Daily Dose of NBA with BN - Dec. 15
Brunson's 50, Spurs snap 18-game losing streak, Knicks down Suns, Wizards upset Pacers, Celtics defeat Magic, and a Brooks dagger sinks Memphis in an entertaining eight-game slate in the NBA.
Devin Vassell and Spurs snap losing streak against Lakers
The San Antonio Spurs are finally back in the winning column, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 129-115 to snap their 18-game losing streak.
The Lakers were without Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and Cam Reddish on the evening but welcomed back LeBron James and still felt they had enough to get the win.
They were sorely mistaken; however, the Spurs raced out of the gates and opened up a 22-point lead in the first half.
To their credit, the Lakers rallied on a furious comeback just before halftime to cut the lead to single figures; however, a quick start from the Spurs to begin the third period re-established a double-digit advantage they could never quite come back from.
Devin Vassell put up his career-high in the victory, notching 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and five-of-10 from downtown. Keldon Johnson added 17, while Victor Wembanyama registered 15 points and 13 rebounds.
As for the Lakers, LeBron James had 23 points and 14 assists, Austin Reaves had 22, and Rui Haichumura posted 20 off the bench in the loss.
Brunson unguardable in the Knicks' win over the Suns
The New York Knicks grabbed a signature 139-122 win over the Phoenix Suns on the road behind an unbelievable performance from point guard Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks fell behind early but were steadied by the play of Brunson and forward Julius Randle as the game went on.
Some hot shooting from Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes gave them a boost after halftime, and deep into the fourth period, their execution was immaculate with the ball in Brunson's hands as the lead decision-maker.
The savvy scorer would finish with a career-high 50 points and would go a perfect nine-for-nine from beyond the arc. It marked just the second time in NBA history a player scored 50 or over on perfect shooting from three-point range, and Brunson was masterful in his shot selection.
Randle added 23, and RJ Barrett chipped in with 21 in the much-needed victory for the Eastern Conference hopefuls.
Kevin Durant scored 29 for the Suns, and Devin Booker put up 28 and nine assists, but third-star Bradley Beal left the game early in the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return.
The Suns have now lost six of their last eight games.
Poole and Wizards shock the Pacers
The Washington Wizards snapped their six-game losing streak with a 137-123 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Wizards guard Jordan Poole put together one of his best performances of the season with 30 points on an efficient 12-of-18 shooting from the field and three-of-four from three-point range.
He wasn't alone in the attack, however, as Kyle Kuzma posted 31 points, and Tyus Jones registered a triple-double of 13 points, ten rebounds, and 11 assists.
The Pacers' usual high-functioning offense took a night off, it seemed, as they couldn't find a collective rhythm all night long.
Tyrese Haliburton finished the contest with 19 points and 11 assists, and Isaiah Jackson had 20 points and 13 boards.
Embiid dominant as Sixers crush Pistons
The Philadelphia 76ers handed the Detroit Pistons their 22nd straight loss with an emphatic 124-92 win.
Philly superstar Joel Embiid was sensational yet again, putting up 35 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a dominant display. As is often the case this campaign, he had plenty of help on the offensive end, as Tyrese Maxey finished with 19 points, Marcus Morris had 15, and Tobias Harris added 13 points in a well-rounded scoring effort from Nick Nurse's men.
James Wiseman had his best game of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds off the bench, while Bojan Bogdanovic put up 17 points in the defeat.
With the loss, the Pistons now hold the worst overall record in the league at 2-23.
Pels take care of the Hornets on the road
The New Orleans Pelicans won their 15th game of the season with a narrow 112-107 win against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets still await the return of star point guard LaMelo Ball; however, Terry Rozier continues to shine in his absence. Rozier finished the matchup with 30 points and six dimes, and Miles Bridges notched a double-double of 27 points and ten rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Pels made more plays when it mattered most to snatch the victory.
Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson both put up double-doubles on the evening, with Valanciunas posting 29 points and 13 rebounds and Zion registering 21 points and 11 boards.
The loss sees the Hornets fall to 7-16 on the year.
Young carries Hawks to win over Raptors
The Atlanta Hawks got a much-needed 125-104 win against the Toronto Raptors last night in Canada.
In what was an important matchup for both teams, who have had uneven starts to the season, it would be the Hawks who prevailed on the back of the play from point guard Trae Young.
Ice Trae couldn't be stopped by anyone on the Raptors who gave it a try, finishing the game with 38 points and 11 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 20 off the bench, and Clint Capela posted a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Scottie Barnes was the highman for the Raptors with 23 points, but they didn't have enough offense on the night to get the job done.
With the loss, the Raptors fall five games below .500 at 10-15.
Tatum and Celtics prove a point against Magic
The Boston Celtics showed they are still the team to beat in the East with a convincing 128-111 win against the Orlando Magic.
Jayson Tatum got the scoring going for Boston and continued his assault throughout the evening, finishing the contest with 30 points and 50% shooting from the field.
There were plenty of contributors for the Celtics, with Payton Pritchard adding 21 points off the bench, Jaylen Brown scoring 18, and Derrick White putting up 19 points and eight assists in the victory.
As for the Magic, no one scored above Jalen Suggs' 19, and forward Paolo Banchero struggled to shoot the ball, going just five-for-17 from the floor.
The win sees the Celtics remain the only undefeated team at home this season.
Brooks dagger sinks Memphis
The Houston Rockets got a hostile win in Memphis, defeating the Grizzlies 103-96.
Upon Dillon Brooks' return to face his former employer, the Grizzlies honored him with a tribute video before he broke their hearts with a dagger three-pointer to seal the win at the end of regulation.
It would be the perfect comeback game for Brooks, who put up a season-high 26 points in his old stomping ground.
His backcourt partner Fred VanFleet had 16 points and eight assists, while Alperen Sengun registered 15 and seven rebounds.
Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr showed out again for the Grizzlies, with Bane having 28 points and 13 boards and Jackson Jr putting up 22 points, but the Grizzlies couldn't get enough scoring elsewhere to pull out the win.
Tomorrow sees a jam-packed 10-game schedule across the league, with the Knicks visiting the Clippers, the Thunder traveling to Denver to take on the Nuggets, the Nets meeting the Warriors, the Bulls locking horns with the Heat, and the Pacers facing off against the Timberwolves.
