The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t just beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night they soul-snatched them. In a 128-85 blowout that felt over by halftime, the Paycom Center crowd got exactly what they wanted: a massive “W” and the return of Nikola Topic.

The Serbian playmaker, back from a 13-game developmental stint with the OKC Blue, logged 12 minutes of fourth-quarter action. It wasn’t a stat-sheet stuffer two points, two boards, two dimes but it didn’t need to be. After the year this kid has had? Just seeing him handle the rock at the NBA level felt like a win for the organization.

The Long Road Back to the Hardwood

From the G League to the Bright Lights

Topic hasn’t seen NBA floor time since late February against Detroit. Back then, he looked a step slow, struggling to find his rhythm while the Thunder’s deep rotation got healthy. Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault did what this franchise does best: they sent him down to the G League to get cooked.

It worked.

In 13 games with the Blue, Topic was a flamethrower. We’re talking 18.4 points and nearly eight assists a night. The most encouraging part? He shot 46.5% from deep. For a guy whose jump shot was the biggest question mark coming out of the draft, those numbers are screaming “NBA ready.”

Why Topic’s Return Matters Now

Look, the Thunder are gearing up for a deep playoff run. They don’t need a 20-year-old rookie to save them. But with five games left in the regular season, Daigneault needs to know what he has in the cupboard. Topic ran the point for the entire fourth quarter against LA, looking like a natural connector. He wasn’t hunting shots; he was moving the defense, punishing switches, and playing with a pace that suggests the game is finally slowing down for him.

Overcoming the Unthinkable

It’s easy to forget that Topic’s path to this 43-point blowout was a nightmare.

• The Knee: Tore his ACL right before the 2024 Draft, watching his stock slide to No. 12.
• The Health Scare: Just as he was findng his footing this year, a testicular cancer diagnosis sidelined him again.

Hell, most players would’ve written off the season. Instead, Topic made his debut in February against Milwaukee and has been chipping away ever since. That kind of mental toughness is exactly why OKC grabbed him. He’s got ice-water veins and a level of resilience you just can’t teach.

Will He Crack the Playoff Rotation?

Probably not. Let’s be real when the rotations shrink in a week or two, OKC is going to lean on their established core. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are going to eat the lion’s share of the minutes, and the bench is already crowded with proven spacers.

But this isn’t about May; it’s about the bigger picture. Topic is 6-foot-6 with elite vision. Seeing him hit a bucket and facilitate the offense with zero hesitation against the Lakers proves the G League stint did its job. He’s not a project anymore he’s a piece.

Jayson Tatum wasn’t supposed to be walking, let alone torching the Milwaukee Bucks for 30-plus in April. Hell, back in May when his Achilles snapped like a rubber band in the East semis, the vibe around TD Garden felt more like a funeral than a title defense. The “experts” penciled in a gap year. A rebuild. A lottery flier.

Instead? Boston just hung a 133-101 beatdown on Giannis and company Friday night, and Tatum looked every bit like the First Team All-NBA monster that owned the league before the injury. The Celtics aren’t just surviving; they’re thriving, sitting 2.5 games up on the Knicks for that coveted two-seed with five games to go.

“I’m super excited,” Tatum said, cooling his heels after the blowout. “I wasn’t sure I was gonna even have this opportunity to play playoff basketball this year. Just knowing it’s around the corner… I’m grateful. It’s all good things.”

The Recovery That Defied the Odds

Ten months. That’s all it took. Usually, an Achilles tear is a death sentence for a superstar’s season and sometimes their bounce but Tatum has been an outlier. He isn’t just “available”; he’s cooked every defender the Bucks threw at him.

Since he rejoined the rotation, the Celtics have gone on an absolute tear, posting an 11-2 record. He’s attacking the rack, punishing switches, and his side-step three looks as fluid as ever. If there’s any rust, he’s hidden it well.

How did the Celtics stay afloat without JT?

This is the part that makes no sense. On paper, losing your franchise pillar usually triggers a tank. But Joe Mazzulla’s squad turned into a bunch of grinders. They stayed in the top four of the East all winter, surviving on defensive grit and high three-point volume from the supporting cast. They overachieved so hard that Tatum’s return didn’t just fill a hole it became a massive tactical advantage.

Turning Point: The Friday Night Statement

The Bucks game was the “we’re back” moment. Milwaukee tried to get physical, but Boston’s ball movement was clinical. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, it was garbage time.

• The Bench Spark: Boston’s second unit turned a six-point lead into a 20-point chasm while Giannis sat.
• Defensive Clamps: The perimeter defense was suffocating, forcing the Bucks into contested heaves all night.
• The Tatum Factor: He played with a lightness we haven’t seen. No hesitation on the drive. No limping. Just buckets.

