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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Dec. 4

Gear up for today's NBA action with the latest news, scores and highlights from around the league.

NBA.com Staff

๐Ÿ€ Wednesday Night Matchupsย ๐Ÿ€

Boston 130, Detroit 120 (Final)

Miami 134, Los Angeles Lakers 93 (Final)

Brooklyn 99, Indiana 90 (Final)

Orlando 106, Philadelphia 102 (Final)

Atlanta 119, Milwaukee 104 (Final)

Minnesota 108, Los Angeles Clippers 80 (Final)

๐Ÿ“ Top Storylines from Wednesday ๐Ÿ“

  1. The Atlanta Hawks earned their fifth consecutive win by beating the Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 119-104, also snapping the Bucks’ seven-game win streak in the process. The Hawks extended their franchise-best streak of recording at least 25 assists to 15 straight games.
  2. Franz Wagner continued his hot start to the season by dropping 35 points in a close win over the Philadelphia 76ers, his second straight game with at least 30 points. Wagner is off to the best start of his career with averages of 24.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals, all of which are career-highs for the German. Orlando has won 13 of their last 15 games and sit at third in the Eastern Conference at 16-8 overall.
  3. LeBron James made more history by passing Kyle Korver for No. 7 on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list. His triple in the third quarter gives him 2,451 made threes in his 22-year career.

โญ๐ŸŒŸโญTonight’s Top Stars โญ๐ŸŒŸโญ

  1. Franz Wagner: 35 points (12-23 FG, 1-6 3PT, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds and two assists.
  2. Tyler Herro: 31 points (11-19 FG, 9-16 3PT), five rebounds, four assists and a steal.
  3. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 31 points (8-14 FG, 15-26 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists and a steal.

Timberwolves rout Clippers for third straight win ๐Ÿบ

The Timberwolves got out to a lead in the first quarter and never looked back, picking up their third win in a row and the second against the Clippers in that span. The defense was suffocating for Minnesota as they held LA to just 34.9% shooting, forced 21 turnovers and recorded 15 steals in the 108-80 victory.ย 

Okay PJ, we see you ๐Ÿคฉ

PJ Dozier finds Luka Garza with the no-look dime that leads to two for the Wolves.

Ant makes dreams come true ๐Ÿค—

Edwards shows this young fan some love by signing one of his sneakers from the bench. You love to see the smiles from a night he’ll always remember.

Timberwolves stay in control of the Clippers and lead 88-57 with 8:44 to go.

Antman with the hustle even up big ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ˜ค

Anthony Edwards picks off the pass and shakes free with a nice behind the back move, eventually finding Jaden McDaniels for the easy slam. Minnesota has their largest lead of the night as they’re up 79-40 halfway through the third quarter.

Randle with the dime to Conley๐ŸŽฏ

Julius Randle finds Mike Conley with a slick pocket pass off the give-and-go for an easy two. Randle has 20 points to lead all scorers in the game. Minnesota held the Clippers to 29% shooting from the field and forced 11 turnovers in the first half. Wolves up big at the break, 59-32.

You can catch the second half on NBA TV and NBA League Pass.

Hawks beat Bucks for fifth straight win ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks soared to a fifth consecutive win on Wednesday after beating the Milwaukee Bucks 119-104 on their homecourt. JJ continues his rise to stardom in his fourth year, as he’s averaging career-highs across the board with 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 36 minutes a game.ย 

Atlanta attacked the basket all night long, finishing with a +30 advantage from points in the paint (64-34).

Defense โžก๏ธ Offense โ€ผ๏ธ

Naz Reid rises for the swat on defense and it leads to an open lane for Julius Randle on the other end. Randle had 16 points in the first quarter, a season-high number in any quarter for him this season.

Minnesota uses a 32-7 run between the first and second quarters to give the Wolves a 48-25 lead with 6:21 to go before halftime.

Gobert with a steal and no-look dish ๐Ÿ‘€

Rudy Gobert gets off to a hot start with a steal and no-look dime to Jaden McDaniels for the finish. It was all Minnesota in the first quarter as they lead the LA Clippers 33-14 after one, their largest lead after the first all season. Tune in on NBA TV and NBA League Pass for the second quarter, now live.

