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Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from Jan. 5

Stay up to date on the latest NBA news, scores and storylines tonight with our Nightly Pulse live blog.

NBA.com Staff

🏀Sunday’s slate of games🏀

  • Celtics 92, Thunder 105 (Final)
  • Pelicans 110, Wizards 98 (Final)
  • Hornets 105, Cavaliers 115 (Final)
  • Jazz 105, Magic 92 (Final)
  • Lakers 115, Rockets 119 (Final)
  • Kings 129, Warriors 99 (Final)

📝Top stories📝

  1. The Thunder won their 15th game in a row off the strength of a dominant second half. Oklahoma City entered the break trailing 65-55, but clamped down hard defensively on Boston, holding the Celtics to just 27 points in the second half, while putting 50 on the board, ending the game with a 105-92 victory. The Thunder are now 30-5 and have a 7.0 game lead for the top seed in the West. 
  2. Cleveland continued their supreme play, defeating the Hornets and winning their 10th straight game, to move to 31-4. All 10 of their wins during this stretch have been by double digits, making the run that much more impressive. Next up for the Cavaliers will be a matchup of the top two teams in the NBA when the Thunder visit the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and each team puts their winning streak on the line. 
  3. After losing three of four, the Rockets got back on track, defeating a surging Lakers team who had won eight of their last 11. The game came down to the wire, but a Fred VanVleet swipe on an inbounds pass ended any chance Los Angeles had of tying the game up while down three with seven seconds to go. 

🌟Top performers🌟

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals, two blocks. 
  • Jalen Green: 33 points, six rebounds, and four assists. 
  • Malik Monk: 26 points, 12 assists, four steals, and one block.

🟣Light the beam🟣

The Kings won their fourth game in a row, and did so in convincing fashion, beating the Warriors 129-99.

With Fox out of action, Monk shined, finishing with 26 points (9-14 FG, 5-8 3PT), 12 assists, three rebounds, and four steals. Sabonis was also strong, posting another double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds, also dishing out seven assists.

Curry had 20 points at the half, but couldn’t build much on that, finishing with 26.

🔨Big hammer Monk🔨

Monk elevates in a crowded lane and explodes for a huge one-handed dunk.

The Kings continue to run away with things, as they hold a 123-84 lead over the Warriors with just a few minutes remaining in the game.

🍽️Monk serving them up🍽️

Malik Monk drives to the lane and finds Kevin Huerter open beyond the arc for his 12th assist on the evening, while Huerter knocks down his third triple.

The Kings are holding court, with a 94-72 lead over the Warriors late in the third quarter. Monk leads all Sacramento scorers with 22, while Curry’s 26 are a game-high.

👑Kings reigning👑

Keon Ellis takes flight to throw down the lob for two of his nine points in a relentless first half of offense from the Kings. They head into halftime with a 75-51 lead over the Warriors.

With De’Aaron Fox out, you would’ve expected Sacramento’s offense to struggle, but they’re shooting a blistering 57.4% from the field, including 47.8% from three. Malik Monk has poured in 16 points and has already dished out 10 dimes in Fox’s absence. Sabonis could be on triple-double watch, as he’s already tallied 18 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

Stephen Curry is doing what he can for the Warriors, scoring 20 points on near-perfect 6-7 shooting, including 4-5 from long distance.

🫳Rockets snatch W🫳

The Lakers had the ball down three, with seven seconds remaining, but Fred VanVleet stole the inbounds pass to secure a 119-115 win for Houston.

Green finished with 33 points for the Rockets, shooting 5-12 from distance, and also grabbed six rebounds, and earned four assists. Thompson was huge as well, scoring 23 on 11-19 shooting and pulling down 16 rebounds.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while James fell just one assist shy of a triple-double, with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists

Goes way🆙

Green chucks up a tough three that looks like an airball but Thompson gets up and treats it like an alley-oop to slam it home.

The Rockets and Lakers are headed to a tight finish, with Houston holding a two-point advantage, 117-115 and just seconds remaining.

📺Welcome to the show📺

Devin Carter scores his first career points as he makes his NBA debut after recovering from shoulder surgery.

The Kings are up early, 40-28 over the Warriors with the second quarter just getting underway. Domantas Sabonis already has eight points and eight rebounds to lead Sacramento.

Stephen Curry has it going early for Golden State with 11 points on 4-5 shooting.

Jazz play to victory🎹🎷🥁🎼

Utah picked up their second straight win, defeating Orlando 105-92.

Brice Sensabaugh was pivotal for the Jazz, scoring 27 off the bench on 5-6 shooting from three in 28 minutes. Walker Kessler was dominant on the glass, securing 17 rebounds and chipping in 10 points.

Orlando struggled to get much going offensively, shooting just 35.7% from the field. Jett Howard was their leading scorer with 21 points off the bench. Cole Anthony was their only starter to reach double figures with 12 points.

🚀Rockets taking off🚀

Green gets the block and the ball then pushes it upcourt and finds Amen Thompson for the alley-oop slam.

The Rockets hold a 91-89 lead going into the final frame after being outscored by the Lakers 40-24 in the third quarter. Los Angeles is getting strong contributions from Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis with each scoring 19. Reaves also has eight assists, while Davis has nine rebounds, and James is flirting with a triple-double, with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Green has remained hot for Houston and leads all scorers with 28.

🌶️Cavaliers stay hot🌶️

Cleveland has now won 10 straight after defeating Charlotte 115-105, pushing their record to an astounding 31-4. Darius Garland put up 25 to lead all scorers, and Jarrett Allen posted a double-double, scoring 19 and grabbing 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Miller and Ball were strong in their return from injury, each scoring 24 points, but it wasn’t enough to put one in the win column for the Hornets.

