A new semester brings in new classes, assignments, and tests. It also carries along some new NBA headlines. In case you missed them while you were preparing for the new stuff, they are here now.

1. Mo Williams scores 52, helps Timberwolves break losing streak

People did not expect much from a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves who had lost their last 15 games and only had five wins in the season. They also did not expect much from a player like Mo Williams, who only averaged 11 points per game this season. Well, Williams surprised many visitors in Indianapolis on January 13 when the Timberwolves visited the Indiana Pacers.

Williams had 52 points, and added seven assists and four rebounds to help the Timberwolves get their sixth win with a 110-101 victory over the Pacers. He scored 37 in the second half, and 21 in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves put the Pacers away.

For the Timberwolves (6-31), Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, and Gorgui Dieng had ten points and ten rebounds.

In a losing effort for the Pacers (15-25), C.J. Miles had 22 points, and C.J. Watson added 17 points.

Williams made much history in the game. He set a team record for most points scored in a game, which was held by Kevin Love, and a record for points scored by one player in Bankers Life Field house, the home arena for the Pacers. In addition, he set a career high, and a NBA high for points scored in a game this season. The previous mark this season was set by Pau Gasol with 46 points.

In comparison with the team, Williams had 52 points, while the rest of the team scored 58 points. Also, he was 19 of 33 from the field, while his teammates combined to be 22 of 54 from the field. Finally, Williams got six of his eleven three-point shots to go through, while the rest of the team was 4 of 9 from three-point range.

Minnesota snapped its 16 game losing streak with the win, and with more games likes this from Williams, the Timberwolves could be racking up more wins.

2. Al Horford nets triple double, helps Hawks continue winning streak

The Atlanta Hawks are on a roll. They came in to play the Philadelphia 76ers with an eight-game winning streak. The only problem: they rested three players, including leading scorer Jeff Teague. Well, Al Horford made sure that decision was a good one.

Al Horford got his first ever triple-double, and Shelvin Mack added a double-double to lift the Hawks over the 76ers, 105-87. The win helped Atlanta secure its ninth straight victory and its 23 victory out of its last 25 games.

Horford had 21 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists to lead the team. He shot eight of ten from the floor, and only played 29 minutes in the game. He was pulled out of the game immediately after getting his tenth rebound. “All the guys on the bench started telling me, ‘Get two more rebounds! Get two more rebounds!'” Horford said. “The guys were great about it.”

Shelvin Mack had 12 points and ten rebounds in the game for the Hawks (31-8).  Kent Bazemore had 17 points, while Kyle Korver had 15.

The team shot 12 of 23 from three-point range.

For the 76ers (7-31), Michael Carter-Williams scored 20, and K.J. McDaniels added 14. It was a sad loss for the team, since the team had won three of their four and had overtaken the New York Knicks in the standings.

If the Hawks keep rolling on like this, they could reach the NBA finals.

3. Austin Rivers joins his father in Los Angeles

Austin Rivers has had a big week. Earlier in the week, he was traded to the Boston Celtics. But, the Celtics did not even play him, so he could make history.

With the three-team trade that included Boston, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Phoenix Suns, Boston sent Rivers to the Clippers. When Rivers plays his first game, he will become the first ever NBA player to play under his father. His dad, Doc Rivers, is the coach for the Clippers.

Boston received Shavlik Randolph from the Suns. They also got Chris Douglas-Roberts and a 2017 second-round draft pick from the Clippers. The Suns got Reggie Bullock, a former first round pick, from Los Angeles.

Even though Austin is his son, Coach Doc is not exactly favoring his son. When asked if he would favor his son, Coach Rivers said to espn.go.com: “I probably show favoritism to Blake [Griffin] and Chris [Paul]. I love my son, but I think I’m going to still favor Blake and Chris and those guys.”

After the trade, Boston released Douglas-Roberts, while the Clippers released Jordan Farmar, who was not involved in the trade. The Clippers made this move so they can pursue Nate Robinson, who was released by Boston earlier in the week.

Picked tenth overall in the 2012 draft by New Orleans, Rivers has averaged  6.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season. He has played 35 games.

Picked 25th overall in the 2013 draft by Los Angeles, Bullock has averaged 2.6 points per game in 25 games this season.

Douglas-Roberts, a free agent who signed with Los Angeles in September, has averaged 1.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in twelve games this season.

Rivers should add some depth to the Clippers depth chart, and he should excel while playing under his father.

4. Bucks win in London

The New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks enjoyed their vacation that preceded the annual London NBA game. Then, the two teams met on the court. Well, the Bucks were even happier after the game on their flight back to the United States.

