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Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from Nov. 21

Stay in the know on tonight's NBA action as we keep you updated with the latest news and happenings around the league.

NBA.com Staff

Thursday of Ball🏀🏀

Results from Thursday’s tightly-contested 4-game slate:

⭐⭐TOP PERFORMERS⭐⭐

  1. Franz Wagner: 37 points (13-26 FG), six rebounds, 11 assists, four steals 
  2. Brandon Miller: 38 points (15-26 FG), seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, one block
  3. Anthony Davis: 39 points (14-22 FG), nine rebounds, two assists, three blocks
  4. LeBron James: 31 points (12-22 FG), 10 rebounds, seven assists, one block

Top Storylines👉📝

  1. Franz Wagner steals a win in Los Angeles. A season-high 37-point performance from Wagner undercuts Anthony Davis and LeBron James combining for 70 points on a night when the Lakers  only committed 10 turnovers while  connecting on 41.9% of 31 3PA as a team.
  2. LaMelo Ball (35 points) and Brandon Miller (38 points) become the first duo in Hornets’ history to each post at least 35 points in a game. Charlotte’s offense has been firing on all cylinders, knocking down 20 plus-threes in three consecutive contests. 
  3. San Antonio’s young cast earned a win despite Victor Wembanyama (knee), Devin Vassell (knee) and Jeremy Sochan (thumb) all amid extended absences. Charles Bassey (11 points, nine rebounds, six blocks) and Stephon Castle (18 points, six assists) flashed.

FRANZ WAGNER GAME-WINNER. MAGIC STUN LAKERS 119-118.

Wagner set season-high marks of 37 points and 26 shots, including a side-step three in the final seconds to give Orlando the lead. The 23-year-old also set a new career high with 11 assists, displaying true takeover mode for the Magic.

Jalen Suggs played sidekick for Orlando with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks, while Goga Bitadze’s 15 rebounds helped fuel a 55-48 edge in the team rebounding battle.

Anthony Davis posted 39 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks to lead all scorers, but he’ll be haunted by missing two free throws prior to Wagner’s game-deciding three. LeBron James continues defying Father Time with the stat line of 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

🚨HORNETS WIN GRITTY BATTLE IN OT🚨

Charlotte’s duo of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller became the first teammates in franchise history to each score 35 plus-points in a game, propelling a 123-121 victory over Detroit.

LaMelo Ball (35 points, five rebounds, nine assists) fouled out on the first play of overtime, while Cade Cunningham (27 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists) exited in the fourth quarter with a hip injury. Miller proceeded to take over, finishing with 38 points (15-26 FG), a career-high eight made threes, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in 42 minutes of action.

Tobias Harris also had a big night for Detroit, finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds. Cody Martin was third in scoring on the Hornets with 15 points, while Moussa Diabaté racked up 16 rebounds along with three points.

LEBRON HEATCHECK♨️♨️ 

After punishing the rim in the first half, James is scorching nets in the second half. James has erupted for 30 points (12-22 FG, 5-9 3PM, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds and seven assists with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Thursday marks James’ fifth game of the year with at least four made threes.

Suggs making it rain🎯🎯

Clinging to an 89-88 lead, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner co-lead Orlando with 22 points, with Suggs burying 5-of-11 3PA — one shy of his season-high. Wagner has tied his career high with 10 assists.

Orlando’s supporting cast is stepping up as well. Goga Bitadze has ripped down 12 rebounds to accompany his four points. Moritz Wagner has 14 points to lead all scorers off the bench.

AD leads all scorers, Lakers up 67-60 at halftime

Anthony Davis has cruised to 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocks to lead all scorers, while Franz Wagner’s 18 points counters for Orlando. Davis’ arsenal has been on full display, attacking off-the-dribble as well as showcasing his mid-range game.

ROYAL SLAM FOR KING JAMES👑👑

James sizes up the defender and posters the second-line rim protection. The soon-to-be 40-year-old finishing dunks in traffic is a marvel.

Moritz Wagner got the dunk party started.

Everybody eats for San Antonio🍽️🍽️

San Antonio completes a 20-point comeback to beat Utah 126-118. Eight players for the Spurs had at least 11 points, headlined by Harrison Barnes posting 25 points and 10 assists to lead San Antonio in both categories.

Charles Bassey starred defensively with Victor Wembanyama (knee) unavailable, notching a career-best six blocks. Bassey was a prodigious collegiate rebounder and shot-blocker at Western Kentucky, so his emergence in San Antonio’s frontcourt could prove to be part of the future.

Chris Paul and rookie Stephon Castle showed blossoming chemistry, with Paul notching a 13-point, 10-assist double-double and Castle finishing with 18 points and six assists. This duo combined for just two turnovers across 64 combined minutes.

Lauri Markkanen provided a game-high 27 points for the Jazz. John Collins supplied a big double-double, finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Brice Sensabaugh, a second-year wing from Ohio State, notched a season-high 18 points, representing the third-highest scoring performance of his career.

Raptors win in Barnes’ return✅✅

RJ Barrett erupted for his fifth 30-point game of the season, finishing with 31 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Chris Boucher boomed off the bench for 22 points, while Scottie Barnes logged 27 minutes of action in his return from an 11-game absence due to an orbital fracture. Barnes finished with 17 points, three rebounds and six assists.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 26 points, while Julius Randle (23 points, nine rebounds) and Jaden McDaniels (22 points, seven rebounds) formed a formidable big three.

Rookie flashes from Isaiah Collier📈📈

Collier hits John Collins with a perfect pocket pass out of pick-and-roll for the And-1. The rookie from USC has climbed to 21.7 minutes per game across Utah’s last three contests.

D TO O FOR MCDANIELS

Jaden McDaniels gets the steal and gets downhill for a nasty lefty slam. The 24-year-old continues being a mismatch on both ends at 6-foot-10.

BALL TO MILLER LOB 

In what is becoming a deep highlight reel of half-court lobs from LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller converts for the bucket to get scoring underway in Charlotte.

Pistons huddle🎙️🎙️

Detroit sets the tone and breaks it down. Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren start for the Pistons on Thursday.

The Return of Scottie Barnes 

Barnes is warming up in advance of his first game since Oct. 28 after suffering an orbital fracture. The 23-year-old posted 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and five blocks in his lone contest against the Timberwolves last year.

Key Storylines for the Night 🍿🍿

  1. Cade Cunningham and LaMelo Ball square off in a rematch of a Nov.6 showdown that ended in a 108-107 victory for the Hornets off a Brandon Miller buzzer beater. Cunningham had a 20-10-10 triple-double in that contest, while LaMelo had 25 points and eight assists.
  2. Dalton Knecht looks to stay hot versus Orlando’s fourth-ranked defense. Jalen Suggs headlines the perimeter clampers who will be tasked with Knecht, who tied the rookie record with nine made threes en route to 37 points on Tuesday.
  3. Scottie Barnes (eye) returns to action after an 11-game absence as Toronto welcomes Minnesota.

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