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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Nov. 19

Stay in the know on tonight's NBA action as we keep you updated with the latest news and happenings around the league.

NBA.com Staff

🏆2024 Emirates NBA Cup action returns🏆

Six games of group play headline Tuesday night’s slate:

  • Cleveland 117, Boston 120 (Final)
  • Charlotte 115, Brooklyn 116 (Final)
  • Denver 122, Memphis 110 (Final)
  • New Orleans 91, Dallas 132 (Final)
  • Oklahoma City 104, San Antonio 110 (Final)
  • Utah 118, Los Angeles Lakers 124 (Final)

🍿Top Stories of the Night🍿

  • The Cavaliers are no longer undefeated as the Celtics were able to secure a 120-117 victory over them Tuesday night. Cleveland clawed back from a 20-plus point deficit to get within two late in the game, but Boston’s red-hot shooting (44-86 FG, 22-41 3PT) was ultimately too much to overcome. 
  • Speaking of Boston’s victory, they along with Denver, Dallas, Brooklyn, and San Antonio put W’s in the win column, to make them 1-1 in Emirates NBA Cup group play. It’ll be very difficult for a team to advance with two losses, so those wins will be key in keeping them alive in the tournament. 
  • The Lakers stayed unbeaten at home and grew their win streak to six games with a 124-118 win over the Jazz. They are now 10-4 on the season and will host an equally hot Orlando Magic team on Thursday. 

⭐🌟⭐Top Performers⭐🌟⭐

  1. Jayson Tatum: 33 points (11-22 FG, 6-10 3PT), 12 rebounds and seven assists.
  2. Donovan Mitchell: 35 points (13-29 FG), eight rebounds, three assists. 
  3. Dalton Knecht: 37 points (12-16 FG, 9-12 3PT) and five rebounds.

He’s on fire 🔥

Dalton Knecht has gone scorched earth in the second half and is now 9-11 from three-point land and has 37 points.

The Lakers now lead 104-85, halfway through the fourth.

LeBron explodes 💥

James goes left-handed and over his head for a ferocious throw-down.

The Lakers have built up a 22-point lead, 97-75 as the third quarter comes to a close. Dalton Knecht is going off with 33 points on 8-9 shooting from three. James and Davis both have double-doubles now, with 20 points and 10 assists for James, while Davis has 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Entrance denied ⛔

Rookie Stephon Castle comes up with a clutch block late in the game on Gilgeous-Alexander to help deliver a win for the Spurs.

San Antonio received key contributions from Charles Bassey (12 points, eight rebounds) and Keldon Johnson (22 points, five rebounds, and four assists) off the bench in their 110-104 win. Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points and dished out seven assists, while Jalen Williams notched 27 points and filled up the stat sheet with nine rebounds, six assists, and five steals in the defeat.

Big man slam‼️

Lebron James sets up Anthony Davis for the alley-oop and he puts it down with authority.

The Lakers took a 13-point lead, 57-44 into halftime. Anthony Davis already has a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht also have 12 a piece.

Bassey oop night 🎞️

Charles Bassey is making the most of his opportunity with Victor Wembanyama out of action. Check out these alley-oops.

The big man has 12 points, six rebounds, a block, and a steal off the bench thus far, helping the Spurs take a 93-77 lead over the Thunder in the fourth.

Defense Knecht’s offense

D’Angelo Russell gets the block and the ball and finds Dalton Knecht cutting into the lane for a two-handed jam.

The Lakers offense has been on fire since the tip, shooting 58.3% from the field and 50% from three in the first frame, giving them a 34-22 lead over the Jazz. Anthony Davis already has seven rebounds to go with eight points and two assists.

🎁Give n’ go 👉

Anthony Davis and Lebron James are in sync early on the smooth back-and-forth ending in a James lay-in.

Tthe Lakers are up 14-8 early, with all five starters on the scoreboard already.

Congrats, Russell Westbrook 🎉

Westbrook recorded his 200th career regular-season triple-double in Tuesday’s 122-110 win over the Grizzlies.

With Nikola Jokić out of action, Westbrook stepped up, recording 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists aiding the Nuggets to their victory. Jamal Murray scored 27 (10-20 FG, 5-10 3PT), while Michael Porter Jr. also chipped in 24 (11-20 FG) and 10 boards. Santi Aldama of the Grizzlies led all scorers with 28 points (12-19 FG, 4-7 3PT) and also grabbed 11 rebounds.

O😱M🤯G😱

Keldon Johnson goes to the rim with bad intentions and explodes for a nasty poster dunk. This just might unseat Tre Mann for dunk of the night on the NBA’s dunk score.

The Spurs have a 60-57 lead over the Thunder at halftime, and Johnson is leading the way with 17 points off the bench. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams each have 15 for Oklahoma City.

He goes down with the bucket

Watford gets it to go off the glass as he hits the floor, for a clutch bucket that seals the the win for Brooklyn.

The Nets came back from down double digits to knock off the Hornets 116-115. Cameron Johnson scored a game-high 34 points (11-20 FG, 6-12 3PT). Dennis Schröder recorded a double-double with 12 assists and 14 points to also aid in the Nets’ victory. Brandon Miller was the star of the show for Charlotte, albeit in a losing effort. The second-year man scored 29 (11-17 FG, 5-9 3PT) while grabbing three rebounds, dishing four dimes, and getting three steals and three blocks. 

Oh, MANN 🤯

Tre Mann erupts for the poster dunk. This has to be the dunk of the night on the NBA’s dunk score rankings.