Wagner drops 35 as Magic top Sixers โœจ

Franz Wagner led Orlando to a gritty win over Philly with 35 points (12-23 FG), his second straight game with at least 30 points. The Magic get their 13th win in their last 15 games, now sitting at 16-8 on the season.

Jared McCain and the Sixers went on a 13-5 run late in the fourth, but they fell just short of the comeback, losing 106-102. McCain led Philadelphia with 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Herro goes off in 3Q, Heat handle Lakers ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Tyler Herro could not miss in the third quarter, scoring 21 points while draining seven 3s, a career-high mark in a single quarter for the sixth-year man out of Kentucky. He finished with 31 points and nine made 3s, the second time in the last three games in which he scored 31. Miami cruised to a 134-93 win at home.

The Lakers were paced by LeBron (29 points, five rebounds, eight assists), who reached No. 7 on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list by passing Kyle Korver. LA is 2-6 over their last eight games.

Brook with back-to-back rejections โœ‹๐Ÿšซ

Brook Lopez times these back-to-back blocks perfectly to try and keep the Bucks close against the Hawks. He’s got three blocks on the night as Milwaukee trails Atlanta in the fourth, 110-99, with four minutes remaining in the game. Tune in now on NBA League Pass.

Celtics take down Pistons with no Tatum ๐Ÿ€

Payton Pritchard knocks down a dagger three and his fifth of the night to close out Detroit 128-120. Pritchard was one of six Celtics players to score at least 14 points in the win, while Jaylen Brown led the way with 28 points, six rebounds, nine assists and three steals.

Cade Cunningham was one board shy of a triple-double as he finished with 27 points (11-21 FG, 3-9 3PT), nine rebounds and a career-high 14 assists. Malik Beasley had 23 of his own and drilled six triples off the bench.

Jalen Johnson explodes for the poster jam ๐Ÿคฏ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Johnson goes right down the lane and through Brook Lopez for the monster slam, taking the top spot on the dunk score leaderboard. JJ has been in attack mode all night with three emphatic dunks, including this new poster.

Atlanta has five players in double figures, and eight of the nine guys who’ve played have at least eight points. Milwaukee isn’t done yet, though, as they use a 12-0 run in the third to close the gap to 89-81 with 3:32 remaining in the quarter.

Indiana storming back! โšก

The Pacers trailed 51-35 at the half but have stormed back in the second half, trimming the deficit to just one after being down by as many as 21. Indiana matched their first half scoring total in the third quarter alone by dropping 35 on the Nets.

Six Pacers are in double figures as they look to steady the ship and end a three-game losing streak. Brooklyn leads 82-80 with 7:15 left in the game. You don’t want to miss the finish in this one, live on NBA League Pass.

Tyler Herro is on fire from deep ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Herro takes and makes his seventh 3 of the quarter, giving him 21 points in the third and 31 on the night.

Miami is on a roll in this one, pouring in at least 34 points in each of the first three quarters. They’re shooting a scorching 60% for the game and now lead the LA Lakers 114-81 with 8:44 left in the contest.

LeBron moves to 7th all-time in 3PM ๐Ÿ‘‘

LeBron James knocks down this triple vs Miami, passing Kyle Korver for No. 7 on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list. Congratulations to the King on more history in the books!

Bogi doing it all for Atlanta ๐Ÿฆ…

Bogdan Bogdanoviฤ‡ has made a huge impact for Atlanta off the bench tonight to take a double-digit lead against the Bucks in Milwaukee. Bogi leads the Hawks in scoring with 13 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3PT), four dimes and a steal.

Atlanta is shooting 57% as a team and holds a 64-53 advantage with just under three minutes to go before halftime. Tune in live on NBA League Pass.

Guerschon ๐Ÿ‘‰ Oubre Jr. for โœŒ๏ธ

Guerschon Yabusele drops a sweet no-look dime to a cutting Kelly Oubre Jr. for the dunk. Yabusele has seven points, three rebounds and two assists to go along with a game-high +14 for the Sixers. Philly outscored Orlando 31-19 in the second frame to tie things up at 53 going into the half.

