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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Jan 2.

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

NBA.com Staff

🏀Thursday’s NBA Slate🏀

Boston 118, Minnesota 115 (Final)

Indiana 128, Miami 115 (Final)

Oklahoma City 116, Los Angeles Clippers 98 (Final)

Brooklyn 113, Milwaukee 110 (Final)

Golden State 139, Philadelphia 105 (Final)

Los Angeles Lakers 114, Portland 106 (Final)

Top Storylines👉📝

  1. The Oklahoma City Thunder completed a 16-point comeback in their 116-98 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to earn a 13th consecutive victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fueled his squad with 29 points and eight assists as they extended their longest winning streak in the OKC era.
  2. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers picked up a win over the Miami Heat, giving them their seventh win in the last ten games. Haliburton is the only player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 15+ assists, 5+ 3PM and 0 turnovers in a game, and tonight was the second time he’s finished with this stat line. 
  3. Stephen Curry scored 30 points with 10 assists, going 8-for-8 on three-point attempts or better for the first time in his career. He is the first player in NBA history to shoot 8-for-8 from three while handing out ten assists, helping Golden State earn a much-needed win to start the new year.
  4.  LeBron James scored 38 points tonight in a win over the Blazers, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to score 35+ at age 40 or older. James also ties MJ for the most 30-point games in NBA history with 562 over his 22-year career.

⭐🌟Top Performers🌟⭐

  1. LeBron James: 38 points (15-25 FG, 7-10 3PT, 1-2 FT), three rebounds and eight assists.
  2. Tyrese Haliburton: 33 points (13-21 FG, 6-13 3PT, 1-3 FT), five rebounds, season-high 15 assists, two steals, a block and 0 turnovers.
  3. Jayson Tatum: 33 points (13-27 FG, 6-17 3PT, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals.

LeBron ices it for LA🥶

The King’s seventh triple on the evening is a dagger for the LA Lakers, as they pull away from the Portland Trail Blazers for a 114-106 victory. The win moves Los Angeles to 19-14 on the season.

LeBron finished with 38 points in 36 minutes, and Austin Reaves continues his stellar play with 15 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists and two steals.

Avdija beats 3 Lakers 🤯

Deni Avdija leads the break and beats three Lakers after putting on the brakes. He’s got 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists as Portland tries to come from behind in Los Angeles.

LeBron has 36 points (14-24 FG, 7-10 3PT) and eight assists to lead LA, and Max Christie has a career-high 28 points in almost 31 minutes. The Lakers have a 110-104 lead with 52.4 left in the game. Tune in now on NBA League Pass.

Vintage Curry takes over in W

Steph Curry put on a show at the Chase Center as the Golden State Warriors cruise past the Philadelphia 76ers, 139-105. Chef scored a game-high 30 points while knocking down all eight of his three-point attempts, adding six rebounds, ten assists and a steal in 30 minutes.

The Warriors shot 61% from the field overall and canned 22 triples on 39 attempts, good for 56.4% from distance. Joel Embiid recorded a double-double with 28 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks in 31 minutes of action.

Everything falling for GSW

Jonathan Kuminga gets the and-1 to fall after beating Tyrese Maxey. JK is up to 18 points with four rebounds and five assists in almost 24 minutes. Over his last four games, Kuminga is averaging 25 points per outing.

Five Warriors have scored at least 15, and Steph Curry is the high man in the game with 30 points on a perfect 8-for-8 from deep. Golden State up big on Philly, 116-86, with 8:52 remaining in the contest.

Timing is everything🚫

Toumani Camara jumps with Christian Koloko and times this swat perfectly. Camara and Deni Avdija both have nine points for the Blazers, and Shaedon Sharpe leads the scoring for Portland with 14 and four rebounds.

LeBron ends the first half with 18 points, two rebounds and five assists, scoring 14 of his 18 in the second quarter. The Lakers lead the Trail Blazers 60-51 at the break.

Chef, Warriors raining 3s 💦

Steph Curry is perfect from long range (6-for-6) and has 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Golden State is shooting 59.3% (16-for-27) from three and lead the Sixers 89-69 with 4:31 remaining in the third quarter.

Simons reaches 5K career points

Anfernee Simons gets to the cup and finishes through traffic for his 5,000th career point. Congratulations on a career milestone!

LeBron James is up to 15 points all of sudden and has the Lakers in front of the Blazers, 52-49, with 2:03 left before the half.

Warriors’ share the rock🤗

Steph Curry finds a cutting Andrew Wiggins for the easy layup as Golden State leads Philadelphia 68-52 at halftime. Wiggins has ten points, four rebounds and four assists, one of five Warriors with at least nine points.