It’s a tight one in Brooklyn, with the score knotted up at 100 about halfway through the fourth. Cameron Johnson leads all scorers with 31 off 10-17 shooting, while Brandon Miller is the top dog on the Hornets with 24 on 9-13 shooting.

 

Down goes Cleveland, 15-1️⃣

Jaylen Brown spins into the lane and hits the finger roll off the glass that ultimately sealed the win for Boston.

It was a historic run for Cleveland, but it came to an end at the hands of the Celtics in TD Garden on Tuesday night with a final score of 120-117. The Celtics were on fire in the first half, but Cleveland charged back, outscoring them by 14 in the final two frames, but it still wasn’t enough. Jayson Tatum was the star of the game for Boston, scoring 33 points (11-22 FG, 6-10 3PT), pulling down 12 rebounds, and dishing out seven dimes. Al Horford also came up big, scoring 20 and shooting 4-5 from deep. Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland with a game-high 35.

Explosive 💥

Jaden Hardy drives the lane then explodes to the rim with a vicious one-hand throwdown.

The Mavericks have built a 50-32 lead early in the second quarter.

Strong finish at the rim 💪

Tatum gets around Mobley and by Porter Jr. for the big two-handed slam.

Tatum now has 30 points, to go with 12 boards, and seven assists, as the Celtics have a six-point lead, 110-104 with just under three minutes remaining.

Big time buzzer beater🚨

Tatum hits the three at the buzzer as the third quarter comes to a close.

We have a ball game in Boston, as Cleveland has stormed back from more than 20 down, and currently trails only 98-93 with the fourth quarter underway.

Reverse jam 🔁

Braun gets a sweet bounce feed from Westbrook and has enough space in the paint to go up for a reverse jam. Check out where it ranks on tonight’s dunk score leaderboard.

Rejection🚫to bucket🪣

Watson gets the block for the Nuggets, which leads to a fastbreak lay-in for Jamal Murray.

The Nuggets have a 34-24 lead over the Grizzlies with the second quarter now underway. Michael Porter Jr. is the only scorer in double digits with 10 points on 5-5 shooting and five rebounds.

Sticks with it

Evan Mobley found an offensive rebound, then got his own rebound on a miss and followed it up and in.

Mobley has been a force in the second half, and now has 22 points and eight rebounds, helping the Cavaliers crawl back within two, 86-84.

Steal and slam

Cameron Johnson reads the pass and knocks it away, giving him a free lane to the hoop.

Johnson’s 16 points leads all scorers in Brooklyn, but the Hornets still have the advantage, 54-49.

The 3-point barrage continues 🎯🎯🎯

Tatum hits one of his four first-half threes after an Al Horford block.

The Celtics are cooking from deep, shooting 14-22 from the arc, which has significantly aided their 65-48 lead. Jayson Tatum leads all scorers with 17 (6-10 FG, 4-4 3PT), and also has eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Donovan Mitchell is pacing Cleveland with 13 points but has somewhat struggled, shooting just 5-14.

 

Fastbreak hammer 🔨

Miles Bridges starts the fastbreak and finishes it with a strong one-handed slam.

The Hornets have jumped out to a fast 19-7 lead on the Nets. Brandon Miller is a perfect 3-3 early for eight points.

Defense➡️Offense

Evan Mobley gets the block in the paint on Jayson Tatum, runs the court, and is found by Niang for the alley-oop.

The first quarter has come to a close in Boston and the Celtics hold a 26-20 lead over Cleveland off the strength of their 5-11 3PT shooting, while the Cavaliers are 0-6 from distance. Mobley, Allen, Mitchell, and Garland all have four points each, while Tatum leads the way for Boston with eight.

Raining 3️⃣’s in TD Garden

Tatum and Horford show off their long-distance accuracy, as the Celtics have already hit five threes early in Boston.

The Celtics currently lead 20-14 late in the first quarter.

Big fight feel 🥊👊

We’re officially underway in Boston and Donovan Mitchell opens the scoring with a floater in the lane.

Jrue Holiday followed up with a wide-open corner three and Boston is up 3-2 early in the first.

🍀Celtics in the Building🍀

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the rest of the Celtics arrive at the TD Garden, looking to be the first team to knock off the Cavaliers this season, and get one in the win column for the Emirates NBA Cup.

New hardwoods

With multiple teams hosting their first Emirates NBA Cup game this season, it’s our first chance to see the special edition courts for those franchises. Check out the Lakers court being placed down, and the final product…

The Mavericks as well,

And don’t forget about the Warriors,

The Cavalry arrives ⚔️

Cavalier players arrive at the TD Garden, ready to put their undefeated start on the line as part of Emirates NBA Cup group play.

🍿Top Storylines for the Night🍿

  1. The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup tips off for the third night of group play. Every team taking the floor tonight has played one game thus far, with the Spurs, Jazz, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Mavericks, Hornets, Nets, and Celtics all falling in their first game. A win tonight will likely be essential for those teams to stay in the hunt and have a chance to advance to the knockout round. If you need a refresher on how the Emirates NBA Cup works, you can view our FAQ section and to stay up on everything you need to know our Emirates NBA Cup tracker has you covered. 
  2. The 15-0 Cavaliers head to Boston for a heavyweight showdown against the 11-3 Celtics. A Cleveland victory would give them sole possession of the second-longest undefeated start in NBA history. At the same time, a win for Boston could be a reminder that the Eastern Conference still runs through the reigning NBA champions. This game has can’t miss all over it and you can watch it live on TNT at 7 ET
  3. The Lakers will put their five-game winning streak and perfect 6-0 record at home on the line when they host the Jazz tonight. A large part of their recent success has been the push to make Anthony Davis the focal point of their offense, and his increased efficiency from three-point land.

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