiple Cavs runs, and closed with real poise in the final minutes, quieting a building that rarely stays quiet. Orlando followed by beating Indiana 135–127, with each trading 40-point quarters before the Magic cruised to a win.
Brooklyn delivered the early window’s biggest eyebrow‑raiser, outplaying a Jokic‑less Denver team 127–115. The Nets’ energy and shot‑making carried them through a choppy game, and the Nuggets — still adjusting without their MVP centerpiece — never found the sustained offense they needed. The Lakers are building momentum as they rallied past Memphis 120–114 behind Luka Dončić’s 36 and LeBron James’ 26‑and‑10. It was the second straight game the Lakers beat the Grizzlies at home, and both required late‑game execution to get there.
Miami handled New Orleans 125–106, using a dominant second half to break the game open and keep the Pelicans chasing. Minnesota overwhelmed Washington 141–115, detonating offensively in one of their cleanest wire‑to‑wire wins of the season. Phoenix delivered the night’s most dramatic moment, stunning Oklahoma City 108–105 on a Devin Booker three‑pointer with one second left — a cold‑blooded dagger that silenced the Thunder crowd. And Milwaukee closed the night with a steady 115–98 win over Sacramento, controlling the glass and the tempo in a performance that looked like a team settling back into form.
Fast Break Recap: Day 4
Yesterday marked the fourth day in a row where Classic Fast Break participants collectively did not cross the 40% win rate threshold as Day 4 only had 36% earn a win, which extends the poor streak to start Run 6. If you lost yesterday, it wasn’t because of Rudy Gobert who was the most utilized player across lineups and he delivered with a 14 rebound, 4 block day. If he was your captain, you received 21 rebounds & 6 blocks added to your overall tally. For his performance, he earned the Fast Break Stud of the Day.
Evan Mobley, however, was the second most utilized player and although he had 4 blocks, he also only had 4 rebounds which earned him the Fast Break Dud of the Day.
Today’s Fast Break Objective(s): Day 5 of 11
Objective(s): 140 Points Scored (28.0 PTS)
You’ll need five (5) players who will an eye-watering 140 or more points, which means each player will need to average 28.0 PTS. There are consistent scorers like SGA, who will likely be the captain for many lineups. Should he have a poor day, there will be plenty of unhappy Fast Breakers tonight.
Top Player Options:
Point Scorers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George
Top Five (5) Players in Classic Lineups:
Upcoming Fast Break Objectives:
Tomorrow’s Objective(s): 20 Assists minus Turnovers (4.0 AST-TO)
Objectives Remaining (after today): AST-TO, FGM, FGA, 3PM, 3PA, AST, REB, PTS
Considerations:
Denver, Detroit, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix are playing the tail end of a back-to-back today
Eight teams have the least number of games remaining (3)
Every other team has the most games remaining (4)
The dreaded AST-TO day is on Day 6 (tomorrow)
Day 8 has the least number of teams in action (8)
Day 7, 9, & 11 have 20 or more teams in action
Every remaining day only has one primary objective
Statistical Approach:
Top players in points scored according to Rotowire & NBA.com, which is available in the table(s) below. Overall rank is based on daily projections, last 10 average, and season averages, which is stack ranked amongst peers for each objective. When there is a single objective, the three data points are still used to stack rank the players vs. ranking solely on projections. For tome+ members, all active player stats are available in the provided data file. Omission of certain players would be based on injuries at the time of data pull.
NBA Fast Break Classic Rewards:
Daily: Top 100 | Milestone: 3, 6, & 9 Wins | Run: Top 250
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Top Player Options for Fast Break:
The top players for today’s Fast Break objective(s). Source: nbatopshot.com, nba.com, & tomecollective.com, 2025.
Projected Points Scored
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NBA Fast Break Grid
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