Well, we are well into the NBA season, and you might have missed some of the headlines over the past week. Well, I am going over the headlines again that could mean a difference for your team’s playoff chances and upcoming games.

1. 76ers win their third game.

It might sound weird, but the 76ers have won a whopping third game. Of course, it was against the Orlando Magic, who are 10-20, and it was on the road, where they won their other two games, but that is not important. A win is a win to fans of the 76ers, and they should soak it in.

In that game, Tony Wroten led the team with seven assists and three steals, and Michael Carter-Williams scored 21 points to lead the 76ers. Even though they were trailing by 11 points at one time, and shot 42% from the floor after halftime. Victor Oladipo scored 23 for the Magic.

The 76ers next chance to win is at Miami on December 23. After that, they have five straight games on the road. Who knows, they might win all five. Wells Fargo Center, their home arena in Philly, has not been nice to them this season.

2. Durant out with another major injury

Oklahoma Thunder forward Kevin Durant suffered a sprained ankle on December 18 against the Golden State Warriors, and is now out indefinitely. This is the second time Durant suffered a serious injury this season. During mid-October, he suffered a fractured foot, which cost him 17 games. Even when he returned, the Thunder has not been doing well. The Thunder were 7-2 with Durant. However, they were 6-13 without Durant, and 5-12 in those first 17 games.

This is huge, since it’s proven that Russell Westbrook cannot carry the team like Durant did last year. Without Durant, the Thunder could be playing a long season.

3. Irving given exclusive award

Kyrie Irving has been through a lot this season. He started with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a sure-to-lose team to a possible contender with the additions of Kevin Love and Lebron James. Now, his folder of achievements has gotten bigger.

After being named the MVP of the Basketball World Cup, he was honored as the USA Basketball Male Athlete. He averaged 12.1 points and 3.6 assists during the World Cup, and scored 26 points to lead the US to win the gold medal over Serbia. The Cavaliers are lucky to have a player of such quality.

4. Rondo traded to Mavericks

Point Guard Rajon Rondo has been with the Boston Celtics from 2006-2014. In that span, he has secured one championship, appeared on the All-Star team four times, and was selected as an All-Defensive member four times. Well, he will have to continue that streak on a different team.

Rondo, along with Dwight Powell, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, a 2015 first-round draft pick, and a 2016 second-round draft pick on December 18. On the 20th, during his first game with the Mavs, Rondo showed immediate prowess. In that game, he had six points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. His fellow point guard, Monta Ellis, was helped immensely by Rondo, as he scored 38 points in a game. This shows that Rondo has made an immediate impact on Dallas. Mavs as NBA champs in 2015? Who knows?

5. Parker out for season for Bucks

Power forward Jabari Parker brought a lot to the table. After being selected 2nd overall out of Duke University by the Milwaukee Bucks, he was shown as an immediate star. Through the team’s first 25 games, Parker has led the team to a 13-12 record, all while posting 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. But then, the problems began.

During Milwaukee’s game against the Phoenix Suns on December 15,  Parker suffered a left knee injury and had to leave the game. After he was transported back to Milwaukee to a hospital, it was discovered that Parker tore an ACL. They determined that he will need surgery, which will cause him the season. This is a huge loss for the Bucks, who are now 1-2 without Parker. In that win, they scored a single point more. This injury could spell out major problems for Milwaukee’s season.

6. Pistons waive Josh Smith

Forward Josh Smith was having an okay year with the Detroit Pistons. He was averaging 13.1 points, 4.7 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. Well, those stats were not cutting it for Detroit.

On December 22, Detroit waived Smith from the squad with two years left in his contract.

“Our team has not performed the way we had expected throughout the first third of the season and adjustments need to be made in terms of our focus and direction,” said coach Stan Van Gundy in a statement. “We are shifting priorities to aggressively develop our younger players while also expanding the roles of other players in the current rotation to improve performance and build for our future.”

According to rumors, Detroit were interested in trades involving Smith for much time, but instead decided to waive him, even with a $30 million penalty and his remaining salary.

Smith has been in the NBA for ten years. In that span, he has played for the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons. He was selected 17th overall by the Hawks out of Oak Hill Academy.

According to rumors, the Houston Rockets are the front runners to sign Smith. This has neither been denied or confirmed.