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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Dec. 27

Stay in the know on tonight's NBA action with the latest news, scores and highlights from around the league.

NBA.com Staff

๐Ÿ€ Friday Night Hoops ๐Ÿ€

We have eight games tonight as teams resume play after the holiday:

New York 108, Orlando 85 (Final)

Boston 142, Indiana 105 (Final)

San Antonio 96, Brooklyn 87 (Final)

Minnesota 113, Houston 112 (Final)

Memphis 132, New Orleans 124 (Final)

Cleveland 149, Denver 135 (Final)

Dallas 98, Phoenix 89 (Final)

Los Angeles Clippers 102, Golden State 92 (Final)

Top Storylines ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿ“

  1. The Cleveland Cavaliers earned their sixth straight victory in their 149-135 win over the Denver Nuggets. They knocked down 23 triples to become the second team in NBA history to record four consecutive games with 20+ three-pointers made, joining the 2023-24 Boston Celtics. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen all scored 20+ points, the fifth time this season the Cavs have had four players reach that mark in the same game, good for the most in the NBA. Cleveland is now 27-4 on the season, marking their best start in franchise history.
  2. Jalen Brunson (26) and Josh Hart (23) combined for 49 points in the Knicks’ 108-85 victory over the Orlando Magic, giving New York a sixth consecutive win of their own. The Knicks’ defense was suffocating in the second half tonight, holding the Magic to just 28% shooting over the final two quarters.
  3. Anthony Edwards came up clutch by draining a game-winning three with 23.2 seconds left to give the Minnesota Timberwolves the 113-112 win against the Houston Rockets. Ant’s heroics in crunch time capped a 23-6 run over the final 4:41 to seal the Wolves come-from-behind victory. Minnesota wins their second straight after losing three in a row to get them to 16-14 on the season.
  4. Victor Wembanyama set an NBA record tonight by making it 22 straight games with at least one block and one three-pointer made, passing Kristaps Porziล†ฤฃis in the process. Wemby finished the Spurs’ win with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and six blocks.

๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸTop Performers๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ

  1. Jaylen Brown: season-high 44 points (16-24 FG, 6-11 3PT, 6-6 FT), five rebounds, three assists and four steals.
  2. Alperen Sengun: season-high 38 points (16-25 FG, 0-1 3PT, 6-10 FT), 12 rebounds (eight offensive), an assist and a steal.
  3. Trey Murphy III: season-high 35 points (10-21 FG, 5-12 3PT, 10-11 FT), three rebounds, four assists and a block.
  4. Nikola Jokiฤ‡: 27 points (12-19 FG, 0-3 3PT, 3-4 FT), 14 rebounds, 13 assists and three steals.

Zubac’s swat seals win ๐Ÿšซ

Ivica Zubac gets up for his fifth block of the night that leads to the Norman Powell layup on the other end, securing Los Angeles’ second straight win and fourth in their last five games. Zubac had a monster game with 17 points (8-9 FG), 11 rebounds, two assists and five blocks, while Powell led the Clips in scoring with 26.

Jonathan Kuminga’s career-high 34 points weren’t enough to bring the Warriors back without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in this one. JK records a double-double with ten rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in nearly 37 minutes.

Warriors storming back in LA โšก

Jonathan Kuminga has a career-high 34 points (11-18 FG, 1-3 3PT, 11-14 FT) as Golden State tries to come back from a 21-point deficit in the second half. He’s accounted for 76.9% of the Warriors’ points in the final frame (15 points, two assists, five points created from assists).

The Clippers have pushed the lead back to ten after Golden State got to within three with less than two minutes to go. Tune in on NBA TV and NBA League Pass to catch the exciting finish!

Irving leads Mavs sans Luka

Kyrie Irving stepped up with 20 points (6-21 FG, 5-10 3PT, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, five assists and a steal to give the Dallas Mavericks a 98-89 win over the Phoenix Suns. The Mavs had five players score in double figures, helping to ease the offensive burden with no Luka Donฤiฤ‡ as he deals with a calf strain.

