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Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from Dec. 23

Follow along as the league makes its final stop before the big Christmas Day lineup.

NBA.com Staff

Tuesday’s 14-Game Slate 📋📌

Monday’s Top Storylines  🔊🏀🔊

  • Detroit takes down the Lakers on the road. With the win, the Pistons improve to 13-17 on the season. They move into a tie with the Bulls for the 9th in the eastern conference. Cade Cunningham guided Detroit with 20 points and 10 assists. LeBron James missed a game-tying shot as the buzzer expired.
  • Indiana knocks off Golden State, winning their 5th in a row. The Pacers are back to .500 with tonight’s win. All starters finished in double figures scoring for Indiana, seven players overall. They collectively held Stephen Curry to just 10 points on 2-13 shooting. The Warriors have now lost 10 of their last 13 games.
  • Tyrese Maxey takes over in crunch time. Philadelphia needed answers as San Antonio pulled ahead late in the fourth quarter, and Maxey provided them. With no Joel Embiid due to a 2nd quarter ejection, Maxey scored six points in the final minute to stave off the Spurs.
  • Orlando stuns Tatum-less Celtics. Without Paolo Banchero or either Wagner brother, the Magic pulled off a stunning upset. Unlikely heroes Trevelin Queen and Tristan da Silva both stepped up tonight – Queen starting for the first time in his four-year career. Jamahl Mosley’s squad maintains a grip on the fourh spot in the eastern conference.

⭐️⭐️ Monday’s Top Performers  ⭐️⭐️

  1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 41 points (14-25 FG, 3-6 3PT), nine rebounds, three steals, three blocks.
  2. Tyrese Maxey: 32 points (12-25 FG, 5-11 3PT), 10 rebounds, eight assists, three steals
  3. Karl-Anthony Towns: 31 points (11-15 FG, 1-3 3PT) 10 rebounds, seven assists, one steal
  4. Nikola Jokić: 32 points (12-17 FG, 4-6 3PT), seven assists, two rebounds
  5. Victor Wembanyama: 26 points (9-19 FG, 6-13 3PT),  nine rebounds, four assists, eight blocks

Lakers Claw Back Late in 4th 🥵

It’s a one possession game with less than a minute remaining. The Lakers are on an eight point unanswered run.

Myles Turner Dagger 🗡️👌

Tyrese Haliburton dropped it off, and Myles Turner knocked it down. The Pacers band together to survive a close one against the Warriors, their fifth win in a row. Turner finished with a team-high 23 points.

The Joker Dealing from Three 🃏👌

Nikola Jokić sinks his fourth three-pointer of the night. He’s averaging more than two threes per game this year, a career best. The Nuggets hung 45 points on the Suns in the third quarter, leading to the 117-90 victory.

Warriors-Pacers Down to the Wire 😬

We’re entering crunch time as the Warriors battle the Pacers. Stephen Curry hasn’t had the hot hand tonight, but Buddy Hield provided this timely putback. Indiana is looking to win a third conecutive road game, and fifth overall.

 Detroit Basketball 🗣️🏀🗣️

Detroit’s young stars are on full display in Los Angeles. They trail by two at halftime, and could move into a tie with Chicago for 9th in the eastern conference with a win.

That’s a Lot of Buckets 🪣🪣🪣

Kevin Durant climbs to the top 15 all-time for field goals made, surpassing Carmelo Anthony. Durant is currently averaging 27.4 points per game in his 17th season.

 

Klay Closing in on Reggie ⛹️‍♂️

Thompson drained three triples tonight, and needs just three more to surpass Reggie Miller on the all-time list. His next chance to do so comes on Christmas against the Timberwolves.

Clips-Griz Locked in a Close One 🍿📺

It’s going back and forth late between these two western conference foes. Ja Morant also submits a highlight of the night candidate.

Ja Morant 360 Lay 😵‍💫😵‍💫

Closing Time ⏰

After three closely contested quarters, Oklahoma City opens up a big lead in the fourth quarter against the Wizards. Shai Gilgous-Alexander is pacing all scorers with 38 and counting.

😲 Poole from the Parking Lot ☄️

A reminder that you miss all of the shots you don’t take. Jordan Poole knows how to take ’em, and how to make ’em.

Magical Upset in Orlando 😨😨

The Celtics couldn’t overcome Orlando tonight, thanks in part to a career night for Trevelin Queen, in his first career start. Queen finished with 17 points. Tristan da Silva added 18 more, the two sank seven three-pointers combined.