🪽Pelicans soar🪽

New Orleans controlled the action throughout on their way to a 110-98 win over the Wizards. The win is the second straight for the Pelicans, as they look to get some momentum going in what has been a rough start to their season.

Dejounte Murray was a catalyst in the victory, securing a triple-double with 14 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. Murphy and CJ McCollum cooked from deep, shooting a combined 10-21 from long distance, with the former scoring 22 and the latter pouring in 25.

It was Kyle Kuzma though who led all scorers with 28 points, while 2024 No. 1 selection, Alexandre Sarr put up a double-double, scoring 18 and grabbing 11 rebounds.

🪂Getting hangtime🪂

Jalen Green gets into the lane and takes off, then hangs in the air as he runs into LeBron James to get the finish for an and-1 opportunity.

Green is cooking early, with 18 first-quarter points on 7-8 shooting. His performance has aided the Rockets to a fast start and a 39-22 lead over the Lakers early in the second quarter.

 

ᯓ★🎸Rim rocker

Murphy III is in his groove still for New Orleans, this time working around Alexandre Sarr and throwing it down for the two-handed dunk. Murphy now has 18 points to lead all scorers as the Pelicans have pushed their lead to 20, 71-51 early in the third quarter.

😱That ball movement😱

Pelicans get the ball on the break, ending with Dejounte Murray completing a no-look behind-the-back pass to CJ McCollum for the easy lay-in.

New Orleans remains in charge with a 60-45 lead over the Wizards at the break. Murphy III is now 4-for-8 from three and has 16 points to lead the squad. Kyle Kuzma has 15 to lead all Washington scorers.

🔥Murphy III has the heat🔥

Trey Murphy III is off to a fast start for the Pelicans, hitting 3-5 triple attempts on his way to 11 points. He also has seven rebounds along the way.

It’s not just Murphy III cooking, as New Orleans has jumped out to a 43-27 lead on Washington early in the second quarter, and are shooting 9-19 as a team from deep.

💫Pulls out the wizardry💫

LaMelo Ball is making a difference in his return to play showing off his fast-break brilliance on this behind-the-back pass to Cody Martin for a bucket.

The return of Ball and Brandon Miller has the Hornets competitive early in Cleveland, trailing just 29-23 after a quarter of play.

Miller is Charlotte’s leading scorer with eight on 3-4 shooting, while Ball is just behind him with seven.

💥Thunder rolls💥

Oklahoma City put their No. 1 defense on full display in the second half against Boston, holding them to just 27 points over the final two quarters, leading to a 105-92 victory. The victory is the Thunder’s 15th in a row, pushing their record to 30-5 as they sit atop the Western Conference.

Aside from their stifling defense, Lu Dort was key down the stretch, nailing three triples in the final two minutes and aiding the Thunder in pulling away.

Gilgeous-alexander posted a full stat line, scoring 33 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out six assists, and earning three steals and two blocks.

Tatum was Boston’s leading scorer, getting himself 26 points to go with 10 rebounds.

Defense▶️Offense

Gilgeous-Alexander gets the block from behind on Tatum, then finds Isaiah Hartenstein with the lob for a massive throwdown erupting the Thunder crowd.

Oklahoma City has completely clamped down on the Celtics in the second half, holding them to just 23 points since the break, and less than three minutes are remaining in the game. The Thunder have a 94-88 lead.

Hot one in Oklahoma City🥵 🌶️ 🔥

The Celtics and Thunder are in a close one, with Boston holding an 80-76 lead going into the final frame, after a Kristaps Porziņģis bucket for the corner. Boston had a strong start offensively, scoring 65 first-half points, but were held to just 15 in the third quarter.

Jaylen Brown has poured in 21 points, which leads all Boston scorers, but Porziņģis isn’t far behind with 19 points, followed closely by Jayson Tatum with 17. 

Shai Gilgeous Alexander leads all scorers with 26, as he carries the load for the Thunder. Aaron Wiggins is the only other player in double digits for Oklahoma City with 15 off the bench.

📚Top3️⃣Stories📚

  1. It’s a battle of streaks when the Cavaliers host the Hornets on Sunday evening. Cleveland comes into the matchup as a winner of nine straight, while Charlotte has struggled as the loser of nine in a row. The Cavaliers’ run has been dominant, with all victories over this stretch coming by double-digits, which hasn’t been done since the 2017-18 76ers squad.  LaMelo Ball (ankle, wrist) and Brandon Miller (ankle) are questionable for the contest, and their absences have been a significant part of the Hornets’ struggling run. Their potential returns would be key in Charlotte being able to slow down Cleveland and ending their impressive run as well as their own nine-game skid. 
  2. The Lakers are 8-3 over their last 11 games, including winning two in a row, and are surging up the Western Conference standings. They’ll put their recent run to the test against the No. 2 team in the West when they visit Houston this evening. The Rockets though are on a slight downturn, losers of three of their last four games, and have lost Jabari Smith to a broken hand for at least the next four weeks. Earning a win here could be key as a statement-maker for the Lakers, while Houston will be working to get back to their winning ways. 
  3. The Kings are winners of three straight, including victories over the Grizzlies and red-hot 76ers, and appear to be amid a turnaround after the recent firing of head coach Mike Brown. Sitting at 16-19, a win over the 18-16 Warriors would be key as they work to move up the Western Conference standings. However, with De’Aaron Fox (glute) ruled out it may put Sacramento at a serious disadvantage when they enter the Chase Center to square off with Golden State. The Warriors also have injury concerns of their own, with Jonathan Kuminga set to miss time with an ankle sprain.

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