Kevin Durant poured in 35 points in the wire-to-wire defeat, one of only three Suns to score in double figures. Phoenix was held to just 38.6% shooting on the evening as they fall to 15-15 on the season.

Cavs score 149 in road W โš”๏ธ

Cleveland starts their four-game road trip with a bang out in Denver, beating the Nuggets by a final of 149-135. All five Cavs’ starters scored in double figures, with the team’s “Core Four” below combining for 106. The 149 points were the most on the road in franchise history as Cleveland notches their sixth consecutive win.

Nikola Jokiฤ‡ tallied his league-leading 12th triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Jamal Murray added a double-double with 27 points and ten assists in almost 41 minutes.

DJJ gets WAY up ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Derrick Jones, Jr. shows ridiculous bounce with this putback slam, earning DJJ the second highest dunk scoreย on the night. All five of LA’s starters have scored in double figures to lead a balanced attack for the Clippers.

Los Angeles is starting to separate themselves from Golden State in the third, as they’re up 79-60 with less than two minutes to go before we head to the final frame.

TJD in slow-mo is ๐ŸคŒ

Trayce Jackson-Davis turns defense into beautiful offense with this left-handed hammer. He’s got seven points and four rebounds (three offensive) in 14 minutes, while Jonathan Kuminga leads the way for the Warriors with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 18 minutes off the bench.

James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac all scored ten points in the first half as the Clippers lead the Warriors 49-43 at the break. Catch the second half starting soon, live on NBA TV and NBA League Pass.

Dinwiddie hits from distance ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Spencer Dinwiddie knocks down the triple off the feed from Kyrie to give him 13 points off the bench in 16 minutes. Dallas is playing their first full game without Luka Donฤiฤ‡, who is expected to miss extended time with a calf strain, so the boost from Dinwiddie off the bench has been huge for the Mavericks.

Kevin Durant is in midseason form with 28 points (8-16 FG, 2-3 3PT, 10-12 FT) and three rebounds, but the Suns find themselves trailing 72-64 heading to the fourth. Tune in now on NBA League Pass.

Cavs drop 80 in first half ๐Ÿคฏ

Donovan Mitchell fuels Cleveland to 80 first half points against the Denver Nuggets. Mitchell (30) is one of three Cavs to score at least 20 points on the night, joined by Darius Garland (23) and Jarrett Allen (20).

Nikola Jokiฤ‡ is the high man for the Nuggets with 22 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Cavs maintain a double-digit advantage as they lead 107-90 with 2:44 remaining in the third. Tune in now on NBA League Pass!

Ant wins it for Minnesota ๐Ÿšจ

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves stun the Houston Rockets at home to come away with the 113-112 victory in dramatic fashion. Ant led the fourth quarter charge to bring the Wolves back from down 16 halfway through the final frame, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and a block in 35 minutes.

Edwards’ game-winning triple spoils double-doubles from Alperen Sengun (38 points, 12 rebounds) and Amen Thompson (20 points, 11 rebounds).

Spurs earn tough road W โœฎ

Wemby continues throwing block parties in every arena he goes to. He finishes with 19 points, seven rebounds and six blocks in the Spurs’ 96-87 victory over the Nets. Jeremy Sochan contributed a double-double in the win with 12 points and 14 rebounds in 34 minutes.

Keon Johnson was the leading scorer in the game, dropping 25 points with four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in the loss for Brooklyn.

Sengun with 32 and counting

Alperen Sengun crosses over and goes right around Julius Randle for the rim-rattler, giving him 32 points to go along with 11 rebounds, an assist and a steal. Seven of his 11 boards have come on the offensive end, powering Houston to a 20-5 advantage in second chance points.

The Rockets have a 101-90 lead with just under six minutes left in the game. Tune in now on NBA League Pass to catch the conclusion!

