BREAKING: SPURS STUN KNICKS IN EPIC COMEBACK AS VICTOR WEMBANYAMA SUFFERS SCARY KNEE INJURY
Julian Champagnie hits 11 threes as the Spurs rally from 19 points down to beat the Knicks. Plus: Victor Wembanyama injury update.
In a New Year's Eve game that kept fans on the edge of their seats, Julian Champagnie sank 11 three-pointers, and Victor Wembanyama put up 31 points, helping the San Antonio Spurs rally and beat the New York Knicks 134-132.
The Spurs, who lost to the Knicks in the NBA Cup final two weeks before, got their revenge. They came back from a 19-point deficit in the second quarter to grab an awesome win.
Wembanyama, the talented French player, was a key part of the win. He scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds before leaving the game with a leg injury early in the fourth quarter.
The 21-year-old later returned to the bench and celebrated with his teammates as the Spurs finished off the exciting win. This improved their record to 24-9, keeping them second in the Western Conference, just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (29-5), who have the best record in the NBA.
While Wembanyama was important in the comeback, Champagnie brought the heat on offence, hitting a bunch of three-pointers and ending the night with 36 points.
The 24-year-old American hit four threes in the fourth quarter, helping San Antonio tie the game and then pull ahead.
"It feels great, man—I just go out there and do my job," he said after the game. That’s all I can do... I was just trying to shoot the basketball.
The crowd of 18,602 at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Centre got quiet when Wembanyama limped off the court after landing awkwardly while going for a rebound.
But he later said he thought he would recover quickly from what he called a left knee hyperextension.
My body’s feeling good, just sore, Wembanyama said. I’m very confident and positive.
I expect to be back next game—I don’t know if the team expects that, he added.
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said, I have no idea what to say, but it was good to see him walk back out and be able to finish the game on the bench with his teammates.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson each scored 20.
In other games on Dec 31, the Golden State Warriors kept up their good play, beating the Charlotte Hornets 132-125 on the road.
Stephen Curry, playing in front of his hometown fans, scored 26 points for Golden State, including five three-pointers. The Warriors have now won five of their last six games, improving their record to 18-16 in the Western Conference.
Jimmy Butler and Brandin Podziemski each added 19 points to support Curry.
Curry, who heard MVP chants during a road game against the Brooklyn Nets on Dec 29, was warmly welcomed by a record Charlotte crowd of 19,685 fans.
“I’m always amazed by the support he gets everywhere,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said about Curry. It makes sense because of who he is, what he’s done, and what kind of person he is... It shows how much Steph impacts people; there’s something special about him.
Elsewhere, the Thunder easily beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-95, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 30 points.
Other scores: The Atlanta Hawks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-102, thanks to 34 points from Jalen Johnson. The Orlando Magic edged out the Indiana Pacers 112-110, with Paolo Banchero scoring 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell outscored Devin Booker to lead the Cavaliers to a 129-113 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Mitchell had 34 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, while Booker scored 32 points in the loss.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
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