Top Stories

Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Dec. 11

Stay in the know on tonight's Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals action with updates and highlights from Wednesday's doubleheader.

NBA.com Staff

🏆 Emirates NBA Cup Scores Tonight 🏆

Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinal: Hawks 108, Knicks 100

Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinal: Rockets 91, Warriors 90

🏆Emirates NBA Cup Semifinal Matchups Set 🎲

  • Bucks vs Hawks: Saturday, December 14 @ 4:30 PM ET
  • Thunder vs Rockets: Saturday, December 14 @ 8:30 PM ET

✍️ Top NBA storylines tonight ✍️

  • Emirates NBA Cup semifinal matchups set: With the Hawks and Rockets punching their tickets for Vegas and a spot in the semis, we now have the final four locked in. The Hawks will take on the Bucks and the Rockets will face the Thunder on Saturday. The winners will advance to the Emirates NBA Cup Final on Tuesday, December 17

Grab a sneak peek at the Emirates NBA Cup court getting ready for its close-up in Vegas.

  • Trae Young dices up Knicks: Young is no stranger to playing the villain at Madison Square Garden and Wednesday night was no different. The star point guard dropped 22 points and 11 assists en route to leading the Hawks to victory in front of a raucous Knicks crowd. He made sure to let the fans know which team would be heading to Las Vegas for the semifinals after the game.

  • Rockets defeat Warriors in thriller, make statement: Houston appeared to be primed to run away with things after exploding in the second quarter. However, a vintage Warriors comeback left the game hanging in the balance until late. This time, though, it was the Rockets that found a way to get the win thanks to a great hustle play from Jalen Green who went on to sink the game-winning free throws. 

🔥Top NBA performers tonight 🔥

  • Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks: 19 points, 19 rebounds, three steals, three blocks
  • Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks: 21 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks
  • Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets: 26 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals

🎰 Rockets are going to Vegas 🏆

Rockets defeat Warriors 91-90 in NBA Cup thriller

In a wild finish to a game with 10 ties and six lead changes, the Rockets found a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in front of the home crowd Wednesday night and punch their ticket to the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals in the process.

The Warriors dominated the third quarter to take a lead into the fourth. They led by three with 30 seconds to go. However, the Rockets got a quick two and then a terrific hustle play by Jalen Green on a loose ball resulted in Houston getting two free throws. Green rose to the occasion and sunk the freebies to give the Rockets the lead.

😬 One-possession game. 32 seconds to go 😬

The Warriors lead by three points and the Rockets have a chance to tie it on this possession. Tune in and catch the action now on TNT.

👀Dubs lead at 2-minute mark

The Warriors are clinging to a single-digit lead as the clock ticks under two minutes to go in tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup showdown against the Rockets in Houston.

Jonathan Kuminga has now recorded back-to-back 20-point games for the Warriors.

3️⃣0️⃣Chef Curry doing his thing

Steph Curry drilled his third triple of the game to open the fourth and help extend the Warriors’ narrow lead. Tune in for the conclusion of tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup showdown in Houston on TNT.

🍿 Dubs lead Rockets by one going into 4Q 🍿

We’ve got a good one brewing in H-Town as the Warriors have gotten off the mat and stormed back to take a 69-68 lead into the fourth over the Rockets.

Golden State’s Buddy Hield had 11 third-quarter points to help spark the rally.

Catch the conclusion of tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup showdown with a spot in the semis on the line.

😄 Hield makes history 📜

Golden State’s Buddy Hield became the 17th player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career regular-season threes during tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup game against the Rockets.

There are nine other active players on that list, led by teammate and shooting GOAT Stephen Curry.

🍿 Houston leads Golden State at the half 🚀

Terrific first-half performances from Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Jalen Green have fueled a 44-37 Rockets halftime lead over the Warriors. 

The Rockets appeared to be on the verge of building a commanding lead when they forced a timeout up 14, but the Warriors responded and closed the half well with an 11-4 run.

Tune in for the second half of tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal action with the last spot in the semis up for grabs.

Here’s the Jalen Green dunk again so you can know what people are talking about at work tomorrow.

⬆️Jalen Green. Houston, we have liftoff ⬆️

Houston’s Jalen Green skied for the one-handed slam in traffic to give the Rockets lift-off as they now lead by 14 late in the second quarter. Green’s hammer is sure to rank near the top of tonight’s dunk scores, and with good reason.

🔮Alperen Sengun. Magician? 🔮

Houston’s Alpern Sengun showed some quick reflexes and nifty passing chops to pull off an assist that…well.. you’re just going to have to see to believe. We’re still trying to figure out how he did that.

Peep the second clip for the reverse angle.

🚀 Rockets lead after 1

Houston takes a 20-18 lead over Golden State into the second quarter of Wednesday’s Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal showdown. Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun have led the way for the Rockets while Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga has started hot with eight points. Steph Curry has, of course, knocked down a pair of 3’s as well.

Catch the action now on TNT to see who will punch their ticket to the semis in Las Vegas on Saturday.

📊 Warriors vs Rockets starting lineups 📊

There is a ton on the line tonight with the Rockets hosting the Warriors in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals. The winner will punch their ticket to the semifinals in Las Vegas on Saturday where they will face the Thunder.

