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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Nov. 24

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

🏀Six games of Sunday basketball are on tap🏀

  • Minnesota 105, Boston 107 (Final)
  • Washington 103, Indiana 115 (Final)
  • Dallas 118, Miami 123 (Final)
  • Los Angeles Clippers 125, Philadelphia 99 (Final)
  • Toronto 108, Cleveland 122 (Final)
  • Brooklyn 108, Sacramento 103 (Final)

🍿📝Top storylines📝🍿

  • The Celtics won their fifth in a row, moving to 14-3 after knocking off the visiting Timberwolves, 107-105. They received key contributions from their star duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It was their 88th game with both scoring 25-plus points, which puts them fifth highest in NBA history.
  • The Clippers also sailed to their fifth win in a row, and now have an 11-7 record this season. The Harden and Zubac connection continues to gain steam and the team is getting solid contributions from their role players, as they await the return of Norman Powell (hamstring) and Kawhi Leonard (knee).
  • Cleveland stayed on their winning ways, moving to 17-1 overall, and are now 10-0 at home. Next up for them is a home-and-home with Atlanta, including an Emirates NBA Cup matchup on Friday, before a showdown against the Celtics next Sunday.

⭐🌟⭐Top performers⭐🌟⭐

  • Jimmy Butler: 33 points (11-17 FG), nine rebounds, six assists, a steal, and two blocks.
  • De’Aaron Fox: 31 points (10-16 FG, 3-4 3PT, 8-12 FT), five assists and two steals. 
  • Cam Thomas: 34 points (11-22 FG, 4-10 3PT, 8-11 FT), and six assists.

Nets pull out the W

Brooklyn outscored Sacramento in the final frame 20-15 to earn the 108-103 victory.

The Nets’ long-range shooting slowed down a bit as the game wore on, but they still shot 19-39 from three for the contest as a team, which was ultimately the difference in the game.

Zigging, zagging, circus finish🎪

Cam Thomas gets around De’Aaron Fox, past Sabonis, and finishes at the rim as he goes flying to the floor.

The Nets have a four-point lead, 107-103, with less than a minute to go in the game.

Keegan sneaks through the backdoor🚪

Murray slides through a Trey Lyles pick as the defenders follow a cutting Kevin Huerter and he ends up wide open for a jam.

We’re knotted up at 88 heading into the final frame in Sacramento.

Fox gets shifty 🦊

Fox stops, spins, changes hands, gets up, and scores the bucket.

Fox is still cooking and is now up to a game-high 28 points on 9-11 shooting, but the Kings still trail Cam Thomas (25 points) and the Nets, 82-80, late in the third quarter.

Tough finish in traffic🚦

Murray gets the steal, takes it the distance to the rim, and gets the bucket.

The Kings outscored the Nets by one in the second quarter, but Brooklyn has the advantage at halftime, 65-57. Cam Thomas has maintained a hot hand, scoring 22 points on 7-13 shooting. Meanwhile, De’Aaron Fox is pacing the Kings with 24 points on 7-9 shooting, including 3-3 from beyond the arc.

Pump fake has them flying🛩️

Jerome gets the ball behind the arc and his pump fake sends Scottie Barnes into the first row before he weaves his way to the basket for the lay-in.

Cleveland pulled off another victory for their 17th of the season and remain undefeated at home. Jerome (26), Mitchell (26), and Allen (23) all scored north of 20. Allen added 13 rebounds to secure a double-double, while Evan Mobley added one as well with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Barnes and Gradey Dick led the way for the Raptors with 18 points each.

Defense➡️Offense

Ben Simmons gets a big block on Colby Jones, then a fastbreak that ends with Simmons setting up Noah  Clowney for the three.

The Nets are rolling, with a 55-42 lead on Sacramento halfway through the second quarter. Brooklyn can’t miss from deep, shooting 12-17 from distance as a team.

Thomas is on a heater🔥

Cam Thomas cuts into the lane and hits a reverse lay-in for two of his early 15 points.

The Nets are cooking offensively, making 13-22 FGs, including 7-11 from downtown, for a 37-28 lead over the Kings after a quarter of play.

 

 

Garland hits milestone🎉

Darius Garland scored his 6,000th career point tonight in the third quarter against the Raptors. Congrats!

