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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Nov. 12

It's the first night of the Emirates NBA Cup action around the league. Stay up to date with the latest NBA news and highlights.

NBA.com Staff

🏆Emirates NBA Cup Scores Tonight 🏆

Magic 114, Hornets 89

Pistons 123, Heat 121 

Hawks 117, Celtics 116

Knicks 111, 76ers 99

Bucks 99, Raptors 85

Suns 120, Jazz 112

Trail Blazers 122, Timberwolves 108

Warriors 120, Mavericks 117

📈 Tonight’s Top NBA Performers 📈

  1. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat: 40 Points (14-27 FG, 10-17 3Pt, 8 Assists)
  2. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors: Season-high 37 Points, including the Warriors’ final 12 points to seal the win over the Mavericks.
  3. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks: 2nd Career Triple-Double (19 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists)

📰 Top NBA Storylines Tonight 📰

1.) Klay’s return to the Bay: It was a special scene tonight at the Chase Center as Klay Thompson returned to where he spent 11 legendary seasons in the blue and gold. Thompson was treated to a pregame tribute video and a raucous reception from the home crowd as they honored the franchise icon.

Thompson had the 3-ball going all night as he sunk six treys on 12 attempts en route to scoring 22 to match a season-high.

The pregame tribute was certainly Captain Klay approved

Klay put the home crowd on notice that he’s still got his range.

2.) Steph seals the win: Steph Curry couldn’t let his former Splash Brother have all the fun tonight as he went to work with a season-high 37 points. Curry saved his best for last by scoring the final 12 points for Golden State, including a nifty go-ahead layup with 1:50 to go and a dagger 3-pointer to go up four with 27.1 seconds to go.

3.) Hawks upset Celtics in Boston: Just eight days after taking a 30 point loss on their home floor to the Celtics, the Hawks returned the favor by capturing the victory in the first game of Group Play in the NBA Cup. Dyson Daniels shined with a career-high 28 points and Jalen Johnson logged the second triple-double of his career. It was an impressive showing from the young Hawks core without its leader, Trae Young.

Honorable Mentions

OT thriller in Detroit: The Heat and Pistons added to the list of thrilling games on the first night of the NBA Cup. This game had terrific individual performances like Tyler Herro’s 40 points with 10 3’s and clutch moments like the Pistons’ inbound alley-oop to tie it up with time winding down in overtime. A technical foul by Miami allowed Detroit to seal the game with a free throw. Jalen Rose’s reaction at the end says it all.

Joel Embiid’s return

Joel Embiid made his season debut Tuesday night against the Knicks. Though there was still some rust, Embiid’s presence from here on will be a lift to this 76ers team. He finished the night with 13 points and five assists over 26 minutes of action in the 111-99 loss to New York.

You can read more about Embiid’s return here at NBA.com.

🤩 Steph shines as Warriors win in Thompson’s return 🤩

The pregame was all about Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay Area, and rightfully so. But once the ball was tipped, Steph Curry stole the show.

It was a vintage performance from one of the original Splash Brothers as Curry hit five triples en route to dropping a season-high 37 points. Curry scored the Warriors’ final 12 points.

Don’t look now, but Curry has scored 36 and 37 points in his last two.

🛵 Scoot with the circus shot 🎪

Portland’s Scoot Henderson helped put an exclamation point on tonight’s 122-108 win over the Timberwolves. His terrific layup gave Portland an 18-point lead with under two minutes remaining as the Blazers banked a quality win in front of the home crowd.

The Trail Blazers set the tone with a 28-17 first quarter and also outscored the Timberwolves by 12 in the third. The bench brigade was a big factor as well as four players (Scoot Henderson, Robert Williams, Dalano Blanton and Deni Avdija) scored in double figures.

🚨 Blazers at the buzzer 🚨

The Trail Blazers have had a flare for the dramatic tonight with buzzer-beaters to end the first and third quarters. Dalano Banton canned the triple to close out the first and Deni Avdija hit a tough triple to put a bow on the third.

The Blazers have built a double-digit lead over the Timberwolves midway through the fourth. Catch the action now on NBA League Pass.

Not for nothing, but that Blazers homecourt for the NBA Cup is 🔥

😤 Steph Curry with the shot 3️⃣

Curry cans a deep triple to cross over the 20-point mark on the night midway through the third quarter. Check the Warriors-Mavericks action now on TNT.

He’s dishing up dimes, too.

🌞 Final in Phoenix 🌵

The Suns got the 120-112 win in Tuesday’s Group Play matchup against the Jazz. Every win is important for this Suns team as they navigate the coming weeks without Kevin Durant, who is dealing with a calf injury.

Devin Booker stepped up with 31 points and Grayson Allen provided some perimeter shooting off the bench with four made 3’s.