Additionally, the Rockets are looking to snap a 15-game losing streak to the Warriors. Houston’s last win over Golden State came on Feb. 20, 2020.

🔒 Hawks, Bucks set to square off in semis 📅

The Hawks, who defeated the Knicks 108-100 on Wednesday night at the Garden, will advance to the semifinals of the Emirates NBA Cup where they will face the Bucks.

The game will take place in Las Vegas on Saturday with a spot in the Emirates NBA Cup finals on the line. Trae Young. Giannis Antetokounmpo. This is going to be fun.

🎟️Hawks punch ticket to Las Vegas for semifinals 🏆

The Atlanta Hawks woke up in the second half and played an inspired brand of basketball to storm back and secure a spot in the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals with a 108-100 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks had the advantage early on and led by as many as 12 points in the first half. The Hawks then answered thanks to stellar performances by Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter.

There won’t be any love lost from Knicks fans for Young, who scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists in the win.

💫 Stars showing out at Madison Square Garden 🗽

Karl-Anthony Towns (17 points, 19 rebounds) is flirting with a 20-20 performance. Jalen Johnson is right there with him with 21 points and 17 boards. Trae Young and Josh Hart are each over 20 points. This. Is. Drama.

Catch the end of the thrilling Hawks vs Knicks action now on ESPN as Atlanta looks to close things out with a 12-point lead at the under 3:00 mark.

Hawks. Knicks. Fourth quarter. Semifinals on the line.

The Hawks have taken an 11-point lead, their largest of the game, early in the fourth thanks in part to a dominant third quarter in which they outscored the Knicks 34-18.

The Knicks will not go quietly in their own house, though. Tune into ESPN to see who punches their ticket to the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.

👀Hawks storm back

Atlanta has outscored New York 30-16 coming out of halftime to take the lead over the Knicks. Trae Young has made his presence known at the Garden with 12 points in the third quarter and Jalen Johnson has rebounded from a rocky start to get to 15 points.

Catch the action now on ESPN.

Knicks lead 54-47 over Hawks at halftime

New York jumped out to an early lead and has not relented as the Knicks have yet to trail in their Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup against the Hawks. The Knicks have shot extremely well from the floor at 47.7 percent while holding the Hawks to just 36.5 percent (18.8 from 3Pt) on the other end.

Notable performers from the first half

  • Karl-Anthony Towns: 10 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals, three blocks
  • Josh Hart: 12 points, five rebounds, three assists
  • De’Andre Hunter: 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench
  • Trae Young: 10 points, two assists

⌛ Milestone loading for Buddy Hield ⌛

Golden State’s Buddy Hield is one triple shy of reaching 2,000 career 3-pointers. Hield would be in elite company as only 16 other players in NBA history have reached that milestone.

Catch Hield and the Warriors take on the Rockets tonight at 9:30 Eastern on ESPN as they square off for a spot in the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals.

♜Rook’s got moves ♜

Hawks rookie and 2024 No.1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, pulled off the nifty spin into the lane before finishing over KAT for the slam. Catch the action now on ESPN.

🤩Starbury in the building 🤩

Stephon Marbury is in the house for tonight’s Knicks vs Hawks showdown. Starbury played five seasons with the Knicks and averaged 18.2 points and 7.0 assists per game in the Blue and Orange.

🧮 Knicks lead after first quarter

Mikal Bridges has led the way for the Knicks with nine first-quarter points as New York takes a lead into the second.

The Hawks struggled from three-point land by going just 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. The Knicks held Jalen Johnson to just 2-for-9 shooting from the floor. Catch the action now on ESPN.

Starting 🖐️s for Knicks vs Hawks

The visiting Hawks will be headlined by Trae Young and defensive stalwart, Dyson Daniels. Jalen Johnson is also making his return to the lineup.

The Knicks will be rolling out their usual starting five with the Villanova trio of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart along with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby.

💪 Hawks getting healthy

Atlanta had a lengthy injury report going into tonight’s Emirates Cup Quarterfinal against the Knicks but it’s all-systems-go for the likes of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter. Young and Hunter each played Sunday against the Nuggets but Johnson was sidelined due to right shoulder soreness.

🔑 Key NBA storylines tonight 🔑

  1. Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals continue: NBA fans are treated to a high-stakes doubleheader with the Knicks hosting the Hawks at 7 Eastern followed by the Rockets taking on the Warriors at 9:30. A trip to Vegas for the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals is on the line
  2. Hawks, Knicks rekindle rivalry: In 2021, this looked to be one of the best budding rivalries in the Eastern Conference after the two teams battled it out in an intense playoff series that established Trae Young as a bona fide superstar. Tensions have cooled over the years but with both teams now firmly in the playoff picture, the intensity should ratchet up tonight at the Garden.
  3. Best in the West: Two of the West’s top five seeds will square off in Houston tonight. The Rockets are off to a tremendous start at 16-8 with a 7.0 NET rating thanks to standout play from Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. The Warriors have turned back the clock with Steph Curry playing at a high level while players like Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga have stepped up. This sets up to be a hard-fought game with two contrasting styles going at it with a trip to the semis up for grabs.

 

Related

Latest