Jan 20, 2026, 05:00 PM ET<\/p>\n
Five NBA<\/a> games are set to tip off on Disney+ in the penultimate week of January, promising plenty of must-see moments and high-level competition.<\/p>\n Here’s why you won’t want to miss any of the action streaming on Disney+.<\/p>\n First look at Kon Knueppel on Disney+ (Jan. 22, 8 a.m. PHT: Cavaliers vs. Hornets)<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n For Filipino basketball fans tuning in to the NBA on Disney+, this matchup offers a perfect opportunity to see why Charlotte Hornets<\/a>‘ Kon Knueppel<\/a> is quickly emerging as a strong Rookie of the Year candidate.<\/p>\n The fourth overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft has looked far beyond his years, putting up impressive averages of 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. What truly stands out, however, is his shooting.<\/p>\n The former Duke Blue Devil is knocking down 43.5% of his three-point attempts on a high volume of 7.8 shots per game. According to Synergy, Knueppel is converting 41.5% of his catch-and-shoot looks and an elite 49.5% on pull-up jumpers — numbers that already place him among the league’s best young shot-makers.<\/p>\n While the Hornets remain outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> would be wise not to overlook them.<\/p>\n Charlotte is coming off a strong West Coast trip that included wins over the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> and Denver Nuggets<\/a>, and a 55-point blowout of the Utah Jazz<\/a>. And leading that charge has been Knueppel himself, who has averaged 22.5 points per game against Cleveland so far — making him a clear focal point the Cavs will need to contain.<\/p>\n Two of Team World’s finest go head-to-head (Jan. 22, 10:30 a.m. PHT: Thunder vs. Bucks)<\/p>\n With the All-Star starters recently announced, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> of the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> and former two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> of the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> are once again set to share the league’s biggest stage.<\/p>\n But before they suit up together under the new All-Star format, these two global superstars will first go to battle against each other, leading their respective teams.<\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander has followed up his historic 2024-25 campaign with another dominant season, averaging 31.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting an ultra-efficient 54.7\/39.6\/89 from the field.<\/p>\n His production becomes even more impressive considering Oklahoma City has had to navigate stretches without Jalen Williams<\/a>, who is currently dealing with a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n From an efficiency standpoint, the Canadian star has been nearly automatic in his comfort zones, converting 56.7% of his short midrange attempts and an outstanding 51.7% on shots inside 17 feet to below the three-point line for the Thunder.<\/p>\n On the other side, Antetokounmpo continues to carry a heavy load for Milwaukee.<\/p>\n Despite the Bucks’ uneven season, the ‘Greek Freak’ is still posting elite numbers with 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on a remarkable 64.7% shooting from the field.<\/p>\n The numbers clearly show his value: Milwaukee outscores opponents by 7.6 points per 100 possessions when Antetokounmpo is on the floor, but gets outscored by 12.9 when he sits.<\/p>\n While the Bucks’ defense barely changes with him on or off the court, their offense jumps dramatically from 106.2 to 125.2 points per 100 possessions — highlighting just how much of their attack runs through him.<\/p>\n Regardless of where both teams stand right now, matchups like this are always appointment viewing. Watching two of the best players in the world trade blows on the same floor remains one of the NBA’s greatest treats.<\/p>\n Can the Knicks get better on the defensive end? (Jan. 25, 4 a.m. PHT: Knicks vs. 76ers)<\/p>\n Since capturing the NBA Emirates Cup earlier this season, the New York Knicks<\/a> have gone into a concerning slide, posting a 7-10 record following the championship game.<\/p>\n And while the losses have come in different ways, the root of the problem has been clear and there’s a glaring issue on one side of the floor.<\/p>\n Offensively, New York has remained elite, owning the fourth-best offensive rating in the league at 118.9 points per 100 possessions. The problem lies on the other end, where they are surrendering 115.9 points per 100 possessions, just 18th overall.<\/p>\n That slippage has become even more pronounced over their last 10 games. During that stretch, the Knicks are 2-8, with the fourth-worst defensive rating at 118.4 and the third-worst net rating at -9.0 — numbers that have pulled them closer to the East’s fourth seed rather than keeping them in the race for the top spot.