Can Boston actually win it all?

Six months ago, that question would’ve gotten you laughed out of a Southie bar. Now? The betting markets have Boston as a legitimate threat to win the East. They have the playoff DNA, the championship experience from ’24, and now they have their closer back in the mix.

The Knicks are looming, and the top-seeded Cavs look scary, but nobody wants to draw a healthy Tatum in a seven-game series. The “rebuilding year” narrative is dead. Boston is hunting for Banner 19, and they’re doing it with a guy who wasn’t even supposed to have his sneakers laced up until October.

Game Plan in Phoenix: All Gas, No Patience

The Phoenix Suns aren’t flirting with caution anymore. Not after the Kevin Durant experiment wobbled. Not after the Bradley Beal fit never quite clicked.

So yeah, here comes another swing. Big one.

A proposed deal (first floated by Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley) drops Ja Morant into the desert next to Devin Booker. Price tag? Jalen Green, rookie big Khaman Maluach, plus a 2027 first.

Doesn’t scream blockbuster at first glance. But don’t get it twisted this would flip the Suns’ identity overnight.

Why Phoenix Would Roll the Dice

Booker Needs a Co-Star Who Can Actually Bend the Defense

Book’s been carrying weird lineups for two years. Playing point. Scoring. Creating. Sometimes all in the same possession.

And yeah, he can do it. But should he? That’s the question.

Morant changes the math. Straight up.

Even in a lost, stop-start season 20 games, in and out he still put up 19.5 and 8.1. Not peak stuff. Looked rusty at times. Shot comes and goes. But the burst? Still there. That first step still cooks bigs on switches.

Drop him into Phoenix and suddenly defenses can’t load up on Booker every trip. You blitz Ja, Book gets clean looks. You stay home on shooters, Morant’s at the rim before help rotates. Pick your poison.

Can Booker Go Back to Being a Killer, Not a Caretaker?

Short answer: yeah. And that’s the whole point.

Booker’s been moonlighting as a full-time initiator. Some nights it works. Other nights the offense stalls, turns into your-turn-my-turn junk.

With Morant? That burden lightens. Booker slides back into what he does best off-ball movement, mid-range assassinations, catch-and-shoot threes (hovering near 39%).

Less organizing. More buckets.

That version of Booker is a problem. Always has been.

Why Memphis Might Actually Say Yes

Are the Grizzlies Done Waiting on Ja?

The Memphis Grizzlies already tipped their hand when they moved Jaren Jackson Jr.. That wasn’t subtle. That was a reset siren.

Morant’s still just 26. But it’s been a rollercoaster injuries, suspensions, long gaps without rhythm. Front office might just be tired of guessing which version they’re getting.

And yeah, selling now feels like selling low. But sometimes it’s not about peak value. It’s about clarity.

What Does Memphis Actually Get Back?

Not a franchise savior. Let’s be real.

But Jalen Green can score. Volume guy. Streaky as hell, but he’ll get you 25 on a random Tuesday and not blink. For a team resetting its timeline, that’s useful.

Maluach? That’s the long play. Raw. Big frame. Development piece behind Zach Edey. No rush. No pressure.

And the pick? That’s the swing chip. Always is.

Memphis isn’t winning this trade on paper. They’re buying flexibility. Different goal.

The Fit: Chaos or Fireworks?

Can Two Ball-Dominant Guards Coexist?

This is where it gets tricky.

Morant needs the ball. Booker’s at his best with touches. So yeah, there’s overlap. No way around it.

But talent usually figures it out. And both guys can play off each other more than people think. Booker’s proven it. Morant… less so, but the spacing in Phoenix would be the best he’s ever seen.

If it clicks? That’s 60 points and 15 assists walking into the arena every night.

If it doesn’t? Lot of standing around. Lot of “your turn” offense. And that gets ugly fast.

The Risk Factor And It’s Real

Is Phoenix Betting on the Wrong Version of Ja?

Let’s not sugarcoat it. This is a gamble.

Morant hasn’t looked like his 27-a-night, All-NBA self since 2022. Efficiency dipped. Availability worse. Off-court noise didn’t help.

Phoenix would be betting on a full reset body, mindset, everything.

And they don’t have a backup plan. Asset cupboard’s thin. If this goes sideways, that’s it. No easy pivot.

So… Contender or Collapse?

This is the kind of move that either puts you in the Western Conference cage fight… or blows up in your face by February. No middle ground.

But here’s the thing the Suns don’t have time for safe. Booker’s in his prime. Windows close fast in this league.

So yeah. They might just do it anyway.

Swing big. Live with it later.