NBA Fast Break Classic | Run 6 | Day 6
Denver Survives in OT, Hornets Stun OKC, Clippers Hold Off Warriors
NBA Recap: January 5, 2026
Boston opened with a 115–101 win over Chicago, a game defined by the Celtics’ defensive control. They held the Bulls to 33 in the first half, dictated pace, and never let Chicago’s offense breathe. It wasn’t explosive, but it was authoritative — the kind of midseason win that reinforces hierarchy. Detroit followed by dismantling New York 121–90, a wire‑to‑wire performance where the Pistons’ energy, pace, and shot‑making overwhelmed a Knicks team that never found its footing.
Toronto delivered one of the night’s cleanest efforts, beating Atlanta 118–100 behind a defensive showing that set the tone from the opening tip. The Raptors controlled the glass, won the physical battles, and kept the Hawks chasing all night. In Houston, the Rockets edged Phoenix 100–97, flipping the game with a strong defensive stretch late. It wasn’t pretty, but it was composed — a grind‑it‑out win that good teams bank in January.
Charlotte produced the shocker of the slate, blowing out Oklahoma City 124–97 in a game that flipped every expectation on its head. The Hornets controlled tempo, hit shots early, and never let the Thunder’s offense settle. This was also OKC’s second loss in two days and the possibility of breaking Golden State’s 73-9 record in 2015-2016 further from reality.
Denver and Philadelphia delivered the night’s drama, with the Nuggets escaping 125–124 in overtime. It took every possession — and a little luck — but Denver’s late execution and composure in the extra period carried them through. The Clippers and Warriors played the tightest finish of the night, with L.A. surviving 103–102 after a chaotic final minute. Kawhi Leonard steadied the offense, the Clippers’ defense held just long enough, and Golden State’s last look rimmed out. Portland closed the slate by running past Utah 137–117, a game where the Blazers’ offense detonated early and never cooled. Utah made pushes, but Portland’s pace and shot‑making kept the margin wide.
Fast Break Recap: Day 5
Yesterday marked the fifth day in a row where Classic Fast Break participants collectively failed to crest a 40% win rate with yesterday being the worst to date as only 3% earned a win. Pro mode was a far worse showing as only one (1) collector earned a win. Historic, on the other, was the saving grace as 72% walked away victorious.
In Classic, your lineup needed to average 28 points in order to win the day…and each player in the top five failed to reach 28 points. The best of the bunch was Steph Curry who scored 27 points and the worst of the bunch was Jaylen Brown who scored only 14 points after he scored 50 the previous game. Brutal. With his performance, he earned the Fast Break Dud of the Day.
Today’s Fast Break Objective(s): Day 6 of 11
Objective(s): 20 Assists minus Turnovers (4.0 AST-TO)
You’ll need five (5) players who will distribute the ball 20.0 more times than they give it up. Per usual, this is one of the more difficult objectives to predict as you won’t know your final standing until the final buzzer sounds. If you have the right captain, they can cover any deficit another may create, but one player has the capability of sinking your entire day.
Top Player Options:.
Distributes the Ball, Protects the Ball:
S Tier: Darius Garland, Ja Morant
A Tier: Andrew Nembhard, De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, Stephon Castle, Cam Spencer, Donte DiVincenzo
Top Five (5) Players in Classic Lineups: L. James (82%) | D. Garland (77%) | L. Doncic (61%) | D. Mitchell (54%) | A. Nembhard (49%)
Upcoming Fast Break Objectives:
Tomorrow’s Objective(s): 50 Field Goals Made & 60 Field Goal Attempts (10.0 FGM & 12.0 FGA)
Objectives Remaining (after today): FGM, FGA, 3PM, 3PA, AST, REB, PTS
Considerations:
No teams are playing the tail end of a back-to-back today
Detroit has the least number of games remaining (2)
Seven (7) teams have the most games remaining (4)
The dreaded AST-TO day is on Day 6 (today)
Day 8 has the least number of teams in action (8)
Day 7 (tomorrow), 9, & 11 have 20 or more teams in action
Every day from here only has one primary objective
Statistical Approach:
Top players in assists minus turnovers 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 AST-TO
For access to the full data beyond the top 10, join tome+ or send any legendary moment to TS: TomeCollective for a lifetime membership. Signing up also grants you access to the Pro mode articles.
NBA Fast Break Grid
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