You are currently viewing Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Jan. 20

Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Jan. 20

๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ‘‘Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate of games๐Ÿ‘‘๐Ÿ€

  • Mavericks 105, Hornets 110 (Final)
  • Pistons 107, Rockets 96 (Final)
  • Timberwolves 106, Grizzlies 108 (Final)
  • Hawks 110, Knicks 119 (Final)
  • Suns 92, Cavaliers 118 (Final)
  • Celtics 125 vs. Warriors 85 (Final)
  • Jazz 119 vs. Pelicans 123 (Final)
  • Bulls 112 vs. Clippers 99 (Final)

๐Ÿ‘‰Top NBA Storylines Today

  • Pistons make statement in Houston: Detroit continues to roll in January as it moves to 8-3 in 2025. An 11-point win in Houston might be the most impressive win yet, though, as the Pistons controlled the game throughout and never trailed after the 11:14 mark in the third quarter. Cade Cunningham led the way with his fifth 30-point game of the month.
  • Pelicans make history with massive comeback: The Pelicans made franchise history Monday with a 25-point comeback victory over the Jazz to set a new club record. CJ McCollum popped off for 45 points extended their season-best winning streak to four games.ย 
  • Grizzlies earn hard-fought win over Timberwolves: The Grizzlies fought their way back from a 16-point deficit against Anthony Edwards and the Tโ€™Wolves to clinch the season series against them. Jaren Jacksonโ€™s 15 fourth-quarter points made a huge difference as the Grizzlies moved to 28-15 on the year.
  • Read More NBA Paris Games 2025

๐Ÿ…Top NBA performers today

  • CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans: 45 points for McCollum; 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for Murray in comeback win over Jazz
  • Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks: ย 31 points, 15 rebounds, seven blocks vs Hornets. Also had the dunk of the night.
  • Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons: 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in win over Rockets.

๐Ÿ‚ Bulls snap losing skid, get road W vs Clippers

The Bulls had dropped five straight entering Mondayโ€™s action but managed to get back in the win column with a convincing victory over the Clippers.

Table of Contents

Zach LaVine was the star of the night for the Bulls with 35 points. Josh Giddey nearly notched the triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists over 40 minutes.

The Clippers battled back in the fourth but a tough night shooting from beyond the arc was too much to overcome. The Clips went just 9-for-42 from deep.

Crunch time in LA

The Clippers have cut into what was an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Bulls and are now within 10 points with just over three minutes to go at the Intuit Dome. Derrick Jones Jr. and Norman Powell have helped fuel the fourth quarter comeback.

Catch the finish now on NBA League Pass

๐Ÿ†™Zach LaVine. Sheesh.

Chicagoโ€™s Zach LaVine reaches all the way back and powers down an incredible dunk to help extend the Bullsโ€™ lead over the Clippers.

Catch the fourth quarter now on NBA League Pass.

๐Ÿ“Š Clippers lead Bulls at the break

Itโ€™s been a back-and-forth battle in the night cap with the Clippers holding a two-point advantage over the Bulls at halftime. The Bulls led by as many as 10 points in the first quarter but some quality play off the bench from Terance Mann and Amir Coffey helped the Clippers reclaim the lead.

Kevin Porter Jr. helped provide one of the highlights of the first half with an electric slam in transition.

๐Ÿ™Œ Pelicans complete the comeback

The Pelicans did not blink in the face of a 25-point deficit tonight against the Jazz. Instead, the Pels battled back and found a way to scratch out a win in front of the home crowd. CJ McCollum was huge in this game, dropping 45 points and pulling down eight rebounds.

The Pelicans held the Jazz to just 50 combined points in the second half and overtime.

๐Ÿ”ฅOT in the Big Easy

Four quarters werenโ€™t enough tonight in New Orleans as the Pelicans battled back from a big halftime deficit to send this one to OT vs the Jazz.

The Jazz led by as many as 25 but lockdown defense from the Pelicans (41 2nd-half points allowed) aided the comeback. CJ McCollumโ€™s 39 points in regulation certainly didnโ€™t hurt, either.

Catch the end now on NBA League Pass.

5๏ธโƒฃ Starting lineups for Clippers vs Bulls

The Clippers will look to defend home court without Kawhi Leonard, who is not available due to right knee injury management.

Lonzo Ball draws into the Bullsโ€™ starting lineup for the second time this season. His other start came Jan. 12 against the Kings and he finished with 15 points and three assists over 26 minutes.

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธGame On! Pelicans tie Jazz in 4th

The Pelicans have erased a 20-point halftime deficit to bring this one back level as we reach crunch time in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Hawkins has been terrific off the bench with 18 points in 18 minutes. He is a perfect 3-for-3 from deep.

๐ŸฟPelicans battling back vs Jazz

The Pelicans have cut their halftime deficit (20 points) in half with a strong third quarter. The combo of McCollum and Murray have been on fire coming out of the break and are both above the 20-point mark as the fourth quarter approaches.

๐Ÿ™…โ€โ™‚๏ธ Block party in Nola

Utahโ€™s Svi Mykhailiuk had one of the blocks of the night with this impressive swat in transition. Letโ€™s check out a couple angles of this one.