🦖 Career night for Gradey Dick 🦖

Gradey Dick went for 32 points in tonight’s loss to the Bucks, marking a new career-high for the second-year man out of Kansas. He is off to an excellent start this season, averaging 20.0 points per game through 12 outings. Tuesday marked his third 30-point outing of the young season.

Vintage Klay on display

Thompson treated Warriors fans to a familiar sight early in tonight’s game as he got to his spot and drained a transition 3-pointer.

You can catch Warriors-Mavericks in West Group C action on TNT.

🤯 Dyson Daniels is on one 🤯

Daniels is making quite the impression in his first year with the Hawks. His 36 steals through 10 games are the most in that span since Allen Iverson in 2003. That’s pretty good company to be keeping, Mr. Daniels.

Daniels swiped six steals in tonight’s win over the Celtics and also set a new career-high in points with 28, besting his previous career-high by 10 points. Have a night.

😁 Klay Thompson gets warm reception 😎

Warriors legend, Klay Thompson, is making his return to the Chase Center tonight and the home crowd is giving him a warm reception. Thompson was one of the driving forces of the Warriors’ dynasty that banked four NBA titles.

It’s all love for Captain Klay in the Bay Area. Check out the amazing tribute video put together by the Warriors and the crowd’s reaction.

😼KAT-like reflexes

Karl-Anthony Towns drew a crowd in the paint but it didn’t faze him as he found a cutting Mikal Bridges for the easy hoop.

The Knicks secured a 111-99 victory on the road over the 76ers to move to 5-5 on the year. Towns finished with 21 points and 13 boards while OG Anunoby led the Knicks in scoring with 24.

✍️That’s how you draw it up

Detroit dialed up the perfect inbounds play and the combo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren executed it to perfection with the alley-oop to tie it, and Detroit converted the technical free throw to take the lead.

It was a fitting end to one of the most exciting games of the night, an overtime thriller resulting in a 123-121 Pistons win over the Heat.

Tyler Herro did his part for the Heat with 40 points, which was one shy of tying his career-high. He hit 10 3’s to tie a career-high.

We had the same reaction, Mr. Rose 🤣

💪More like Bruno FerJAMdo

Toronto’s Bruno Fernando reached ALL THE WAY back to unleash the hammer on the Bucks in Tuesday’s Emirates NBA Cup showdown.

It’s the highest dunk score of the night and the rim has been reported as questionable to return.

🔧Wagner Bros. go to work 💪

The Wagner brothers, Franz and Mo, combined for 50 of Orlando’s 114 points as the Magic cruised to victory tonight. Franz Wagner’s 32 points marked a season-high and Mo tied a season-best with 18 on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor.

🗣️Heat. Pistons. Overtime.

Tune into NBA League Pass to catch overtime in the Heat-Pistons clash in Detroit.

Miami’s Tyler Herro has drained a whopping 10 triples as part of his game-high 38 points.

 

 

🔥 Hawks win thriller over Celtics 🔥

Jalen Johnson notched his second career triple-double as the Hawks narrowly edged out the Celtics in the first game of the Emirates NBA Cup. Atlanta’s ability to scratch out a win over one of the best teams in the NBA on the road and without Trae Young makes it all the more impressive.

Atlanta also got huge contributions from Dyson Daniels (28 points) and Clint Capela (18 points, 9 rebounds). The game had 14 lead changes and was tied on 13 separate occasions.

Peep the pro tip from Onyeka Okongwu for the eventual game-winner.

🥲 All the feels

Klay Thompson gets set to take the floor against the Warriors for the first time as a Maverick. Catch the action tonight at 10 ET on TNT.

Thompson’s 2,481 made 3’s as a member of the Warriors ranked sixth all-time and he is in shouting distance of passing Reggie Miller (2,560) for fifth on that illustrious list this season.

💪 Dunk of the night candidate 😱

Miami’s Kel’el Ware finishes off the lob for our highest-rated dunk score of the night so far.

🍿 Down to the wire in Boston 🍿

The Hawks and Celtics are in the midst of a back-and-forth showdown in their first games of the Emirates NBA Cup. Catch the finish on NBA League Pass.

Dyson Daniels is challenging for 30 points for the Hawks and Jaylen Brown is having himself a night with 32 points thus far.

Monster Moussa Slam 💪

Diabaté sees the rim and explodes toward it for a powerful jam. 

See where Moussa’s dunk sits on the NBA Dunk Score rankings for Tuesday night.  Despite the slam, the Hornets are struggling, losing 95-66 to the Magic with the fourth quarter underway.

Putting them on skates ⛸️

Brown puts on a clinic as he dips in his bag before hitting the long two.

Brown continues to lead the way for Boston with 26 points, as the Celtics hold a 91-84 lead against the Hawks after three quarters. Clint Capela has been the leader for the Hawks as he nears a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds.

George on fire in the first half 🔥

Paul George leads all scorers in Philadelphia with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 3-4 from three. He also has five rebounds and three steals at the break.