Maxey Sends Spurs Packing 😤👌

Tyrese Maxey was a one-man-show in the final moments against the Spurs. A fastbreak dunk, followed by a top of the key three put this one on ice. Maxey’s heroics helped fill the void of Joel Embiid, who was ejected in the 2nd quarter.

Every Second Counts ⌛️

Garrison Matthews makes Minnesota pay for the lapse in coverage as Jalen Johnson finishes the full-court alley-oop at the 3Q buzzer.

Ant Hammers Over 2 Hawks 🐜💥

Anthony Edwards goes with two hands for protection as he get the slam plus the foul. Timberwolves and the Hawks locked into a close one entering the 4th quarter.

Wemby Triple-Double Watch 👀

The reigning western conference player of the week has 23 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks as the Spurs attempt a 4th quarter comeback.

Mobley with the POSTER 🫨

The Cavs big man throws one down over Walker Kessler. More impressively, he does so with the left hand off-the-dribble. He’s got 16 points and eight boards on the night.

Rejected by Ja ‼️🚫

Big time blocks like these are becoming a norm for Ja Morant. Memphis’ big three of Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane all in double figures as the Grizzlies lead the Clippers approaching halftime.

Magic Storm Back in 3Q  🪄  

Orlando erases a 15-point halftime deficit and is now trading the lead with the Celtics. Jayson Tatum has not played so far tonight for the Boston. Jaylen Brown leads all scorers with 24 points, Jalen Suggs leads Orlando with 16.

New York Shining in the 2nd 🗽

Karl-Anthony Towns gets flashy on the assist to OG and the Garden is loving it. Knicks lead the Raptors at halftime 70-52.

Joel Embiid Tossed From Game 🚨

The 76ers will have to try and get it done without Embiid tonight. He was called for an offensive foul received two technical fouls for his reaction. They still lead San Antonio halfway through the 3rd quarter.

Block ⏩ Buzzer Beater

Cleveland turning defense into offense to swing momentum at the end of the first quarter. Evan Mobley has two first-half blocks so far but it’s anybody’s game.

Dunk Contest Candidate 👀

Jalen Johnson flies high for the tomahawk slam. He’s one of the league’s most electric above-the-rim finishers. Dunks like these are why we could see him on All-Star Saturday Night.

No, no, no.. Not today! ❌☝️

Victor Wembanyama with six blocks in just ten minutes! He finished his last game with ten, and is on pace to surpass that. The team’s record for a single game is 13, set back in 1981.

Castle Finds Wemby 🔍💥

Wembanyama starts the break, and finishes it with authority, before ending the quarter with back-to-back rejections. Spurs and 76ers going back and forth early on.

⚠️ Rockets Double-up Charlotte ⚠️

Houston leads 62-31 after a one-sided first half. They’re holding the Hornets to just 26% from the field, while making just two of 20 three-pointers.

VanVleet Heat Check  ♨️♨️

Rockets are up big after scoring 14 unanswered points in the first quarter. The lead is up to 22 early in the 2nd. Fred VanVleet leads all scorers with 12 points.

🌟 Cream of the Crop 🌟

Two of the league’s premier young talents look to make a statement tonight. Wembanyama faces off with former league MVP Joel Embiid. Cunningham takes on Anthony Davis and LeBron James in Los Angeles.

These are the teams playing the best at the moment, and they’re all in action tonight. Oklahoma City looks to extend its league-best winning streak to eight games while the defending champion Celtics are hoping to gain ground on the red-hot Cavaliers.

Cast Your Vote  🗳️

All-Star voting is underway, don’t forget to vote for who you want to see make this year’s team!

Top Storylines to Follow  🧐📰

  1. Indiana Pacers looking for five wins in a row. Indy will be tested against a Golden State Warriors team seeking to get back on track as well. The Warriors will have to keep up with the Pacers scoring, Indiana is averaging 120.5 points per game on the current winning streak.
  2. Battle of the unicorn bigs. Former MVP Joel Embiid squares off against second-year sensation Victor Wembanyama tonight. In their lone previous meeting, Embiid torched the rookie for 70 points. Victor, meanwhile, is coming off a 30-point, 10-block game himself and western conference Player of the Week honors.
  3. Cade Cunningham coming out party in LA? The eastern conference player of the week has been on a tear this season. He’s averaging a career-best 24 points a night and a shade under 10 assists. Cunningham’s six triple-doubles are third behind only Nikola Jokić and LeBron James – whom he’ll be facing off with tonight.

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