O.J. Mayo scored 22 points, and Brandon Taylor added 20 points and six steals to lift the Bucks over the Knicks, 95-79.

The Bucks raced out to a fourteen point lead to start the game after New York missed their first ten shots. The smallest lead for the Bucks (21-19) was eleven points.

Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony both returned from knee injuries for the Knicks (5-36). Anthony led NY with 25 points, but Stoudemire did not net a single point in the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points for the Bucks. In addition, Khris Middleton had 14 points, and Zaza Pachulia scored 11. Furthermore, Jennings had six assists and five rebounds added to his game’s resume.

The Knicks have lost 26 of their last 27 and their last sixteen, a team record. The Bucks have won three out of their last four.

5. Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks go in opposite directions

The Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks are polar opposites right now. No, it is not because of their locations on the map. And no, it is not because of their playing styles. (They might be different, but most players do their own thing. Do you hear me, Carmelo Anthony?). They are opposites because of their records.

The New York Knicks are 5-36 in the season. The team has lost 16 games in a row, and have not won a game in over a month, when they beat the Boston Celtics on December 12. In addition, they have the worst record in the NBA. They are even worst than the Philadelphia 76ers, who are pretty bad. The Knicks have lost to some pretty bad teams, including the Sacramento Kings (16-24), Detroit Pistons (16-25) and the Charlotte Bobcats (16-25). Even though the team lost their last 13 of 16 games to teams with winning records, they need to get their act together soon.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks have compromised a record of 33-8. They have won 12 games in a row. They last lost against the Milwaukee Bucks-on December 26. They have the second best record in the NBA, and have gotten victories against some of the league’s best teams. These include the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards, among others. They are a shoo-in for the number one seed in the playoffs.

If they keep going like this, NY could get the number one pick in the 2015 draft, while Atlanta could get the number one prize-the NBA championship.

6. Sanders gets hit with drug suspension-again

Larry Sanders has had a good year so far for the 21-19 Bucks. He has averaged 7.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 27 games this season. But, his season has hit the brakes.

Due to his drug usage, Sanders has been suspended for a minimum of ten games this season. This was caused because he did not follow the league’s anti-drug policy.

He was also suspended for the last five games of the 2013-2014 season for the same reason. It was told that he had used marijuana.

Sanders has also missed 20+ games each due to thumb and eye injuries.

Sanders’s suspension will begin with the Bucks game on Monday, January 21 against the Toronto Raptors. The suspension will end early if Sanders goes along with the assigned treatment program.

Hopefully, Sanders can solve his drug problem.

7. Russell Westbrook earns triple-double in win against Golden State

So far, this has been a disappointing season for the Oklahoma City Thunder.  They were 18-20 before the game against the Golden State Warriors, the league’s best team. They began the season without superstar Kevin Durant, and had to be carried on Westbrook’s back. Well, Westbrook showed why he is one of the best point guards in the league.

Westbrook had a triple-double, and Durant added 36 points to help the Thunder beat the Warriors, 127-115. Westbrook had 17 points, 17 assists, and 15 rebounds in the game.

Westbrook reached career highs in assists and rebounds. In addition, Westbrook tipped in the ball after a free throw miss at the buzzer to end the first half with a 69-60 score. The Thunder led at the half.

Westbrook became the first player since Rajon Rondo in the 2011-2012 season to have at least 15 points, rebounds, and assists each in a game.

Durant added nine rebounds. He also shot 14 of 18 from the floor.

Serge Ibaka had 27 points, a career high, for the Thunder (19-20). Dion Waiters, who was just traded for in the past few days, added 21 points.

The Thunder broke the Warriors’s eight game winning streak.

For the Warriors (31-6), Klay Thompson scored 32 points, and Stephen Curry had 19.

Westbrook is averaging 20.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game in 25 games played this season.

If Westbrook keeps playing like this, the Thunder could make the playoffs.

8. Bucks’s Marshall out for season with ACL tear

The Milwaukee Bucks had had some bad luck this year. They lost Jabari Parker for the year with an injury, and Larry Sanders for at least ten games because of a drug suspension. Now, they lost one more player.

Kendall Marshall suffered a torn ACL during the second quarter of the Bucks’s game in London against the NY Knicks on January 15. It will require surgery, which will cause him to miss the rest of the season.

Marshall has averaged 4.2 points and 3.1 assists per game this season. He has played in 28 games for the 21-19 Bucks.

If the team keeps going on this streak, their whole roster might be absent for a game, and that would severely hut their playoff chances.