<\/p>\n With Jalen Brunson<\/a> continuing to anchor the offense at an All-Star level, the pressing question for New York is how to stop the bleeding defensively. This matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> provides a timely measuring stick.<\/p>\n Facing an explosive All-Star guard in Tyrese Maxey<\/a> and a former MVP in Joel Embiid<\/a>, how they handle those two will go a long way in revealing whether this defensive dip is just a rough patch or a sign of deeper issues that must be addressed as the playoff race tightens.<\/p>\n Life without Jimmy Butler for Golden State (Jan. 25, 6:30 a.m. PHT: Warriors vs. Timberwolves)<\/p>\n Beyond the debate over whether 37-year-old Stephen Curry<\/a> deserved the All-Star starter nod over Anthony Edwards<\/a>, the bigger story for the Golden State Warriors<\/a> this week is the loss of Jimmy Butler<\/a> for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL<\/a>.<\/p>\n The injury came at the worst possible time. Golden State had just begun to build momentum during a two-week homestand, winning six of their first seven games at Chase Center and showing signs of stabilizing their season.<\/p>\n Now, with Butler sidelined and Jonathan Kuminga<\/a>‘s recent trade request adding another layer of uncertainty, the urgency for the Warriors to make a move has intensified.<\/p>\n With Curry still performing at a championship-caliber level, the front office may feel increased pressure to add another piece to keep their title window open — possibly sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n That urgency will be put to the test against a Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> team also jockeying for position in the Western Conference standings.<\/p>\n Edwards remains the focal point of the Timberwolves’ offense, averaging 29.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.<\/p>\n Without Butler anchoring the wings defensively, Golden State faces a major challenge in containing Edwards’ downhill pressure and shot-making, as this matchup provides an early glimpse of what life without Butler could look like for the Warriors moving forward.<\/p>\n Don\u010di\u0107 vs. Mavericks will always be a treat (Jan. 25, 9:30 a.m. PHT: Lakers vs. Mavericks)<\/p>\n Nearly a year after the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> out of Dallas, every matchup against his former team still carries extra weight.<\/p>\n That feeling is only magnified when the game is played at the American Airlines Center, where emotions tend to run high. This marks the second time Don\u010di\u0107 faces the Mavericks<\/a> in Dallas since the deal, and the storyline remains one of the league’s most compelling.<\/p>\n The trade effectively pushed both franchises onto very different paths.<\/p>\n Dallas is now clearly in a rebuilding phase, turning the page toward the future with prized rookie Cooper Flagg<\/a> as a cornerstone. Their transition has been made even more challenging with Anthony Davis sidelined due to injury, forcing the Mavericks to lean on development and long-term growth rather than immediate contention.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Lakers continue to build around a high-powered trio of Don\u010di\u0107, LeBron James<\/a> and Austin Reaves<\/a>, blending generational talent with steady secondary creation.<\/p>\n The chemistry among the three has allowed Los Angeles to remain in win-now mode, with Don\u010di\u0107 serving as the offensive engine while James and Reaves provide versatility, playmaking, and late-game poise.<\/p>\n On the court, Don\u010di\u0107 has only strengthened his case as one of the game’s elite, leading the league in scoring at 33.7 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds and 8.6 assists. Against his former team, those numbers often come with an extra edge.<\/p>\n For Dallas, the task is about weathering the moment and continuing its rebuild. For Los Angeles, it’s another step in solidifying a championship-caliber identity.<\/p>\n Either way, Don\u010di\u0107 versus the Mavericks remains must-see basketball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jan 20, 2026, 05:00 PM ET Five NBA games are set to tip off on Disney+ in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":419231,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":["post-419230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=419230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/419231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=419230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=419230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=419230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}