Joel Embiid has eight points in his season debut, all from the free-throw line. Ultimately though, it’s the Knicks with the lead, 54-50 after two quarters.

Thunderous start in Milwaukee ⚡

Brook Lopez spins and throws it down with a two-handed slam to open the scoring against the Raptors.

The Bucks have jumped out to a 14-7 lead with Lopez leading all scorers with six.

More OG dunks 💥

Anunoby slashes through the lane and gets the feed from Towns after an offensive rebound, then slams it home.

This dunk currently sits atop the throne of the NBA’s nightly dunk scores.

White2️⃣Brown

The alley-oops keep coming. This time Derrick White finds Jaylen Brown for the stuff.

The Celtics have a 65-54 lead on the Hawks at halftime. Jaylen Brown leads all scorers with 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting, while Jayson Tatum (13) and White (14) are both in double digits. Jalen Johnson leads the way for Atlanta with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

More oops in Motown

With all eyes on Cade, he finds a streaking Jalen Duren for the alley-oop.

The Pistons and Miami are knotted up at 47 as halftime nears.

OG and Hart for the Oop 🔗

Hart floats the alley-oop to OG who throws it down for two.

The Knicks have raced out to a 22-15 lead against the 76ers late in the first. Philadelphia has struggled to get their offense going, shooting 1-for-8 from three. Joel Embiid is scoreless in his return with 5:26 of court time.

Brown is cooking early 🍳

Jaylen Brown is off to a fast start, with 12 points on 4-8 shooting, including this jam as he gets into the paint.

However, the Hawks are the ones holding the lead, 23-21, late in the first quarter.

Defense➡️Offense

A block by Cade Cunningham gets the Pistons on the break as Tobias Harris picks up the loose ball and finds Jaden Ivey who finishes at the rim.

The Pistons have an early 23-17 lead on the Heat, with Harris leading all scorers with nine points on 4-6 shooting.

From all the way downtown 🌆

Jalen Suggs is on fire early as he hits this three just a step away from the logo. Suggs is 5-5 from the field, including 3-3 from deep, and has 13 points so far.

Early throwdown

Taj Gibson gets the feed from Lonzo Ball and takes to the hole for the slam to get the Hornets on the board against Orlando.

The Magic currently lead 13-10 early in the first quarter.

Cade in the building 🏟

Cunningham has found his groove this season, recently completing three straight triple-doubles. He also became just the sixth NBA player since steals began being recorded during the 1973-74 season to compile 3,000 points, 900 assists, and 150 steals in 150 games or fewer. His company is LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Allen Iverson, Grant Hill, and Isiah Thomas. That’s elite company. 

You can check out Cade and the rest of the Pistons when they host the Miami Heat at 7 ET on NBA League Pass.

Making his first NBA start 🎉

Keaton Wallace will get the nod for the Hawks, with Trae Young (Achilles) out of action tonight.

Wallace and Atlanta will have a tough task in Boston going against the defending NBA Champs as Emirates Cup action kicks off.

Captain Klay memories 🧑🏼‍✈️

Take a look back at the highlights of Klay Thompson’s time in Golden State as we wait for Tuesday night’s action to officially get underway.

Thompson and his new team, the Mavericks will be tipping off at the Chase Center against the Warriors at 10 ET on TNT.

Get your umbrellas, it’s time for the early drip report ☔

Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro check in at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit.

The Emirates NBA Cup is the perfect time for Giannis and the Bucks to get their season on the right track, when they host the Raptors on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid arrives at the Wells Fargo Center to make his season debut.

New hardwoods for the Emirates NBA Cup are on full display 🪵

This season each team has a new homecourt, special for the Emirates Cup games. Check out a few of them before the teams hit the floor tonight.

3️⃣Key Storylines for tonight 🍿

  1. Tonight begins the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup, known last year as the NBA in-season tournament. All 30 teams have the opportunity to earn glory, as they get broken into six divisions of five teams each, as well as their separate Eastern and Western conferences. If you need a refresher on how the tournament works or want more information, you can check out our FAQ article or stay in the know with our Emirates NBA Cup tracker. 
  2. Joel Embiid will be making his season debut after tending to a knee injury and serving a suspension. Embiid and the 76ers will be hosting the New York Knicks as part of East Group A in the Emirates NBA Cup. You can watch that game live on TNT at 7:30 ET.
  3. The Warriors are looking to stay hot against the Mavericks. Golden State jumped out to a 7-1 start, including a win on the road against the 9-2 Celtics, before falling to the Cavaliers. They rebounded quickly, showing their start has been no fluke, with a win over the Thunder. They’ll be hosting the Mavericks, who have lost their last two games in close fashion against the surging Nuggets and 8-2 Phoenix. Oh, and it’s also the return to The Bay for Klay Thompson. 

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