Joel Embiid leads the Sixers with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks in almost 19 minutes. Catch the second half live on TNT, truTV and Max.

King James making plays 👑

LeBron James is dialed in for the Lakers with two beautiful assists. The King has four points and three dimes as LA trails Portland 31-27 after one.

Shaedon Sharpe has been lights out with 11 points in ten minutes to lead the way for the Blazers. Tune in for the second quarter, live now on NBA League Pass.

OKC wins 13 in a row🚨

SGA led the Thunder with 29 points in their 13th consecutive win tonight, beating the LA Clippers by a final of 116-98. Jalen Williams added 18 points, four assists and two steals for OKC, as they move to 28-5 and sit atop the Western Conference standings.

Amir Coffey got the start and made the most of it with James Harden (groin) sidelined, finishing with a season-high in both points (26) and three-pointers made (6). Los Angeles is now 19-15 after losing two in a row.

TJD sends a message🤯

Trayce Jackson-Davis goes right at Joel Embiid for the fourth spot on the dunk leaderboard.

The Warriors have nailed 11 triples and are shooting 64.7% from the field, as they lead the Sixers 57-40 with 4:50 remaining before halftime.

Bucks go on 20-0 run😱

Damian Lillard helps cap a 20-0 run from 6:38 left in the fourth to bring Milwaukee to within one point. Bucks trail 111-110 with 23.1 seconds remaining after a successful coach’s challenge by Doc Rivers.

Turn this game on NOW, live on NBA League Pass.

Schröder hits 1K career 3s🥳

Dennis Schröder knocks down two triples to give him six points on the night, and 1,000 three-pointers for his career. Golden State is out to an early 17-7 lead over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.

Tune in now on TNT, truTV and Max for some late night hoops.

Hali paces Indy in W💦

Haliburton was sensational in the Pacers’ 128-115 win over the Heat, dropping a season-high 15 dimes with zero turnovers in almost 35 minutes. Pascal Siakam had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and was one of six Indiana players to score at least 12 points.

The loss drops Miami to 17-15 on the season, while Indiana’s win moves them to 17-18. Kel’el Ware had a career-high 25 points (9-11 FG, 3-4 3PT, 4-5 FT) and three blocks in almost 22 minutes off the bench for the Heat.

Giannis can’t be stopped😤

Antetokounmpo gets fouled and flips it up for the finish off glass with his left hand. Giannis leads a 17-4 Milwaukee run to finish the third quarter, giving him 22 points, ten rebounds, six assists, a steal and two blocks.

The Bucks and Nets are both shooting 49% overall, but Brooklyn has been able to sustain a 104-87 lead almost three minutes into the fourth.

Celtics hang on for W🍀

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics held on for the 118-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves after Anthony Edwards misses what would’ve been a game-tying three. Tatum (33) and Derrick White (26) combine for 59 points in the road win.

Julius Randle finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in almost 40 minutes. Ant struggled a bit with his shot, scoring 15 points while shooting 5-for-16 from the field and 2-for-9 from deep.

Nets are dialed in 😎

Cam Johnson nails his fifth triple on the night to give him 19 points with three boards. He’s one of five Nets players with at least 11 points as Brooklyn leads Milwaukee 88-68 with 4:40 left in the third.

Tune in live on NBA League Pass to see if the Bucks can mount a comeback of the final quarter plus.

Zubac finishes the and-1

Ivica Zubac gets Isaiah Hartenstein to bite on the pump fake, leading to the bucket and the foul. He has 11 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes of play.

After leading by four at the half, LA has been outscored 34-15 by OKC in the third, giving the Thunder an 82-67 lead with 2:57 remaining in the quarter.

Haliburton, Pacers clicking🤩

Haliburton has 28 points, a season-high 15 assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block in a little over 29 minutes. Myles Turner (20) and Pascal Siakam (14) are two of six Pacers to score at least ten points.

Miami is led by Bam Adebayo with 20 points and eight rebounds, and Kel’el Ware has a career-high 19 points with three triples, scoring 11 of those in the fourth quarter. Heat still trail the Pacers 121-105 with less than five minutes to go in the game.

Minott two-hand 🔨

Josh Minott and the Timberwolves use a 20-7 run over the last 4:52 to tie the Celtics at 94 with 9:16 left in the game. Jayson Tatum (28 points) and Julius Randle (24 points) are battling as each team looks to secure their first victory of 2025.

Tune in now on TNT, truTV and Max to catch the exciting conclusion!

JDub beats the 🚨

Jalen Williams sprints past everyone and finishes the floater to beat the halftime buzzer to bring OKC to within four of the Clippers. JDub has seven points, a steal and a block, and SGA leads all players with 14 points and six assists.

