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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Dec. 13

Stay in the know on today's NBA action with the latest news, scores and highlights from around the league.

NBA.com Staff

Friday’s NBA Slate ๐Ÿ€

We have eight games across the Association tonight:

Indiana 121, Philadelphia 107 (Final)

Cleveland 115, Washington 105 (Final)

Minnesota 97, LA Lakers 87 (Final)

Chicago 109, Charlotte 95 (Final)

Memphis 135, Brooklyn 119 (Final)

Denver 120, Los Angeles Clippers 98 (Final)

Phoenix 134, Utah 126 (Final)

San Antonio 118, Portland 116 (Final)

Top Storylines ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿ“

  1. The Cleveland Cavaliers earned their league-best 22nd win on Friday when they beat the Washington Wizards 115-105. Evan Mobley sat this game out due to a left ankle sprain, but the Cavs’ stars picked up the slack with him sidelined, as Darius Garland (24), Jarrett Allen (21) and Donovan Mitchell (20) all had solid games in the victory.
  2. Memphis tallied their fourth straight win by taking care of the Brooklyn Nets at home by a score of 135-119. It was the Grizzlies’ tenth win in their last 11 games, and they were led by Ja Morant with 28 points, seven rebounds and ten assists. Memphis’s starters all scored in double figures, and Santi Aldama continues to produce off the bench with 20 points and six rebounds.
  3. The Phoenix Suns ended their three-game losing streak tonight with a 134-126 win over the Utah Jazz. Devin Booker popped for 34 points and eight assists, hitting six triples on the night, and Kevin Durant scored 30 points in his return from an ankle injury. Jusuf Nurkiฤ‡ made his first appearance since Nov. 27 and chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds, a steal and three blocks in 31 minutes.

๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ Top Performers ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ

  1. Devin Booker: 34 points (13-27 FG, 6-13 3PT, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, eight assists and a steal.
  2. Tyrese Haliburton: 32 points (12-23 FG, 7-15 3PT), three rebounds, 11 assists, a steal and a block.
  3. Jerami Grant: 32 points (12-19 FG, 8-10 3PT), four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
  4. Kevin Durant: 30 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3PT, 12-12 FT), three rebounds, eight assists, a steal and a block.

Wemby seals W with clutch FTs

Victor Wembanyama stepped up and hit two clutch free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to give the San Antonio Spurs the 118-116 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Wemby was a perfect 10-10 from the charity stripe to help give him 28 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, one steal and two blocks in the come-from-behind victory.

Jerami Grant poured in 32 points (12-19 FG, 8-10 3PT) in the loss, scoring a career-high 22 on six made threes in the third quarter alone. Anfernee Simons had 30 points (8-15 FG, 3-8 3PT, 11-11 FT) of his own to go along with three rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

Champagnie brings Spurs back

Julian Champagnie knocks down his fifth triple on the night to bring the Spurs all the way back after being down by as many as 17. Jerami Grant came back on the other end and hit his eighth triple of the game to tie it at 112.

Avdija goes coast-to-coast ๐Ÿ’ฅ

Deni Avdija turns on the jets and goes coast-to-coast for the angry slam to get the home crowd on their feet. Avdija has given Portland a huge spark off the bench with 17 points (7-10 FG), five rebounds and three assists.

San Antonio looks to close the gap in Portland as they trail 105-97 with 5:45 remaining in the contest. Don’t miss this exciting finish, live on NBA League Pass.

KD, Booker drop 30+ in win

Kevin Durant dropped 30 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3PT, 12-12 FT) and eight assists in his return for the Phoenix Suns tonight to help end their three-game losing streak. Devin Booker drilled six triples on his way to a game-high 34 points (13-27 FG), adding two rebounds and eight assists of his own.

Jordan Clarkson was the leading scorer for the Jazz with 23 points in 31 minutes off the bench. Utah has lost three straight and nine of their last ten games.

Blazers deny access twice

Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara combine for back-to-back rejections against the Spurs to get Portland right back into it. The Blazers were down by ten at the half, but Jerami Grant scored 19 of his 24 in the third quarter, giving them the 80-74 advantage with 1:31 left in the third.