Brown, Celtics handle Pacers

Jaylen Brown was unstoppable on Friday night in Boston’s 142-105 win over Indiana, finishing with a season-high 44 points (16-24 FG, 6-6 FT) while adding five rebounds, three assists and four steals in 37 minutes. Jayson Tatum added a double-double with 22 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals in 32 minutes.

Five Pacers recorded at least 12 points, led by Tyrese Haliburton with 19 points, four rebounds and nine assists.

Knicks roll to 6th straight W๐ŸŽ

Jalen Brunson (26) and Josh Hart (23) each score 20+ for the Knicks to help them earn their sixth consecutive win. After being tied at 54 at halftime, New York outscored Orlando 54-31 in the second half to secure the victory.

Jalen Suggs finished as the leading scorer in the game with 27 points (10-20 FG, 4-6 3PT, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, three assists and a steal in almost 27 minutes. Orlando was outscored 60-34 in the paint.

Spida goes off in 1Q ๐Ÿ•ท

Donovan Mitchell was electric in the first quarter for Cleveland, knocking down four triples on his was to a game-high 16 points in only 7 minutes of action. Michael Porter, Jr. splashed in four triples of his own, giving him 13 points to go with four rebounds.

Cleveland and Denver both shoot better than 55% in the opening frame as the Cavs have a 41-38 lead with 11:07 remaining in the second quarter.

Kyrie locked in from deep๐ŸŽฏ

Kyrie Irving knocks down four triples in the first quarter to lead the Mavericks with 12 quick points. Kevin Durant has nine points of his own on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including one from long range.

Dallas holds a 28-25 lead after one. Tune in for the second quarter, live on NBA League Pass.

Ja hits to end the half ๐Ÿป

Ja Morant is in attack mode tonight in New Orleans as he hits the tough fallaway to go just before halftime, giving him 24 points (8-9 FG, 3-4 3PT, 5-5 FT) with two rebounds, six assists and a steal in only 19 minutes.

Trey Murphy III is the high man in the game with 26 points and four made triples, but the Pelicans find themselves down 82-67 just two minutes into the third quarter.

Wemby throws it down ๐Ÿ˜ค

Victor Wembanyama takes one dribble at the free throw line and powers through the lane for the easy dunk. The Frenchman was quiet in the first half but is up to 15 points to go along with two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 22 minutes.

The Spurs have outscored the Nets 49-29 since the beginning of the second quarter, giving them a 60-51 lead halfway through the third.

Treys all day in NOLA ๐Ÿ‘Œ

Trey Murphy III catches fire with three straight triples to bring New Orleans back to within five after being down as many as 16. Trey has 18 points with four made threes, while Ja Morant counters with 20 points (7-8 FG) and three triples of his own.

Memphis currently holds a 59-52 lead with 3:26 remaining in the half. Tune in live on NBA League Pass.

Amen soars for the and-1 slam

Amen Thompson blows past Naz Reid and takes it right through the lane for the incredible two-handed slam. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have each scored 13 points as the Timberwolves lead the Rockets 45-38 halfway through the second quarter.

Tune in now on NBA League Pass to catch the rest of the first half action.

Brown prints a poster ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Jaylen Brown delivers a thunderous poster jam on the Pacers, earning him the top spot on the dunk leaderboard with a score of 100.5. He leads all scorers with 23 points on an efficient 10-of-13 from the field, adding a rebound, two dimes and two steals.

Boston shoots 53% from the floor on their way to a 67-45 lead over Indiana at the break. Tune in on NBA TV and NBA League Pass to see if the Pacers can mount a comeback.

Knicks, Magic even at half

Orlando and New York went back and forth in the first half with 11 ties and nine lead changes. Jalen Suggs leads all scorers with 18 points while Goga Bitadze chipped in 14 points and six rebounds.

Jalen Brunson has 14 points (6-10 FG) and seven assists for the Knicks, as New York shoots 61% as a team through the first two quarters.

