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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Dec. 31

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

NBA.com Staff

New Year’s Eve Hoops ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿฅณ

Boston 125, Toronto 71 (Final)

Milwaukee 120, Indiana 112 (Final)

San Antonio 122, Los Angeles Clippers 86 (Final)

Oklahoma City 113, Minnesota 105 (Final)

Cleveland 122, Los Angeles Lakers 110 (Final)

Memphis 117, Phoenix 112 (Final)

Top Storylines ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿ“

1. Milwaukee completes a massive comeback in Indiana. The Bucks were trailing by 19 points midway through the third quarter but outscored the Pacers by 27 points over the closing 19 minutes to prevail. They now have a 16-6 record across their last 22 games.
2. Boston snatches record-breaking home win. The Celtics beat the Raptors, 125-71, the largest margin of victory this storied franchise has ever had at home. The 71 points are also the lowest total of any team all season.
3. The Thunder extend their winning streak to 12 games. Oklahoma City was in a close-fought battle until they rode a 43-23 third quarter to their victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. They now sit atop the Western Conference with a 27-5 record.

๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ Top Performers ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 30 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals in a comeback win over the Indiana Pacers.
2. Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a blowout victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 40 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in a comeback win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
4. Austin Reaves provided 35 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists in a defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
5. Jarrett Allen shot 12-of-14 from the field to lead Cleveland with 27 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in their road win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
6. Jaren Jackson tallied 38 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals in a road victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Grizzlies Defeat Suns, 117-112๐Ÿปโ˜ โ˜€๏ธ

Despite only having nine men available, Memphis was able to grab this road win.

Jaren Jackson Jr led Memphis with 38 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Desmond Bane had 31 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

Kevin Durant led Phoenix with 29 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

Cavs Defeat Lakers, 122-110๐ŸŽฌ

Cleveland has an NBA-best 29-5 record. They won all four individual quarters in this game.

Jarrett Allen led the way with 27 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks on 12-of-14 shooting.

Donovan Mitchell had 26 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Darius Garland amassed 14 points, two rebounds, 14 assists and two steals.

Austin Reaves led LA with 35 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

Anthony Davis totaled 28 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1874311641879527579

Grizzlies Lead Suns After 3Q, 91-86๐Ÿป๐Ÿป๐Ÿป

Phoenix outscored Memphis in the third quarter, 31-22.

Jaren Jackson Jr leads the Grizzlies with 28 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Desmond Bane had 26 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Cavs Lead Lakers, 87-78. Headed to the Fourth โš”๏ธโš”๏ธ

Cleveland has an NBA-best 28-4 record, coming into this matchup amid a seven-game winning streak.

Donovan Mitchell leads the way with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists. Jarrett Allen has 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Anthony Davis leads LA with 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Austin Reaves has 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

Thunder Defeat T’Wolves, 113-105โšกโšกโšก

OKC extends their winning streak to 12 games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 40 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals on 15-of-23 shooting.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

The Thunder recorded 16 steals while the Timberwolves had just three, winning the turnover battle, 23-10.

This is 40. LeBron Breakaway Slam ๐Ÿ‘‘๐Ÿ’ฅ

After turning 40 yesterday, King James celebrates with a typical breakaway dunk.

The Cavaliers lead the Lakers at the half, 58-53.

Donovan Mitchell tallied 15 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Jarrett Allen amassed 14 points and eight boards.

James is up to 12 points.

Thunder Drop 43 Points in the Third Quarter. They Lead the T’Wolves, 89-75. โ›ˆ๏ธโ›ˆ๏ธ

OKC scored 19 points off turnovers in that dominant third quarter, outscoring Minnesota, 43-23.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is up to 34 points, three rebounds and two assists on 13-of-17 shooting.

The Thunder are looking to extend their winning streak to 12 games.

Spurs Defeat Clippers, 122-86๐Ÿค ๐Ÿค 

A 31-17 first quarter set the foundation in this blowout victory, with San Antonio maintaining a double-digit lead for the final three frames.

Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

James Harden led LA with 17 points and three boards.

T’Wolves Lead Thunder After Q1, 24-21 ๐Ÿบ๐Ÿบ๐Ÿบ

Julius Randle leads Minnesota with seven points and three rebounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads OKC with 10 points and three boards.