You don’t want to miss the conclusion of this one, live on NBA League Pass.

Nuggets handle Clippers ๐ŸŒ„

Russell Westbrook puts the exclamation point on the Denver Nuggets’ 120-98 win over the LA Clippers. Russ finished with five points, five assists and three steals but was a game-high plus-21 in almost 25 minutes off the bench.

Nikola Jokiฤ‡ was one of six players to score in double figures for Denver, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in 30 minutes.

Norman Powell and Kevin Porter, Jr. both had 16 points in the losing effort for LA, and Ivica Zubac posted his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Wemby is not human ๐Ÿ‘ฝ

Wemby gets the pass from Devin Vassell at the three-point line and doesn’t even have to dribble to finish the sweet finger roll. Wembanyama finishes the first half with 15 points, four boards, four assists and two blocks, and Vassell chipped in 13 off the bench.

San Antonio shoots 50% from the field and three as they lead Portland 52-42 at halftime.

Nicolas Batum keeps climbing

Nicolas Batum knocks down his second triple of the evening to move him to No. 35 on the NBA’s all-time three-pointers made list. Congratulations Nico!

The Clippers have been outscored 60-39 in the second half by the Denver Nuggets, as Denver now holds a 108-86 lead with 3:37 left in the game.

Grizzlies win fourth straight ๐Ÿป

Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies earned their fourth consecutive win tonight when they beat the Brooklyn Nets 135-119. Morant finished with a game-high 28 points (10-19 FG, 3-6 3PT) and ten assists to go along with seven rebounds. Desmond Bane added 21 points and eight assists, while Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Santi Aldama both scored 20 points in the win.

Brooklyn had eight players score at least 12 points in the loss, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Grizzlies from getting their tenth win in their last 11 games.

Incredible swat by Keyonte ๐Ÿšซ

Keyonte George times this block on KD perfectly. Jordan Clarkson leads the way for Utah with 18 points off the bench (4-6 3PT) in his first game since Nov. 23.

Phoenix is led by Devin Booker (game-high 22 points) and Kevin Durant (19 points) as they hold a 76-71 advantage over the Jazz at halftime. Don’t miss the second half, now live on NBA League Pass!

Murray getting fancy ๐Ÿคฉ

Jamal Murray goes in his bag to cross-up the Clippers and finish with the smooth reverse layup. Murray is one of four Nuggets with at least 14 points as they battle with LA on NBA TV and NBA League Pass.

Wolves take down Lakers ๐Ÿบ

Minnesota jumped out to an early lead over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers and never looked back, securing the 97-87 victory in wire-to-wire fashion. The Wolves held LA to just 38% shooting from the field and forced 21 turnovers in the win.

Anthony Edwards left the game briefly after it looked like he tweaked his ankle, but he was able to return and finished with a team-high 23 points and a game-high plus-25 in almost 33 minutes. Anthony Davis finished the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Austin Reaves returned from a five-game absence and dropped 18 points, six rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes.

John Collins windmill ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Collins gets the steal and takes off for the emphatic windmill slam. He has five points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block to help the Utah Jazz stay close with the Phoenix Suns. Lauri Markkanen is perfect so far with 14 points (4-4 FG, 3-3 3PT, 3-3 FT).

Kevin Durant looks good in his return with 16 points and six assists, while Devin Booker leads all scorers with 17. The Suns are up 62-58 with 4:38 left before halftime, which you can watch live on NBA League Pass.

KPJ loses his man ๐Ÿ‘€

Kevin Porter, Jr. lulls Jamal Murray to sleep with his sick handles, then blows past him for a beautiful finger roll over DeAndre Jordan. KPJ has six points off the Clipper bench, and James Harden leads all scorers in the contest with 13.

Nikola Jokiฤ‡ has been bottled up by LA’s defense, as he is one of three Nuggets with four turnovers. Jokiฤ‡ and Aaron Gordon each have nine points, five rebounds and one assist as Denver leads 48-47 at halftime.

Hali drops 32 on Philly ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Tyrese Haliburton helped the Indiana Pacers win consecutive road games for the first time this season by scoring 32 points (12-23 FG, 7-15 3PT) and dishing out 11 assists. Pascal Siakam had 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Obi Toppin chipped in with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 31 minutes off the bench.