Johnson drills it at the ๐Ÿšจ

Keldon Johnson hits the three from nearly halfcourt at the first quarter buzzer, ending a tough frame for the Spurs in which they only scored 11 points. Johnson and Julian Champagnie have both scored seven points off the San Antonio bench to take a 25-24 lead over Brooklyn with 8:49 remaining before halftime.

Brown explodes for 15 in 1Q๐Ÿ’ฅ

Jaylen Brown led an explosive first quarter for the Boston Celtics, scoring 15 points while going perfect from the field (6-6 FG, 3-3 3PT) in 12 minutes. The Celtics own a 39-22 lead going into the second.

Claxton goes ๐Ÿ†™ for the lob

Nic Claxton throws down his second alley-oop slam to give him six points and five rebounds in eight minutes of play. The Nets are holding the Spurs to just 14% (3-22 FG) shooting from the field as they own an 18-8 lead with less than two minutes to go in the first quarter.

Mathurin separates for the triple

Bennedict Mathurin gets Jaylen Brown on his heels before stepping back and draining the three. The third-year guard-forward out of Arizona has seven of the first 13 points for Indiana. The Pacers trail the Celtics 21-13 with 4:14 remaining in the first.

Tune in now on NBA TV and NBA League Pass to catch this ECF rematch from last year.

Brunson drives for โœŒ๏ธ

Jalen Brunson gets past Trevelin Queen and hangs for the tough finish. JB leads the Knicks with eight points and four assists in 12 minutes, but New York trails Orlando 29-26 after one.

Jalen Suggs (11), Goga Bitadze (11) and Jonathan Isaac (7) combine to score the Magic’s 29 points in the first quarter.

Suggs feeling it early ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Jalen Suggs drains the first 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 3PT) for the Orlando Magic as they lead the New York Knicks 16-8 halfway through the first quarter. Goga Bitadze makes his first triple of the season to give him five points and three rebounds.

DFS back for Nets ๐Ÿ’ช

Dorian Finney-Smith makes his return for the Brooklyn Nets tonight after missing the last three games with a left calf contusion. He’s averaging 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 made threes for the 12-18 Nets this season.

Brooklyn will host San Antonio tonight, tipping off at 7:30 ET on NBA League Pass.

Knicks’ starters ๐Ÿ—ฝ

New York is ready to go for their sixth straight win as they battle against the Orlando Magic. The Knicks are 2-0 against the Magic this season, winning both games by a combined 24 points.

Wemby is a cheat code ๐ŸŽฎ

Victor Wembanyama’s numbers over the last four games, including his 42 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks on Christmas Day. He became just the third player in NBA history to score 40+ in his Christmas debut, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Tracy McGrady.

Starting ๐Ÿ– for Orlando

The Orlando Magic will look to rebound from a tough 89-88 loss at the hands of Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat last night. The Magic do have Gary Harris (hamstring) available off the bench tonight after not playing since Nov. 25.

New York and Orlando are the first of eight games to tip tonight, which will go live on NBA League Pass starting at 7:00 ET.

Pacers arrive in Boston ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and the Pacers are ready for an Eastern Conference showdown in Boston against the Celtics. Indiana will try to bounce back from their 120-114 loss at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder last night that snapped a five-game win streak.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET on NBA TV and NBA League Pass!

๐Ÿ“ย Top Storylines ๐Ÿ“

  1. The New York Knicks begin a three-game road trip looking for their sixth straight win when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday night. Mikal Bridges dropped a season-high 41 points (17-25 FG, 6-9 3PT) to top the San Antonio Spurs in a Christmas Day thriller. The Knicks are 9-2 in the month of December and have won 15 of their last 19 games.
  2. Indiana travels to Boston for the first of two games over the next three days against the Celtics in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch from last season. Boston will try to snap their first two-game losing streak of 2024-25 after dropping a tight one to the Philadelphia Sixers on Christmas.
  3. Cleveland will play their first of a four-game road trip out west as the Denver Nuggets welcome the league-leading 26-4 Cavaliers to town. The Cavs are putting up a blistering 123.8 points per game during their current five-game win streak, with an average margin of victory of 20 points.

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