The teams combined to shoot 3-of-20 from three-point range in this slugfest.

Dunk of the Night๐Ÿ‘ฝ๐Ÿ‘ฝ

Chris Paul does what he does best by snatching an assist in this backboard alley-oop to Victor Wembanyama.

The Spurs lead big at the half with Wemby scoring 21 points.

Spurs Lead Clippers at the Half, 63-43 ๐–ค“๐–ค“

James Harden leads the Clips with 13 points and three rebounds. Norman Powell has 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Victor Wembanyama leads the Spurs with 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

OKC Starting Fiveโšกโšกโšกโšกโšก

Oklahoma City has the best record in the NBA and are looking to extend their 11-game winning streak against Minnesota.

They’ll go with their usual starters, aside from Chet Holmgren.

This is the first matchup between these rivals this season.

Spurs Lead Clippers After Q1, 31-17 ๐Ÿค ๐Ÿค ๐Ÿค 

James Harden leads LA with 13 points. The other eight players combined for three points.

Victor Wembanyama has 17 points and three rebounds. Devin Vassell collected six points, two rebounds and three steals.

Spurs Starting 5๏ธโƒฃ

San Antonio has been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA, and they’re looking to close 2024 with a home win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Spurs recently added Devin Vassell back to the starting lineup, joining studs like Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul.

They sit with a 16-16 record.

Clippers Lookin’ Slick in San Antonio ๐ŸŽฌ๐ŸŽฌ

Los Angeles looks to continue their solid play in San Antonio. They have a 19-13 record and come into this matchup winning five of their last six outings.

That looks even better since there are rumblings that Kawhi Leonard (knee) could make his season debut this weekend!

Bucks complete comeback W๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Gary Trent, Jr. drilled four triples on the day, none bigger than these two in the clutch, to help the Milwaukee Bucks complete a 19-point come-from-behind victory on the road over the Indiana Pacers. The loss snaps a two-game skid for Milwaukee, moving them to 17-14 on the season.

The 120-112 loss for the Pacers drops them to 16-18 on the year, as they were outscored 67-48 in the second half. Indiana’s starters all scored in double figures, but Milwaukee got 49 points from their bench, good for +17 in that category.

Celtics cruise to W at home๐Ÿ€

The Boston Celtics took care of business at home today when they defeated the Toronto Raptors, 125-71. The 54-point win is the second largest in franchise history, as seven Celtics score in double figures. Boston is now 24-9 on the season.

Scottie Barnes was the only Raptor to score in double figures in the lopsided loss, notching a double-double with 16 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Toronto has now lost 11 games in a row, dropping them to 7-26.

Hali places it perfectly ๐ŸŽฏ

Tyrese Haliburton drops a full court dime to Bennedict Mathurin to give him a team-high 25 points on the day. Milwaukee holds a 118-112 lead with 31.4 seconds left in the game after Giannis splits a pair of free throws.

Tune in now on NBA League Pass to catch the final 30.8 seconds!

Make way for Giannis ๐Ÿ˜ค

Giannis is unstoppable when he gains momentum and gets downhill as he finishes with authority at the rim. He’s got 27 points, ten rebounds, four assists and two steals in almost 30 minutes.

Bucks and Pacers are battling down to the wire in this one, with both teams tied at 104 and 5:31 remaining in the contest.

Bucks back within 3๏ธโƒฃ

Milwaukee storms back in the third with a 24-8 run over the last 6:41 of the quarter. Indiana led 91-88 going into the fourth after being up as many as 19 points in the second half.

Giannis is up to 19 points as the Bucks trail the Pacers, 95-90, with 9:34 to go in the game. Tune in now on NBA League Pass to see if Milwaukee can complete the comeback.

Nembhard getting crafty โœ‚๏ธ

Andrew Nembhard cuts through Milwaukee’s defense before finding Bennedict Mathurin for the easy two-handed slam. Mathurin leads the Pacers with 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3PT), six rebounds and two assists.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has a double-double in his first game back after a four-game absence, recording 16 points, ten rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes.