Philadelphia had six players finish in double figures, led by Tyrese Maxey (22) and Paul George (15). Joel Embiid played only the first half and recorded 12 points, four rebounds and five assists, leaving the game after a hit the face in the second quarter.

https://twiter.com/NBA/status/1867767344497668154

KD back for Suns โ˜€๏ธ

Kevin Durant knocks down one of three straight triples for the Suns to open the game versus the Jazz in Utah. Durant leads Phoenix with seven points, one rebound and two assists, but the Suns trail 25-19 with 5:06 remaining in the first quarter.

McDaniels is a problem ๐Ÿ’ช

Jaden McDaniels snags his career-high fifth steal and takes it all the way for the layup on the other end. Jaden has been everywhere for the Wolves tonight, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds in addition to his five swipes.

Minnesota leads the Los Angeles Lakers 71-56 with 2:15 left in the third quarter. Tune in live on NBA League Pass to see if the Lakers can mount a comeback.

Okoro nails dagger three ๐Ÿฅถ

Isaac Okoro has ice in his veins, knocking down this corner three to help seal the 115-105 win for Cleveland. Okoro hit three triples on his way to 13 points for the Cavs, who had six players finish with at least ten points in the contest. Darius Garland had 24 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals, while Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Washington fought hard down the stretch, spearheaded by a big night from Bilal Coulibaly. He finished the game with 27 points while draining a career-high five triples, adding six rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

Ja with tight handles ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ

Ja Morant dribbles his way through three Nets defenders and finishes with a smooth cradle move. Morant exploded for 16 points in the second quarter to give him 18 on the night to go along with six rebounds, five assists and a steal.

The Grizzlies held Brooklyn to 20 points in the second after allowing 36 in the first quarter, and they enter halftime up 69-56. The Nets are led by Dorian Finney-Smith with ten points, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Green making plays for Hornets

Josh Green comes up with the sneaky steal on Josh Giddey that leads to a thunderous dunk. Charlotte struggled with their shot in the first half in Chicago, shooting 40% from the field and just 12% from three (2-17 3PT). Brandon Miller is the high man for the Hornets with 14 points, two rebounds and two assists.

Chicago enters the break up 59-44 after a balanced attack led by Ayo Dosunmu with 14 points.

Cavs, Wizards battling ๐Ÿ˜ค

Donovan Mitchell knocks down his fourth triple on the evening to give the Cavs an 87-80 lead entering the final frame. Mitchell is one of four Cavs in double figures with 19 points. Caris LeVert has provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal in just over 20 minutes.

Bilal Coulibaly leads the way for Washington with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks. You catch the fourth quarter action now, live on NBA League Pass.

Huff skies for the poster ๐Ÿคฏ

Jay Huff continues to impress off the Memphis bench this year. This time he gets two Nets defenders to bite on the pump fake, then drives through the paint for a ferocious poster slam.

Jay holds the top spot on the dunk score leaderboard after elevating on Brooklyn.

Ja putting on a show ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Morant lets his bench know he’s cleared for takeoff after the turnover by the Nets. The dunk are the only points for Ja through the first quarter, as Desmond Bane leads the way for the Grizz with ten points, one rebound, one assist and a block.

Brooklyn kept things close and trail 39-36 after one. Don’t miss the second quarter, now live on NBA League Pass.

Dunk party in Minneapolis ๐ŸŽ‰

Rudy Gobert grabs the offensive board over Anthony Davis and gets the easy dunk. Jaden McDaniels follows that up with a steal off the inbounds pass and another dunk for the Wolves, giving his team the early 27-16 advantage.

Tune in live on NBA League Pass to watch the first quarter action.

Hali locked in from deep โ™จ๏ธ

Haliburton cooked in the first half for Indiana, knocking down five triples on his way to 19 points and seven assists in almost 19 minutes of play. The Pacers have 20 assists on 23 made baskets.

Maxey and Embiid each scored 12 for Philly, but the Sixers trail 61-50 at the half.

