Top Stories

Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Dec. 7

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

NBA.com Staff

🏀 Saturday’s NBA Action 🏀

Cleveland 116, Charlotte 102 (Final)

Oklahoma City 119, New Orleans 109 (Final)

Washington 122, Denver 113 (Final)

Dallas 125, Toronto 118 (Final)

Detroit 120, New York 111 (Final)

Miami 121, Phoenix 111 (Final)

Memphis 127, Boston 121 (Final)

📝🤩 Top Storylines 🤩📝

  1. Nikola Jokić dropped a career-high 56 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out eight assists on Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Denver Nuggets from losing to the Washington Wizards. The Joker became the only player in NBA history to record 55+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 3+ 3PM in a game.
  2. The Dallas Mavericks won their seventh in a row by defeating the Toronto Raptors 125-118. Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić combined for 59 points in the victory, while Luka recorded his second straight triple-double with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. With his game tonight, Dončić moved to No. 7 on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list with 79 for his career.
  3. Cade Cunningham had a triple-double of his own tonight when he dropped 29 points, ten rebounds and a career-high 15 assists in a win over the New York Knicks. It was his fifth triple-double of the season and the first win of his career in Madison Square Garden. The win snapped Detroit’s 16-game losing streak against the Knicks.

⭐🌟⭐ Top Performers ⭐🌟⭐

  1. Nikola Jokić: career-high 56 points (22-38 FG, 3-5 3PT, 9-13 FT), 16 rebounds, eight assists and a steal.
  2. Evan Mobley: career-high 41 points (16-23 FG, career-high six 3PM), ten rebounds, two assists, a steal and three blocks.
  3. Jordan Poole: 39 points (12-26 FG, 6-7 FT) with a career-high nine 3PM, five rebounds and eight assists.
  4. Luka Dončić: 30 points (9-20 FG, 6-13 3PT, 6-6 FT), 13 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals.
  5. Cade Cunningham: 29 points (9-17 FG, 5-8 3PT, 6-7 FT), ten rebounds, career-high 15 assists and a steal.

Bam and Jimmy combine for 49 in win 🔥

It was the Bam and Jimmy show in Miami on Saturday night, with the Heat earning a 121-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Bam finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds, game-highs in each category, with eight assists and a steal, while Butler added 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a block.

The Suns had six players score at least 12 points, including Royce O’Neale (23) and Devin Booker (21). Phoenix is now 12-10 overall and have lost seven of their last ten games.

Grizzlies snap Celtics’ win-streak 🐻

Ja Morant took over for Memphis in their 127-121 win against Boston, dropping a game-high 32 points with nine rebounds and nine assists. Jaren Jackson, Jr. was right behind him with 27 of his own, adding nine boards, three steals and four blocks. The Grizzlies held the Celtics to 40% shooting overall and 30% from three-point range (18-for-60).

Boston’s starters all scored in double figures, and Jrue Holiday led the team in scoring with 23 (8-26 FG, 4-17 3PT). The Celtics had their seven-game home win streak snapped in the loss.

Dončić posts triple-double, Mavs win 7th straight 🐎

Luka Dončić dropped 30 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals to help Dallas secure their seventh win in a row. Kyrie Irving added 29 points of his own to go with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Klay Thompson (20) was one of six Mavs to score in double figures.

Scottie Barnes had a career-high 14 dimes in the loss, adding 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Gradey Dick knocked down five triples on his way to 27 points on the evening.

Gravity means nothing to Ja Morant 🤩

Had to wait for the slow motion to post this unreal dunk from Ja. Morant leads all scorers with 29 points, adding eight rebounds, nine assists and two steals in just 29 minutes.

Memphis leads Boston 117-114 with 4:01 remaining in the game. Tune in now on NBA League Pass to catch the exciting finish.

Cade’s triple-double fuels Pistons over Knicks 💪

Cade Cunningham led the way for Detroit in their win over New York, posting a triple-double with 29 points, ten rebounds and a career-high 15 assists. The Pistons shot 50% (18-36) from three to give them a +21 advantage outside the arc. Cade is averaging career-highs across the board this season with 23.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.

Bilal deletes this shot, Wizards earn first win since Oct. 30 😱

Bilal Coulibaly registers his third and final block of the night to help the Washington Wizards snap their 16-game losing streak by defeating the Denver Nuggets 122-113. Nikola Jokić’s career-high 56 points were not enough to help the Nuggets claw back from being down 15 in the third quarter at one point.

Jordan Poole went off for 39 points, five rebounds and eight assists, knocking down a career-best nine triples (9-20 3PT).

🌟 Luka moves to No. 7 all-time for triple-doubles 🌟

Congratulations to Luka Dončić for moving to seventh on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list! He records back-to-back triple-doubles and his second of the season with 26 points, ten rebounds and 11 assists.

Dallas holds a 114-104 advantage over the Toronto Raptors with 6:06 to go in the game.

55 for Nikola Jokić 🔥🔥

The Joker has a career-high 55 points after knocking down this walk-up triple. Tune in live on NBA League Pass to catch the finish of Nuggets-Wizards.

Precious with hustle on both ends 😤

Precious Achiuwa gets up for the block on defense and gets rewarded for running the floor after Brunson finds him in-stride.