Bucks still trailing 86-76 with 2:26 to go in the third. Tune in now on NBA League Pass.

Get out of his way ๐Ÿ˜ค

Jaylen Brown is a walking highlight every time he steps on the court. It might not be the flashiest dunk, but he puts his head down and bullies his way to the rim for the tough and-1 jam. He’s got 12 points, nine rebounds (five offensive) and three assists in 25 minutes.

Boston has five players score at least 12 and lead 85-51 with less than a minute left in the third.

Walker is a menace ๐Ÿ’ช

Jarace Walker racks up his third steal of the afternoon to go along with eight points in nine minutes off the bench for the Pacers. Indiana holds Damian Lillard scoreless at the half for just the seventh time in his career.

The third quarter is underway with Indiana up 64-55 over Milwaukee. Tune in now on NBA League Pass!

Jrue from DEEP at the๐Ÿšจ

Jrue Holiday launches and hits from way behind the arc at the buzzer to give Boston the 45-35 lead at the break. He has eight points, two assists and two steals in 16 minutes. The Celtics forced 12 turnovers and held the Raptors to less than 30% shooting overall.

Scottie Barnes has eight points and nine rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl has chipped in three points, ten rebounds, two assists and two steals in almost 20 minutes.

Pacers gaining steam in 2Q

Indiana is shooting 65% (11-for-17) from the field in the second quarter, outscoring Milwaukee 28-18 so far. Damian Lillard is still scoreless (0-for-6) in the game as the Bucks trail 57-48 with 2:56 remaining in the half.

Brown double spin move ๐ŸŒ€

Jaylen Brown puts the defense in a blender and finishes with a nice scoop, giving him six points in almost 14 minutes. Payton Pritchard knocked down four triples off the bench for a game-high 12 points.

Boston has held Toronto to just 25% (9-for-36) shooting from the field as they lead 35-23 with under five minutes to go in the half.

Trent Jr. heats up ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Gary Trent, Jr. fuels Milwaukee to a 12-2 run to end the first quarter. He leads all scorers with eight points while knocking down a pair of threes. Indiana has ten players score as they hold a 41-37 lead with 8:26 remaining before halftime.

White drops 10 in 1Q๐Ÿ’ฆ

Derrick White leads the way for the Celtics with 10 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 3PT) and two blocks, giving him over 400 career swats. Payton Pritchard knocked down two triples off the bench for his six points, helping Boston secure a 23-12 lead after one.

Tune in now on NBA League Pass to catch the second quarter action.

Dame dropping dimes ๐Ÿคฉ

Damian Lillard finds the streaking Andre Jackson, Jr. for the easy slam. Dame and Giannis are a combined 0-for-6 from the field to start this one, but Milwaukee and Indiana are tied at 14 with less than five minutes to go in the first quarter.

Thunder-Wolves tonight ๐Ÿ‘€

Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder square off against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves in this Western Conference showdown. Don’t miss this star-studded matchup to prepare you to flip your calendars to 2025.

25 Years of Trivia ๐Ÿ€

How many questions did you answer correctly? Celebrate 2025 in the NBA App to test your basketball knowledge over the last quarter century.

Giannis back for Bucks ๐ŸฆŒ

Giannis Antetokounmpo returns for the Milwaukee Bucks today after missing the last four games with an illness. Milwaukee went 2-2 without the Greek Freak and will look to snap a two-game skid when they take on the Indiana Pacers.

Raptors’ starting unit ๐Ÿฆ–

Toronto will look to end their 10-game losing streak against the Boston Celtics today. Tip-off is set for 3 ET on NBA League Pass.

Top Storylines ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ“

  1. LeBron James will play his first game since turning 40 yesterday when the Los Angeles Lakers host the surging Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers have won two straight and five of their last six games to bring their record to 18-13 on the season.
  2. The Oklahoma City Thunder put their 11-game win streak on the line against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that’s won three straight of their own. Over his last ten games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 33.5 points while shooting better than 55% from the field.
  3. Cleveland goes for an eighth consecutive win on the second night of a back-to-back when they visit the aforementioned Lakers. The Cavs have won 11 of their last 12 games as they sit first in field goal percentage (50.4) and three point percentage (40.8) in 2024-25.

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