DG dissects the D โœ‚๏ธ

Darius Garland slices up the Wizards defense in a two-man game with Jarrett Allen, leading to an easy lob finish for the big man.ย Garland and Mitchell both poured in 14 points in the first half to help the Cavs to a 57-54 lead at the break.

Jordan Poole scored 12 points while Alex Sarr added an efficient 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field. Washington held Cleveland to just 36% shooting in the first half.

Toppin to the top ๐Ÿš€

T.J. McConnell rewards Obi Toppin after the deflection with the lob on the fastbreak. The powerful slam gives Obi the top spot on the dunk score leaderboard for the night. He’s poured in nine points off the bench to help the Pacers hold on to their 52-43 lead over the Sixers.

Hali on fire from deep ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Tyrese Haliburton knocked down four 3s in the first quarter to give Indiana the 31-22 lead after one. Hali leads all scorers with 12 points (4-8 FG, 4-7 3PT) and three dimes.

The Pacers are up 37-27 over the Sixers with ten minutes to go before halftime. Tune in live on NBA League Pass.

Poole from near the logo ๐ŸŽฏ

Jordan Poole hits the deep three to give him seven points in the first quarter in Cleveland. Rookie Alex Sarr added seven points of his own, and Bilal Coulibaly did it all for the Wizards, dropping six points, five rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 12 minutes.

The Cavs used a 9-0 run to end the first and tie things up at 25. Donovan Mitchell leads the way for Cleveland with ten points and two made 3s.

Mathurin reverses for the layup

Bennedict Mathurin beats Paul George to get up-and-under for the reverse lay-in, giving Indiana an early 13-9 lead over the Sixers. Mathurin is stuffing the stat sheet already with two points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in just over six minutes.

Spida from distance ๐Ÿ•ท

Donovan Mitchell walks up and drills the triple to get Cleveland going. Washington fought back to take an 11-10 lead with 7:10 left in the first quarter, forcing an early timeout from head coach Kenny Atkinson.

Tune in now on NBA League Pass to catch all the action.

Dillingham back for Wolves ๐Ÿบ

Robert Dillingham is back for the Timberwolves after a right ankle sprain kept him out of Minnesota’s last five games. He had a solid two-game stretch before the injury, scoring in double figures and dishing out a career-best seven assists on Nov. 26 against Houston.

Minnesota and the LA Lakers tip off at 8:00 ET on NBA League Pass.

Philly’s Big 3 starting ๐Ÿ””

Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid are all locked in and ready to host the Indiana Pacers. Embiid posted a double-double in his last game out on Dec. 8 in a win over Chicago, finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 33 minutes.

Philly is trying for their third consecutive win, while the Pacers look to get back in the win column after losing five of their last six games.

Cleveland’s starting ๐Ÿ–

The Cavs will indeed be without Evan Mobley tonight due to the left ankle sprain he suffered last Sunday. Cleveland does get Isaac Okoro (left knee contusion) back and will slide Dean Wade into the starting unit in place of Mobley.

Lakers arrive in Minnesota โ„๏ธ

The LA Lakers are in Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves, but they’ll have to do so without LeBron James, who will miss his second game of the season tonight. Los Angeles is coming off a win at home against the Trail Blazers where Anthony Davis went off for 30 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.

Expect more of AD tonight when this one tips off at 8:00 ET on NBA League Pass.

๐Ÿ“ย Tonight’s Top Storylines ๐Ÿ“

  1. Cleveland welcomes the Washington Wizards to town in search of their 22nd win on the season. The Cavs enter action well-rested after they fell to the Miami Heat last Sunday, but they could be without Evan Mobley due to a left ankle sprain he suffered in the loss. The backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland will be tasked with carrying the offense if Mobley can’t go.
  2. The Memphis Grizzlies aim for their fourth straight win when they host the Brooklyn Nets in an interconference battle. Ja Morant (back) returns from a one-game absence after sitting out Memphis’s win over Washington last Sunday. The Grizz are an NBA-best 9-1 in their last ten games.
  3. The Phoenix Suns look to end a three-game losing streak in Utah against the Jazz. Phoenix will get Kevin Durant back for this one after he missed the last three games dealing with a left ankle sprain.

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