NBA roundup: Clippers stun Warriors after trailing by 22
Sun Dec 3 2:03am ET
Field Level Media
Paul George drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds remaining as the host Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 22-point deficit to edge the Golden State Warriors 113-112 on Saturday.
Moses Moody gave Golden State a 111-106 lead with 1:22 to go by sinking two free throws following a clear-path foul by George. James Harden answered with a layup before Moody split a pair of free throws, making it a four-point game with 38.1 seconds left.
Kawhi Leonard's layup made it a one-possession game, and George then delivered, giving Los Angeles its first -- and only -- lead of the contest. Draymond Green came up short on a potential game-winning 3-pointer as time expired.
George finished with a game-high 25 points for the Clippers, who bounced back from a 120-114 loss to the Warriors on Thursday. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 22 points and 11 assists.
Moody opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to put Golden State up by 22, and the Warriors still held a comfortable lead at 85-68 with 5:28 remaining in the period. Los Angeles still had gas in the tank, though, scoring 17 of the next 19 points to make it a two-point game.
Thunder 126, Mavericks 120
Jalen Williams had 23 points to lead eight scorers in double figures as visiting Oklahoma City withstood a furious 30-0 fourth-quarter rally by short-handed Dallas.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points while Davis Bertans and Cason Wallace scored 15 apiece for Oklahoma City, which won for the eighth time in its past 10 games. Dallas star Luka Doncic returned after missing one game for the birth of his daughter and recorded his third triple-double of the season with 36 points, 15 rebounds and 18 assists.
The Mavericks trailed by 23 at the start of the fourth before going on a remarkable 30-0 run to take the lead at 117-111 with 4:18 remaining. After A.J. Lawson hit a 3-pointer to put Dallas ahead by four, Oklahoma City scored six straight points to move ahead 122-120 with 40.1 seconds left. Doncic committed a turnover on the next possession and Gilgeous-Alexander scored on a layup before Williams made two foul shots for the final margin.
Nets 129, Magic 101
Mikal Bridges scored 26 of his 42 points in the first quarter and Brooklyn ended Orlando's nine-game winning streak in a contest in New York.
The Magic missed a chance at their first 10-game winning streak in franchise history partly because they had trouble stopping Bridges, especially in the opening 12 minutes.
Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony scored 20 points apiece to lead Orlando, which had not lost since Nov. 14 when it fell to Brooklyn. Paolo Banchero added 19 points as the Magic shot 40.2 percent from the floor.
Cavaliers 110, Pistons 101
Darius Garland and Max Strus had 22 points apiece as visiting Cleveland beat Detroit, handing the Pistons their franchise-record 17th consecutive loss.
Donovan Mitchell supplied 20 points and four assists for the Cavaliers, who bounced back from a home loss to Portland. Jarrett Allen contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds and Georges Niang led the reserves with 12 points.
Bojan Bogdanovic, making his season debut, finished with 22 points off the bench for the Pistons. Cade Cunningham finished with a team-high 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for Detroit.
Timberwolves 123, Hornets 117
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points and Rudy Gobert posted 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, and the duo spearheaded a relentless fourth quarter to help Minnesota top host Charlotte.
Naz Reid had 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting off the bench, Mike Conley delivered 14 points and 10 assists and reserve Kyle Anderson added 11 points as the Timberwolves won their fourth consecutive game.
Terry Rozier's 23 points and Miles Bridges' 22 paced the Hornets. P.J. Washington hit four 3-pointers off the bench on the way to 18 points.
Bulls 124, Pelicans 118
Coby White scored a season-high 31 points and led a 3-point barrage by host Chicago in a victory over New Orleans.
White matched his career high of eight 3-pointers (in 13 attempts), and the Bulls made 17 of 40 compared to 8 of 25 for the Pelicans. DeMar DeRozan returned from a one-game absence due to a sprained left ankle to add 24 points and 10 assists.
Zion Williamson scored 27 points, Brandon Ingram had 23 and Herbert Jones had 17 to lead the Pelicans.
Pacers 144, Heat 129
Bruce Brown scored a season-high 30 points to help lead Indiana past host Miami.