It’s been all Detroit in this one with the Pistons never trailing the Knicks in New York. Both teams are shooting better than 50% from the field, but Detroit remains on top 88-77 with 3:48 left in the third quarter. Don’t miss the conclusion, live on NBA League Pass.

🚨 Joker up to 47 points 🚨

Nikola Jokić has been cooking in Washington with 47 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to bring the Nuggets back from down 15 at one point.

Jordan Poole is having himself a night with 35 points and a career-high nine made 3s. Washington has led since about halfway through the first quarter, and they head to the final frame with a 93-99 advantage.

Queta throws down the two-handed hammer ⚒️

Derrick White drives and slots a bounce pass through to Neemias Queta for the emphatic slam over Jay Huff and the Grizzlies. Queta finds himself atop the dunk score leaderboard with this filthy poster.

Bam bounces to Jimmy for ✌️

Bam Adebayo delivers a slick bounce pass to a cutting Butler for the easy jam. Bam has put his playmaking abilities on full display in 2024-25, averaging a solid five helpers per game from the center position. He dropped back-to-back games with ten assists, both wins for Miami, on Nov. 27 and Nov. 29.

Phoenix leads Miami 29-26 after one in South Beach. Don’t miss the second quarter coming up on NBA League Pass.

Celtics swat Ja twice 🚫🚫

Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday combine for back-to-back blocks on Morant to get the Boston crowd hype. Ja and Jrue are dueling with 11 points each, but the Grizz hold the slight 24-19 lead with four minutes left in the first quarter of action.

Tune in live on NBA League Pass.

Kyrie locked in from distance 🎯

Kyrie Irving was feeling it in the first quarter, scoring 16 points (5-6 FG) and knocking down four triples. Dallas and Toronto are battling north of the border, and the Mavs hold a 41-32 lead. Catch the rest of the second quarter, live on NBA League Pass.

Another 🫣 pass from Luka

Luka with another no-look pass to Kyrie for the triple. The star duo has 16 of Dallas’ 28 points early as the Mavericks are up 28-23 with 2:05 left in the first quarter.

Pistons humming early ⚙️🔩

Jaden Ivey gets stifled but finds Cade in the corner with a dart through traffic. Pistons start the game on a 13-2 run, and they lead 17-7 halfway through the first quarter in New York. Tune in live on NBA League Pass!

SGA is perfect from the floor 🤌

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is feeling it tonight against the Pelicans, dropping 16 points on a perfect 7-7 FG. He’s added four dimes to lead the Thunder to a 49-32 lead with less than eight minutes to go before half.

JV powers through Joker for the bucket 😤

Valančiūnas gets space and works his way through Jokić for an easy lay-in. JV is working tonight, putting up eight points, three rebounds and his one block on the Joker. Washington has led since halfway through the first, and they’re on top 38-33 with 9:18 remaining before halftime.

Wizards go defense 👉 offense 💥

Jonas Valančiūnas sends Jokić packing, leading to a fastbreak dunk for Bilal Coulibaly. Washington is off to a nice start against the Nuggets, jumping out to a 30-21 lead with 2:27 left in the first quarter.

Thunder defense is suffocating ⚡

OKC forces four early turnovers against the Pelicans to get them off to a 15-2 lead after four minutes of play in the first. The Thunder lead the NBA with 19 turnovers forced per game.

Catch the action now, live on NBA League Pass.

Starters in NOLA for the home squad 🦤

New Orleans is starting to get healthier after an injury-riddled six weeks to begin the 2024-25 season. Brandon Ingram scored 29 points in their 126-124 win over the Suns on Thursday, snapping their nine-game losing streak.

Denver looks to bounce back in Washington 🌄

Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets have struggled to gain their footing through the first six weeks of the season. They are 4-6 in their last ten games and are coming off a 126-114 loss against the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

On the other side, the Wizards are looking to snap a 16-game losing streak. Tip is set for 7 ET on NBA League Pass.

Mavs ready to go for 7th straight W 🤠

The Dallas Mavericks have arrived in Toronto for their matchup with the Raptors. The Mavs are going for their seventh win in a row, fresh off of Luka Dončić’s first triple-double of the season on Thursday night.

Tip off is set for 7:00 ET on NBA League Pass.

📖 Top Storylines for Today’s Games 📖

  1. Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in Charlotte against the Hornets earlier today, winning their fourth consecutive game by a final of 116-102. Mobley had the best game of his young career, scoring 41 points on six made 3s, both of which are a career-high for the versatile forward/center. In the first quarter alone, he scored 23 points (9-10 FG) and was a perfect 5-for-5 from long range. He added ten rebounds, two assists, a steal and three blocks in just over 34 minutes.
  2. The Boston Celtics will try for their fourth win in a row tonight when they host Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. Boston is 10-1 in their last 11 games, and a victory tonight would be the eighth consecutive home win for the defending champs. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 59 points in last night’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
  3. Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks are going for their seventh straight win tonight when they travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors. Luka recorded his first triple-double of the season on Thursday in a 137-101 win over Washington, dropping 21 points, ten rebounds and ten assists. Dallas has won ten of their last 11 games and sits at 15-8 overall.

Related

Latest