Daily Dose of NBA with BN - Dec. 6
Embiid goes for 50, Luka's insane night, Jokic struggles against Clippers, Bane's career-high, a 40-piece from Paolo, Bridge's game-winner, the Nets edge the Hawks, and the Wolves stay hot in an action-packed 11-game slate in the NBA last night.
Embiid erupts for 50 as Sixers beat Wizards
The Philadelphia 76ers took care of the Washington Wizards in the nation's capital overnight, with a 131-126 win behind an enormous night from Philly superstar Joel Embiid.
The reigning league MVP was unstoppable in the victory, erupting for 50 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. Point guard Tyrese Maxey also added 26 points of his own, but it was the dominant play from Embiid that ultimately separated the teams.
To their credit, the Wizards fought to stay in the contest all night long, with Jordan Poole posting 23 points and Tyus Jones going for 20 points and eight assists in the loss.
Bane goes off in the Grizzlies' win over the Pistons
The Memphis Grizzlies registered their sixth win of the season as they defeated the Detroit Pistons 116-102 inside Little Caesars Arena in Michigan. The night belonged to Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, who sizzled for a career-high 49 points in the win.
Bane added six rebounds and eight assists in the performance, going 19-for-31 from the field and four-for-eight from downtown. Big man Jaren Jackson Jr. also helped out, with 24 points and three blocks as the Grizzlies handed Detroit their 18th straight loss of the season.
Cade Cunningham and Bojan Bogdanovic were bright lights for the otherwise lifeless Pistons outfit, with Cade putting up 16 points and 10 dimes while Bogdanovic registered 22 points and seven assists in the defeat.
Cavs overcome Magic with Banchero's big night
The Cleveland Cavaliers handed the high-flying Orlando Magic their seventh loss of the campaign with a 121-111 win inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. With the win, the Magic sit at 14-7 on the season.
Paolo Banchero was sensational for the Magic, notching 42 points and six rebounds in the losing effort. It was a shame for him personally, as no other Magic player scored above 20, and the Cavs ran away with the contest in the fourth period.
Donovan Mitchell found the spark he's been looking for with 35 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while backcourt partner Darius Garland chipped in with 26 points and nine assists in a positive performance for the otherwise up-and-down Cavaliers.
Wolves stay hot against Spurs
The Minnesota Timberwolves kept the good times rolling with a 102-94 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The red-hot Wolves were never genuinely challenged in the matchup, with five players in double figures led by 18 points from veteran point guard Mike Conley.
Rudy Gobert dominated the paint with 16 points, 20 rebounds, and two blocks, while Anthony Edwards had 17 points and seven assists, Naz Reid posted 15 points off the bench, and Karl Anthony-Towns put up 14 points and grabbed 10 boards.
Keldon Johnson was good for the rebuilding Spurs with 21 points and 10 boards, and Devin Vassell had 22 points in the losing effort.
Bridges hits a game-winner as Nets edge Hawks
The Brooklyn Nets snuck past the Atlanta Hawks 114-113 courtesy of a Mikal Bridges game-winner. In a back-and-forth affair that included 43 lead changes, Bridges would nail the decisive basket to separate the teams deep in the fourth quarter.
He would finish the contest with 32 points, five rebounds, and six assists to lead the Nets to their fifth win in six games. The Hawks got 30 points and nine dimes from Trae Young, while Sadiq Bey posted 21 points on seven-of-13 shooting.
With the loss, the Hawks fall two games under .500 with a 9-11 record.
Shorthanded Heat down the Raptors
The Miami Heat ventured across the border to beat the Toronto Raptors 112-103 inside Scotiabank Arena. With the victory, the Heat continue to impress with a 12-9 record despite consistently missing key contributors.
Miami was without Center Bam Adebayo and still has Tyler Herro sitting on the sidelines, but managed to overcome the underwhelming Raptors on the road. Caleb Martin filled the scoring void with his best of the season, notching 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Duncan Robinson added 21 points and seven assists.
As for the Raptors, Pascal Siakam put up 30 points and six assists, and OG Anunoby had 23 points and six assists as Toronto fell to 9-12 on the campaign.
Brooks and Rockets halt the Thunder
The Houston Rockets ended a three-game skid with a 110-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The win sees the Rockets climb their way back to .500 at 9-9 on the campaign.
Dillon Brooks continued his strong start to the season by leading the Rockets with 23 points, while he was joined by five other teammates in double-figures as Ime Udoka's men shared the scoring load in the matchup.
Shai-Gilgeous Alexander was up above 30 points yet again with 33 and six dimes, but no one else would score above 13 as the Thunder's offense stood still for long periods on the night.
DeRozan shines as Hornets fall to Bulls
The Chicago Bulls collected their eighth win of the campaign with a 111-100 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
The Bulls are still without guard Zach LaVine as he continues to deal with a foot injury, but veteran DeMar DeRozan stepped up to lead the Bulls to the win inside Toyota Center. He finished with 29 points, while Center Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and 12 boards in what turned into a comfortable win.
The absence of LaMelo Ball is still being felt for the Hornets, who got 25 points from Terry Rozier and 27 points from Gordon Hayward, but have now lost four of their last five games.
Doncic's historic night as Mavs demolish Jazz
The Dallas Mavericks put the Utah Jazz to shame last night, thrashing them 147-97 in a 50-point demolition job.
It started and ended with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic who became the first player in NBA history to record a 29-point triple-double in just one half with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in just two quarters.
He would finish the contest with an incredible 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, but wasn't needed much after halftime as the second unit continued to run up the scoreboard. Kyrie Irving added 26 points for good measure, while the Jazz's best player was Ochai Agbaji, who had 21 points on the night.
Jokic struggles in Nuggets defeat to Clippers
The L.A. Clippers put together an excellent performance in their 111-102 win over the Denver Nuggets on the road.
Jamal Murray returned to Denver's lineup with 23 points, and It doesn't happen often, but Nuggets' superstar Nikola Jokic struggled considerably from the field, shooting just nine-of-23 from the floor. He did fill the box score overall with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, but the lack of efficiency hurt the Nuggets' ability to go on any extended run throughout.
Clippers wing Paul George poured in 25 points, while James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists as Ty Lue's men climbed to .500 at 10-10 on the season.
Curry's dagger sinks the Blazers
The Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trailblazers 110-106 in front of a rocking home crowd last night. The much-need win sees the Warriors move back to just one game under .500 at 10-11 on the campaign.
The Blazers Shaedon Sharpe continued his impressive play early this season with 26 points and six assists, and Anfrenee Simmons put up 28 points to lead the roster in scoring.
In a contest that was far closer than it should have been, Stephen Curry's shot-making made the difference down the stretch, as his step-back three-point from near the top of the key secured the victory for the Dubs.
Nightly Notables
The NBA Cup Semi-Finals tip off tomorrow with the Lakers clashing with the Pelicans and the Bucks meeting the Pacers in Vegas.
