The Good, Bad and Ugly of Week 10 of the 2025-26 season

Week 10 of the NBA season delivered everything from historic individual brilliance to complete organizational chaos. While some teams are watching their superstars rewrite record books, others are watching their seasons slip away before New Year's. Here's what stood out during Christmas week. 

The Good: 

Denver Nuggets All-NBA big man Nikola Jokic put together one of the most ridiculous two-game performances in NBA history. The Joker put up 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists (the first 55/15/15 game ever recorded) on Christmas Day in a 142–138 overtime classic against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He scored 18 points in the extra five minutes alone, breaking Steph Curry's record for most points in an overtime period. Two days later, in a 127–126 loss to the Orlando Magic, he dropped 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 12 assists, his 180th career triple-double. That's back-to-back triple-doubles with a combined 90 points, 37 rebounds, and 27 assists. At this point, the three-time MVP appears to be headed toward etching his name onto the trophy yet again.

The Bad: 

The LA Lakers' three-game losing streak officially started on Saturday, December 20th, but it would be the next two games that were absolutely embarrassing for the team and its fans. After being manhandled by Dillon Brooks and the retooled Phoenix Suns 132–108, the Lakers got absolutely demolished on national television at home by the Houston Rockets 119–96 on Christmas Day. Of the five games on the holiday schedule, this was the most lopsided. Rightfully so, coach JJ Redick didn't mince words afterward, saying his team doesn't "care enough right now." While the team managed to right the ship on Sunday against the hapless Sacramento Kings, they did it against the third-worst team in the league without two of its top three players. 

The Ugly: 

Speaking of the worst teams in the league, the Indiana Pacers have now lost eight straight games. Sitting at 6–26 and dead last in the NBA standings, Indiana is completely unraveling. While Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and company are still putting forth a nightly effort, this team has gone from championship hopeful to lottery lock in record time. Last year's Eastern Conference Finals run feels like a lifetime ago. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t get easier over the next ten days as they face Houston, Orlando (2x), San Antonio, and Cleveland. The silver lining is that the team should be in the running for a top pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft and a returning Tyrese Haliburton for next season.