Obi Toppin scored 22 points for the Pacers, who split their two games in Miami after losing to the Heat on Thursday. Aaron Nesmith and T.J. McConnell tallied 20 points apiece, Myles Turner added 17 and Bennedict Mathurin had 16.
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field. Caleb Martin poured in 18 points, Duncan Robinson scored 17 and Josh Richardson and Orlando Robinson each scored 16.
Bucks 132, Hawks 121
Giannis Antetokounmpo put up his first triple-double of the season with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Milwaukee to a win over visiting Atlanta.
Damian Lillard added 25 points to go along with nine assists for Milwaukee. Five other Bucks scored in double figures, including Cameron Payne, who had a season-high 18 points off the bench.
Trae Young led the way for Atlanta with 32 points, with his backcourt mate Dejounte Murray tallying 30. Young also dished out 12 assists and nabbed two steals. Clint Capela played a big role down low, scoring 10 points and grabbing a game-high 17 boards.
Suns 116, Grizzlies 109
Devin Booker recorded 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead Phoenix over visiting Memphis.
Kevin Durant added 27 points for the Suns, but his streak of consecutive 30-point games ended at seven. Jusuf Nurkic added 14 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 5:34 left as Phoenix snapped a two-game skid.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a season-high 37 points on 13-of-21 shooting and collected nine rebounds for the Grizzlies. Desmond Bane scored 20 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter for Memphis, which had a season-best two-game winning streak halted.
Jazz 118, Trail Blazers 113 (OT)
Collin Sexton scored 25 points and Keyonte George had one of the best games of his rookie season with a career-high 21 to help Utah defeat Portland in overtime in Salt Lake City.
John Collins added 17 points and nine rebounds and Omer Yurtseven hauled in 15 rebounds to go along with nine points and a key block in the waning moments of the extra session. The Jazz, who won after blowing a 13-point fourth-quarter lead, were without four regulars: Lauri Markkanen (hamstring), Jordan Clarkson (thigh), Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) and Kris Dunn (personal reasons).
Shaedon Sharpe and Malcolm Brogdon each scored 25 points, but the Blazers ended up falling to the Jazz for the second time in three outings this season. Scoot Henderson scored 17 points, while Deandre Ayton totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Kings 123, Nuggets 117
Malik Monk capped a 26-point performance off the bench with a critical 3-pointer with 1:12 to play, and host Sacramento overcame Nikola Jokic's eighth triple-double of the season for a victory over Denver.
De'Aaron Fox (26 points, game-high 16 assists) and Domantas Sabonis (17 points, game-high 15 rebounds) chipped in with double-doubles for the Kings, who won for the third time in their past four games in their final tune-up before the NBA in-season tournament quarterfinals on Monday night.
Jokic had a game-high 36 points and team highs in rebounds (13) and assists (14) for the Nuggets, who welcomed back Aaron Gordon from a heel injury but were without Jamal Murray for the second straight game due to a sprained right ankle.
Lakers 107, Rockets 97
Anthony Davis recorded his 17th double-double of the season while Austin Reaves scored 18 points off the bench as Los Angeles cruised past visiting Houston.
Davis had 27 points, 14 rebounds and added five blocks. Reaves overcame an 0-for-4 start and finished 6-for-11 from the floor with four rebounds and three steals. That duo combined for 21 points during a 25-2 second-quarter run that enabled the Lakers to seize control.
Alperen Sengun produced 21 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks while Fred VanVleet had 22 points and seven assists for Houston, which remained winless on the road in eight attempts.