Gobert punishes the rim💪

Rudy Gobert lands atop the dunk score leaderboard with this poster after grabbing the offensive rebound, his third of the evening. He’s got six points and seven boards in 26 minutes as the Wolves try to catch the Celtics.

Both teams are shooting at least 42% from three-point territory, but Boston has the 82-74 advantage over Minnesota with 3:06 left in the third.

KPJ switches hands 👀

Kevin Porter, Jr. absorbs the contact from Hartenstein and switches hands in mid-air for an incredible finish. KPJ is the high man for the Clippers with ten points as LA holds a 47-40 lead over the Thunder with 3:01 remaining in the first half.

Myles Turner with authority💥

Haliburton finds Turner wide open for the emphatic slam, giving him nine points, three boards and a block at halftime. Hali is one assist shy of a double-double in less than 18 minutes with 16 points and nine helpers.

Bam and Herro each have 12 points as the Heat trail the Pacers 66-50 at the break.

Claxton throws down the lob

Nix Claxton gets behind the defense for the alley-oop in traffic from Cam Thomas. Thomas is providing a spark off the bench for the Nets with 12 points in only five minutes of play, scoring the last seven points for Brooklyn.

Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Milwaukee Bucks with eight points, three rebounds and three assists, but they trail the Brooklyn Nets 30-23 after one.

SGA’s tough and-1 😤

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishes through contact after a beautiful feed from Isaiah Hartenstein. SGA has seven quick points and five assists in just eight minutes.

The Thunder lead the LA Clippers 20-18 with 3:46 left in the first quarter. Los Angeles moved Amir Coffey into the starting lineup with no James Harden tonight.

Hauser catching fire 🔥🔥

Sam Hauser joined the Celtics’ starting lineup tonight with no Jaylen Brown or Kristaps Porziņģis for Boston. He has 12 points on four made triples, while Jayson Tatum adds 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Boston starts the second quarter on a 28-12 run to take a 56-47 lead with 2:33 to go before halftime. Tune in on TNT, truTV and Max.

Pacers up big after 1Q♨️

Haliburton leads Indiana to a blazing start over Miami, shooting 65.2% from the field and going 7-for-15 from three-point range. Pacers finish the first quarter up 13 and hold a 45-34 lead with 8:28 left in the first half.

Terry Rozier poured in eight points off the bench in five first quarter minutes. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have eight points each as the Heat look to keep up with the Pacers.

Hali heating up in Miami🔥

Tyrese Haliburton leads all scorers early with nine points while shooting 3-for-4 from long range. He’s added four assists, a steal and a block in eight minutes of play.

Pacers lead the Heat 24-17 with 3:57 left in the first quarter. Tune in now on NBA League Pass!

Wolves, Celtics trading 3s🎯

Both teams have combined to hit 13 triples in the first ten minutes of the game. Minnesota has hit seven of those, giving them a 29-24 lead with 2:34 left in the opening frame.

Jrue Holiday has eight points to lead Boston, and Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels matched with eight apiece to pace the Timberwolves.

Warriors’ first game of 2025

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors (16-16) step into the new year with a fresh start after dropping seven of their last ten games. The Sixers (13-18) are fighting to get back into playoff contention in the East after their 4-14 start through November.

Indiana’s first 🖐

The Pacers (16-18) take on the Heat (17-14) in Miami as both teams jockey for position in the East. Both teams are 6-4 in their last ten games, with the Heat going for a third straight win.

This Eastern Conference matchup tips off at 7:30 ET on NBA League Pass.

Tatum ready for road battle🍀

Jayson Tatum leads Boston’s third ranked offense into a road matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves and their sixth ranked defense. Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET on TNT, truTV and Max.

📢📝Top Storylines📢📝

  1. The Oklahoma City Thunder (27-5) are going for a 13th consecutive win tonight when they host the Los Angeles Clippers. During their 12-game win streak, OKC has the best defensive rating (101.7) and second-best net rating (15.1), along with the lowest turnover ratio (11.7%).
  2. Two of the top 16 scorers in the NBA faceoff tonight when Jayson Tatum (28.3 ppg) and the Boston Celtics visit Anthony Edwards (24.8 ppg) and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Boston is fresh off of their second-largest victory in franchise history, while the Wolves look to rebound from a loss to the surging Thunder.
  3. The Philadelphia 76ers will try to get back in the win column after they were outscored 15-0 to end the game last night in Sacramento. They’ll take on the struggling Warriors tonight on national television, as Golden State is 3-7 in their last ten games.

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