The Cavaliers hold a 96-90 lead headed into the final frame. Speaking of Garland, he now has 16 points on 4-7 shooting from three and four assists. It’s Ty Jerome though leading all scorers with 21.

Serious window cleaning🪒

Allen is all over the rim tonight and gets the put-back slam here.

Cleveland has pushed their lead to 88-75, halfway through the third quarter. Allen is now up to 19 points and 9 rebounds.

The Butler did it🔥

Jimmy Butler caught fire in the fourth and carried it into overtime, helping guide the Heat to a 123-118 win in overtime.

Butler finished with 33 points (11-17 FG, 11-16 FT), nine rebounds, six assists, a steal, and two blocks. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo each logged double-doubles, as Herro scored 18, pulled down 11 boards, and dished five dimes, while Bam scored 19 with 11 rebounds and five assists. The Mavericks had three players score 20-plus points in the loss, Kyrie Irving (27), P.J. Washington (21), and Naji Marshall off the bench with 20.

Cavaliers cruise into halftime

Ty Jerome gets his fourth assist setting up Donovan Mitchell for his third three of the game.

Cleveland holds a 65-55 lead after two, with Jerome’s 17 points the game-high. Allen is on pace for a double-double with 15 points and five rebounds, while Evan Mobley is doing a little bit of everything, scoring six points with five boards, three assists, and a steal. Jonathan Mogbo has been hot for the Raptors off the bench with 11 points on 3-4 shooting and six rebounds.

Jimmy clutch Buckets 🪣

Butler gets the inbound pass and goes right to the rim for the dunk to tie the game at 114 and send it to overtime.

Clippers get the W

The Clippers won their fifth game in a row Sunday night. Unfortunately, for Philadelphia, they weren’t able to get much going offensively, shooting just 39.5%, including 23.1% from three. Jared McCain led all Sixers scorers with 18 but did so on 3-15 shooting from the field. It was James Harden who led the way for the Clippers, scoring 23 points (4-10 FG, 3-7 3PT, 12-12 FT), and dishing out eight assists. Zubac notched a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Wild bucket setting up a wild finish🤯

Jimmy Butler gets into the lane, draws contact, and throws it up with the left hand as his back faces the net and gets it to go.

We’re set up for a tight finish in Miami, as Dallas leads 113-112 with just seconds to go. Butler and Irving have been going back-and-fourth through the final frame, with Kyrie sitting on 26 points and Jimmy on 28.

They call it a fro-down💥

Jarrett Allen slams it down over two defenders and draws the foul.

The Cavaliers are up 20-9 early in Cleveland, and Allen is feasting inside with nine points.

A big windmill slam puts it on ice 𖣘

Bennedict Mathurin explodes in the paint and throws it down with the right hand and puts the game out of reach.

The Pacers got back in the win column after losing three in a low by beating Washington 115-103. Siakam led all scorers in the game with 22 points (7-14 FG, 2-3 3PT), and also grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists. Haliburton finished with 21 points (7-18 FG, 5-11 3PT) plus nine assists. 2024 No. 2 draft selection, Alex Sarr filled up the stat sheet for the Wizards, scoring 17 points, pulling down 14 rebounds, and chipping in three assists, a steal, and two blocks in the loss.

🚫Return to sender🚫

Gafford gets up and sends Bam Adebayo to the floor as he rejects the dunk attempt.

It’s the Mavericks trailing at halftime though, 56-51 to Miami. Jimmy Butter has 14 points and four rebounds, and Tyler Herro is also in double-figures with 10 points. Dallas is being paced by Kyrie Irving, who has scored 13 so far and also has five dimes.

Train coming through 🚂🚂

Ivica Zubac gets the ball with nothing but room and uses all of it to get to the rim and throw it down with a right hand.

The Clippers hold a 62-49 lead over the 76ers on the verge of halftime. Harden’s 15 points and four assists are leading the Clippers, while it’s a little bit of everybody for Philadelphia, with 10 players on the scoreboard and nobody with more than eight points.

Definition of authority😤

Turner puts it all in the bucket with this vicious one-handed jam.