- NBA roundup: Clippers stun Warriors after trailing by 22
- NBA roundup: Magic tie team mark with 9th straight win
- Jamal Murray (hamstring) out vs. Suns
- Spurs C Victor Wembanyama (hip) out vs. Pelicans
- Mavericks' Luka Doncic (personal) ruled out vs. Grizzlies
- LeBron James says he will pick Bronny's USC debut over Lakers
- NBA roundup: Hawks' Trae Young puts up 45 vs. Spurs
- Pelicans F Larry Nance Jr. (rib) out 4-6 weeks
- Pistons F Bojan Bogdanovic could return Saturday
- NBA roundup: Lakers drop Pistons to historic low
- Thunder's Josh Giddey faces police investigation
- Nuggets star Jamal Murray (hamstring) back after missing 11 games
- Pelicans' CJ McCollum (lung) to return Wednesday
- NBA roundup: Kings stun Warriors, advance in tourney
- Matchups set for NBA in-season tourney quarterfinals
- Mark Cuban selling majority stake of Mavs to Miriam Adelson
- Hornets G LaMelo Ball out multiple weeks with ankle sprain
- Pistons have two tries to dodge historic 0-for-November
- Heat F Jimmy Butler (ankle) ruled out vs. Bucks
- NBA roundup: Joel Embiid, 76ers demolish Lakers
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (finger) could return to the lineup soon, possibly as early as Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 28-year-old has missed his last two games after slamming his right index finger in a car door. The Warriors would love to see him back in the lineup as soon as possible, considering the team has struggled since starting the season with a 5-1 record. But Wiggins has also had his share of underwhelming performances throughout the 2023-24 campaign, and he's currently averaging a career-low 12.8 points per game. That said, the 2014 No. 1 overall pick could things around soon, so fantasy managers should hang in there for now.
Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons (back) reportedly received an epidural injection to help his lower back recovery. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Simmons will be re-evaluated in two weeks after receiving this injection on Sunday. The 27-year-old has been out since November 6 and it looks like he won't be back until almost the end of December. Simmons has battled back issues for the last few years, so the team likely won't be rushing him back. While he's out, Cam Thomas and Spencer Dinwiddie will continue handling point guard duties as Dennis Smith Jr. will get some action off of the bench.
Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Luke Kennard (knee) will now miss another 2-to-3 weeks due to the left knee bone bruise that he's been dealing with over the last couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, the team announced he'd be re-evaluated in that span and it looks like the bone bruise is affecting him more than they expected. He's already missed eight consecutive games and the team has tried a plethora of lineups in the meantime. While he's sidelined, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. will continue to see added minutes off of the bench.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, contract talks between the Warriors and guard Klay Thompson remain "dormant." Wojnarowski also added that extension discussions likely won't intensify until after the 2023-24 campaign. Thompson is eligible for a four-year, $220 million extension. But the 33-year-old has battled countless injuries over the years. Additionally, he's having a down season, averaging 15.7 points and shooting a career-low 36.1% from behind the arc. All things considered, it's hard to imagine Thompson playing for another team. However, his fantasy stock continues to fall, which is the immediate concern for managers in all formats.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Matt Ryan (elbow) has been ruled out for the team's in-season tournament game on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings. The 26-year-old has been dealing with a right elbow issue that has kept him out of the last eight consecutive games with a ninth upcoming. The sharpshooting forward was playing around 22 minutes per contest before he got hurt and he mainly contributed threes for fantasy managers. With the rest of the team getting healthier, this shouldn't affect the lineup too much.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III made his season debut on Friday but then missed the second half of the back-to-back so that he didn't overdo it right out of the gate. He's off of the injury report again ahead of the team's knockout-stage game in the in-season tournament on Monday night. He'll likely see around 20-to-25 minutes again like he did in his first game back as he gets acclimated to game speed again. Murphy was a solid depth piece for fantasy managers in deep leagues last year as he averaged 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Sacramento Kings guard Chris Duarte (knee) is considered questionable for their in-season tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. The young wing was forced to miss their last game on Saturday with the same left knee soreness, but he may have received that game off to get some more rest for the knockout stage of the tournament. Since Keegan Murray has returned, however, Duarte has taken a big hit to his fantasy value. If he can't play, Sasha Vezenkov will see some more opportunities.
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (ankle) is considered questionable for the in-season tournament knockout game against the Boston Celtics on Monday. The 25-year-old has yet to miss a game this season but he's currently dealing with a left ankle sprain. If he's unable to suit up, Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin would likely see the uptick in minutes while one of them would move up into the starting five. Nesmith seems to be the one that fits the role a little more than Mathurin.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (illness) has received a questionable tag for the team's knockout game of the in-season tournament on Monday. The star point guard is dealing with an upper respiratory infection which caused him to miss Saturday's game against the Miami Heat. Since they're competing for the in-season tournament championship, the Pacers will likely try to get Haliburton on the court, but fantasy managers will want a backup plan with only a two-game slate. Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell will likely get the added minutes at point guard if Haliburton has to remain sidelined.
Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) is set to miss his fourth consecutive game with a left calf strain after he was officially ruled out of the team's knockout game for the in-season tournament on Monday. Fortunately for the Celtics, they're on a three-game win streak while Porzingis has been out. There isn't a firm timetable for his return yet, so Al Horford will continue to get the starting role while Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet will get the added minutes off of the bench.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings. The star guard will miss his second game in a row due to a right ankle sprain. That means, Reggie Jackson will head into the starting five for at least one more game. He dropped 20 points during Friday's contest and had 35 points the game before that. He's well worth a look as a streaming option for Saturday's slate.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (ankle) will suit up for Saturday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The superstar guard was uncertain coming into this game due to a right ankle sprain that forced him to miss Friday's contest. Despite that, Booker will play on Saturday and is expected to resume his normal role. It's worth noting that the Suns are without Eric Gordon (knee) for this game. Possibly, Booker picks up additional playing time or Jordan Goodwin gets more run in the rotation.
Phoenix Suns guard Eric Gordon (knee) has been downgraded to out for Saturday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The veteran guard will miss at least one game due to a right knee contusion. The Suns could be in a bad spot with Devin Booker (ankle) considered a game-time decision for this contest. The absence of both players would mean increased roles for players such as Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie, and Jordan Goodwin. Fantasy managers will have to check back for another update on Booker's status closer to game time.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Derrick Rose (ankle) has been downgraded to out for Saturday's game against the Phoenix Suns. The veteran guard was unlikely to play in this game after playing 20 minutes on Friday. The Grizzlies are going to continue taking the cautious approach with the oft-injured guard. Jacob Gilyard is expected to replace him in the starting five for this game. He'll have increased fantasy appeal with Rose unavailable for this game.
Dallas Mavericks guards Josh Green (elbow) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (back) have both been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Star guard Kyrie Irving (foot) will join them on the sideline for this game. The absence of these three will leave the Mavs extremely shorthanded for this game. Luka Doncic will be asked to carry the load on offense. Fantasy managers should expect Seth Curry and Jaden Hardy to have expanded roles, which should give them some streaming appeal.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (foot) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The superstar guard will take a seat alongside teammates Josh Green (elbow) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (back) on Saturday. This will leave the Mavs extremely shorthanded, so expect Luka Doncic to carry the offense. Also, Seth Curry and Jaden Hardy should see more minutes and expanded roles in the rotation. Both should be worth looking at as streaming options for Saturday.
Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (ankle) is available for Saturday's showdown with the Pelicans. The veteran was battling a sprained ankle, keeping him off the floor for Thursday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he's good to go. With Zach LaVine (foot) out, DeRozan will likely see more scoring chances, giving him added value for DFS contests. Of course, he's always a must-start in season-long fantasy setups.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (knee) was downgraded to out ahead of Saturday's clash with the Miami Heat. The 23-year-old scored a career-high 44 points on Thursday night, the first of back-to-back meetings between the clubs. However, he's dealing with a bone bruise, although the team may be playing it safe by keeping him out. Nevertheless, with Indy down its No. 1 scoring option, guys like Andrew Nembhard, Bruce Brown, and Obi Toppin might see a significant bump on the offensive end, giving them streaming value for fantasy managers.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (ankle) will play in Saturday's meeting with the Chicago Bulls. The 25-year-old missed the start of the season before making his 2023-24 debut in mid-November. He was gradually ramping up his minutes. However, he sat out Friday's loss to the Spurs because of a sprained ankle. Nevertheless, with CJ McCollum getting the night off to rest, Alvarado should see some action, although likely not enough to be trusted for fantasy lineups.
New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum won't play in Saturday's meeting with the Chicago Bulls. The 32-year-old missed nearly a month because of a collapsed lung, and considering he logged 38 minutes versus the Spurs on Friday, he'll get the night off. As a result, Dyson Daniels, averaging 8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.9 steals in 11 starts this season, is expected to replace McCollum in the lineup, which would automatically increase his fantasy potential.