Jimmy doing what he does best ๐Ÿ˜ค

Jimmy Butler gets the swipe on one end and takes it the rest of the way for the slam. He’s turning up the heat in Miami with 13 points, six rebounds (five offensive!), four assists, two steals and a block. Four Heat starters are in double figures already as they’re up big on the Los Angeles Lakers, 69-52 at the break.

LeBron James is the high man for LA with 18 points (8-11 FG) and four assists in almost 18 minutes of play. Don’t miss the second half on NBA TV and NBA League Pass.

Milwaukee is cooking ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Take a look at these beautiful sequences from the Bucks against the Hawks. Giannis has his squad off and running with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in just seven minutes. Milwaukee currently holds a 25-17 lead with just under five minutes left in the first quarter.

Block party in Philly ๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿšซ

Jonathan Isaac and Ricky Council IV trade swats on both ends in a back and forth battle. Isaac helped ignite Orlando off the bench with 10 points and two rebounds to go with these two blocks.

Magic are separating themselves a bit, leading 44-35 with 8:09 remaining in the half.

Cade Cunningham poster ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Cade Cunningham goes full court after the turnover and finishes over Derrick White with authority. He has seven points in seven minutes for the Pistons, but his squad still trails 39-24 at the end of the first. Cade finds himself atop the early dunk score leaderboard with this poster.

Catch the second quarter action live on NBA League Pass.

Franz with the tough jam ๐Ÿ’ฅ

Franz Wagner rises for the finish in traffic off the nice feed from Goga Bitadze. He has a quick 11 points on 5-8 FG to go along with two boards and a block.

Magic have a slight edge, 24-20, with less than three minutes to go in the first quarter.

Brown to KP for the flush ๐Ÿ˜

Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziล†ฤฃis connect on this lob to give Boston an early 21-7 lead in the first. They both have six points and one made 3. Catch the action live on NBA League Pass.

Boston goes to battle without Tatum ๐Ÿ€

The Boston Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum (knee) when they host the Detroit Pistons tonight, missing his first game of the season. Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziล†ฤฃis will be tasked with carrying the load offensively in his stead.

Pacers set for tip in Brooklyn ๐Ÿคฉ

Indiana is 2-10 on the road this year and has a seven-game road losing streak. Tyrese Haliburton scored 30 points in the Pacers loss at Toronto yesterday, only the second time he’s scored at least 20 in a road game. He and the rest of the Pacers are ready to step up tonight on NBA League Pass.

Sixers going for third straight W ๐Ÿ’ช

Philadelphia is set to host the Orlando Magic, going for their third win in a row. No Paul George or Joel Embiid tonight, so Tyrese Maxey and rookie Jared McCain will be relied upon in their absence.

Orlando ready to get back in win column ๐Ÿช„

The Magic have released their starting lineup for tonight against the Sixers in Philly. Orlando fell to the Knicks in the final game of Emirates NBA Cup group play last night, but Franz Wagner and co. are ready to get back on the winning side of things. The loss to New York was only their second in the last 14 games.

๐Ÿ“ Top Storylines for Tonight’s Games ๐Ÿ“

  1. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks go for their eighth straight win when they host the Atlanta Hawks. After starting the season 2-8, the Bucks are winners of seven in a row and nine of their last ten games. Giannis leads the league in scoring at 32.7 points and adds 11.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game on 61.7% shooting from the field.
  2. The Atlanta Hawks are winners of four games in a row to bring their record to 11-11 on the season. Trae Young has seen his scoring numbers drop by almost five points this year (20.9 ppg) compared to 2023-24 (25.7 ppg), but he’s averaging a career and NBA-best 12.2 assists per game. Eight Hawks players are averaging double figures in scoring, and they’ll rely on that balanced attack tonight when they go for five consecutive wins, which would put them over .500 for the first time since October 28.
  3. Philadelphia goes for a third consecutive victory after winning back-to-back games for the first time this season, bringing their record to 5-14. Tyrese Maxey and Paul George continue to lead the effort with Joel Embiid sidelined. Maxey recorded the final 11 points for his team to seal a 110-104 win at Charlotte, and PG tied his season-high with 29.

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