 

Fakes the dish, gets the swish

Haliburton is blowing up, and is now 5-9 from three for 21 points, with 14 of them in the third and still time left in the quarter.

The Pacers currently lead 85-76.

Airplane mode✈️

Harden picks the pass and finds Derrick Jones Jr. getting up for the alley-oop.

With the second quarter underway, the Clippers hold a 14-point lead, 46-32 over the 76ers. Harden still leads all scorers with 12.

 

Grown man work💪

Daniel Gafford bullies his way to the rim and goes up for a strong two-handed jam.

The Heat have a 33-28 lead over the Mavericks though as the first quarter comes to a close.

Maxey2️⃣Oubre💥

Tyrese Maxey finds Kelly Oubre Jr. and sets him up for the lift-off and an alley-oop.

It’s the Clippers though who are in control of the action, leading 34-15 late in the first quarter. James Harden leads LA with 12 points in his return to Philadelphia.

No-look pass for the bucket🫣

Haliburton spots Pascal Siakam cutting to the basket, then looks away and feeds him the ball for two.

The Wizards hold a 59-57 lead over the Pacers at the half. Kyshawn George, Kyle Kuzma, Malcolm Brogdon, and Corey Kispert have 10 points each for Washington. Moses Brown’s seven-minute burst off the bench with 11 points leads the Pacers.

Celtics grab the win

The Timberwolves got to within two, with the rock and seven seconds to go, but an errant Naz Reid three-ball secured the win for Boston.

Each team’s stars shined, with Rudy Gobert pulling down 20 rebounds and scoring 10 points and Julius Randle had 23 points and six rebounds. Off the strength of 6-11 shooting from three-point land, Edwards finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. On the Celtics’ side, it was the Tatum and Brown show, with Jayson putting up 26 on 5-12 from three, with eight boards, four dishes, and two steals. Brown scored a game-high 29 (10-18 FG, 7-10 3PT).

Timberwolves clawing back 🐾

Anthony Edwards finds Jaden McDaniels for the dunk in transition.

Minnesota has pulled within five with just about a minute left in Boston. Edwards has 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists to lead the way for his team. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have 29 and 26 points respectively for their squad.

Fastbreak➡️Obi🔨

Moses Brown knocks the ball loose in the paint, Tyrese Haliburton picks it up and feeds a perfect bounce pass to Obi Toppin for the two-handed jam in transition.

The Wizards and Pacers are in a tight one early, with Washington holding the 24-23 advantage late in the first. Myles Turner picked up two quick fouls, but Brown has stepped in as a pivotal differencemaker with 11 points and three rebounds in just seven minutes thus far.

Let the rook cook🍳

Rob Dillingham is heating up and gets two of his 14 points on this drive past Horford and lay-in at the rim.

Dillingham has helped spark a run that has seen Minnesota pull within seven, and now trail just 95-88 halfway through the fourth.

Swipe to a three in transition🔄

Derrick White deflects the pass to himself, then feeds Jrue Holiday, who dumps it off to Jayson Tatum for the long-range find.

The Celtics are cooking in the third quarter, outscoring the Timberwolves by 14, to expand their lead to 79-62. The Tatum and Jaylen Brown duo are on fire with 24 and 20 points respectively and a combined 11-18 from three.

 

🍿Top3️⃣Storylines🍿

  1. Dallas is rolling, winning four in a row, two of which have come without Luka Dončić, who remains out with a wrist injury. They’ll be working to keep that momentum going in Miami for their second game of a three-game road trip. 
  2. Like the Mavericks, the Clippers are cooking and winners of four straight, including victories over equally hot teams, the Warriors and Magic. They’ll host the 76ers, who will be without Joel Embiid and Paul George due to knee injuries. However, they’ll still have Tyrese Maxey and a red-hot Jared McCain, who is off to a blazing start in his NBA career and currently sits atop the Kia NBA Rookie Ladder. 
  3. The Cavaliers may have suffered their first loss of the season to the Celtics on Tuesday, but their 9-0 undefeated mark at home remains on the line against the Raptors. Also, a Cavs victory on Sunday would make them just the sixth NBA team in the last 50 years to open a season with 17 wins in their first 18 games. Of those previous five teams, three made the Finals and two won it all.

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