NBA Fast Break Classic | Run 7 | Day 4
Cavs Roll, Vucevic Wins It, Injuries Steal the Night
NBA Recap: January 14, 2026
Toronto opened the seven game slate with a composed 115–101 win over Indiana, dictating pace and keeping the Pacers at arm’s length throughout the second half. Cleveland followed by delivering the night’s most emphatic statement, beating Philadelphia 133–107 in a game where the Cavs controlled tempo, spacing, and every major run. It was the kind of midseason performance that the Cavs needed to re-establish confidence in their opportunity to win the East.
Chicago was the next victor as they earned a hard fought 128-126 win over Utah, a game that swung wildly before Nikola Vučević buried the game‑winner, sealing one of the night’s most dramatic finishes. The Bulls controlled long stretches, lost the lead late, then steadied themselves behind their veteran center.
In New Orleans, the Pelicans edged Brooklyn 116–113, surviving a late Nets push and leaning on steady execution in the final minutes. Denver kept its rhythm with a 118–109 win in Dallas, a composed road effort where the Nuggets repeatedly answered Mavericks runs and controlled the final stretch, but was marred by Cooper Flagg’s injury. Sacramento continued its surge with a 112–101 win over New York, though the Knicks’ night took a darker turn when Jalen Brunson left with an injury after only playing five minutes. The Kings took advantage, closing strong and never letting New York regain footing.
The Clippers wrapped the slate with a 119–105 win over Washington, a steady performance built on balance and late‑game control. The Wizards competed, but L.A.’s depth and composure carried the night. The Wizards will also need to wait a little longer for Trae Young’s debut.
Fast Break Recap: Day 3
Day 3 saw only 44% of Fast Breakers earn a win in Classic, but is an improvement over Day 2’s 39%. Pro saw an improvement to 39%, but that is better than the previous 11%. Lastly, Historic saw a lower than standard 59% compared to 92% the previous day.
Jalen Brunson was the cause for most of the strife in Classic as he exited early with an ankle sprain and would not return. His lack of production earned him the Fast Break Dud of the Day award, but it did not come with a long-term injury as he was not seen in a walking boot or crutches.
Donovan Mitchell, on the other hand, was one of the top five most utilized players and delivered a 11 of 22 performance to lead the Cavs to a win over the 76ers. With his performance, he earned the Fast Break Stud of the Day award.
Today’s Fast Break Objective(s): Day 4 of 11
Objective(s): 50 Points in the Paint & 10 Offensive Rebounds (10.0 PITP & 2.0 OREB)
You’ll need five (5) players who will score 50.0 or more points in the paint and accumulate 10.0 or more offensive rebounds, which means each player needs to average 10.0 PITP & 2.0 OREB. As these two objectives occur on the offensive end of the floor, each player is limited to half the opportunity to achieve one or both objectives in a single possession, but there are players who thrive in both areas. The right captain will make all the difference, but some collectors will opt for a split approach and focus on experts in one or the other.
Top Player Options:
Little of Both: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alperen Sengun
Inside Scorers: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Johnson, Jaylen Brown
(Offensive) Glass Crashers: Neemias Queta, Jalen Duren, Steven Adams, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jusuf Nurkic
Top Five (5) Players in Classic Lineups:
Upcoming Fast Break Objectives:
Tomorrow’s Objective(s): 15 Three Pointers Made & 25 Three Point Attempts (3.0 3PM & 5.0 3PA)
Objectives Remaining (after today): 3PM, 3PA, AST-TO, PTS, REB, BLK, AST, STL, FGM, FGA, PITP, OREB
Considerations:
Cleveland, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, & Orlando have the least number of games remaining (3)
Seven (7) teams have the most number of games this run (5)
The always dreaded AST-TO is on Day 6
Four of the remaining eight days have two distinct objectives
Houston is playing the tail end of a back-to-back tomorrow
Every day this run has at least 12 teams in action, but none have more than 18
Statistical Approach:
Top players in points in the paint & offensive rebounds 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 PITP & OREB
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NBA Fast Break Grid
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