โ›ฐ๏ธUtah up big at half over New Orleans

Riding a 38-19 first quarter, the Jazz have taken a 69-49 lead over the Pelicans at the break. The Jazz have cooled off since that torrid first quarter and end the half shooting just 26.1 percent from beyond the arc but big contributions from Isaiah Collier, Keyonte George and Walker Kessler have gotten them the advantage thus far.

In fact, Collierโ€™s 15 first-half points mark a new career-high for the rookie out of USC.

On the Pelsโ€™ side of the ledger, CJ McCollum has raced out to 14 points in 14 minutes and Dejounte Murray has come out strong with 13 points and five assists.

๐ŸŽทJazz setting tone early

The Jazz got off to a 14-0 start in New Orleans tonight and lead the Pelicans 22-6 midway through the opening frame. Keyonte George has been dialed in with 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting, including a pair of threes.

๐Ÿฆค๐ŸŽทOff and running in Nola

The Pelicans host the Jazz in a standalone game as our MLK Day NBA marathon continues. Catch the action now on NBA League Pass.

๐Ÿ€Celtics cruise to win

The Celtics got it done on both ends of the floor tonight as they dispatched of the Warriors 125-85 at the Chase Center.

The Celtics took a 15-point lead into halftime and used a dominant third quarter performance to put the game out of reach by outscoring the Warriors 43-24 in the period. Boston drilled 20 three-pointers and shot 53 percent from the floor overall while holding Golden State to 26.4 percent from deep and 34.8 percent from the floor.

The Celtics continue their west coast road swing Wednesday with a showdown with the Clippers while the Warriors look to bounce back vs the Kings on Jan. 22.

๐Ÿ”ฅCeltics on a scoring spree

Boston took a 15-point lead into the half over the Warriors and have managed to come out even hotter in the second half. The Celtics have scored 25 points in just over six minutes of work in the third quarter to double their lead to 30 on the road.

Tune into TNT as the Warriors look to battle back in front of the home crowd.

โš”๏ธCavaliers run away with itโš”๏ธ

Cleveland dominated Phoenix for the final three quarters, on their way to a 118-92 victory.

The Suns and Cavs were tied up, 27-27 after the first quarter, but then Cleveland poured it on, leading by as much as 32.

Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 33 and also chipped in five assists and rebounds. Jarrett Allen recorded a double-double, cleaning the glass 11 times and adding 12 points.

Durant finished with 23 points for Phoenix.

๐Ÿ—ฝKnicks are victorious๐Ÿ—ฝ

The Knicks got a 14-point third quarter from Mikal Bridges, which helped propel an eventual 119-110 win over the Hawks after New York trailed by eight at the half.

Bridges ultimately finished with 26 points, while Jalen Brunson scored 34 on 12-18 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns returned from injury and pulled down nine boards and dished out seven assists, but only scored 13 points on 5-18 shooting, as maybe his hand is still an issue.

Trae Young dazzled in the Garden but didnโ€™t play spoiler this time, scoring 27 points, and adding six assists and three steals.

โœ‚๏ธSplits the Dโœ‚๏ธ

Jaylen Brown cuts through the defense and gets acrobatic with the lay-in for two of his four points.

Once tied up at 17 each, Boston closed the first quarter on a 12-1 run, to take a 29-18 lead.

Kristaps Porziล†ฤฃis is leading all scorers with eight, while Stephen Curry has five for the Warriors, who shot just 7-24 in the opening frame.ย 

๐ŸŒช๏ธTough turnaround๐ŸŒช๏ธ

The Cavaliers are cooking today, and itโ€™s no more evident than this turnaround three off an inbounds pass deep in the corner from Donovan Mitchell for three of his 26 points.

The Cavaliers appear to be on their way to another victory, holding a 97-70 lead over the Suns with just under 10 minutes remaining the in game.

Memphis gets the W

The Grizzlies outscored the Timberwolves by 13 points in the second half, to claw their way back and earn a 108-106 win.

Nobody really blew up the stat sheet for the Grizzlies, in a team effort that saw them play 12 different guys. Jaren Jackson Jr. ended up leading Memphis in scoring with 24, and he also pulled down 11 rebounds. Bane finished with 22, while Morant poured in 19 with seven assists.

Minnesota got huge contributions from the bench, as Naz Reid scored 29 on 5-10 long-range shooting, and Rob Dillingham added 15. Edwards led all scorers with 32 but missed a tough three-attempt at the buzzer that would have won the game for his team.

Going down to the wire

Itโ€™s been a fun one in Memphis, and after trailing much of the game, a Desmond Bane floater has given the Grizzlies the lead.

Memphis now leads Minnesota, 104-100 with just a couple of minutes remaining. You can catch the end live on TNT, Tru TV, or stream it on MAX!

๐ŸŽ‰Joins elite company๐Ÿฅณ

Trae Young has recorded his fifth assist, making it the 200th consecutive game that Young has recorded at least five.

The only other players to embark on such a streak? John Stockton and Isiah Thomas. Congrats, Trae!

๐ŸŽฏGarland๐ŸŽฏ

Darius Garland has been on point for Cleveland, aiding in a 59-46 lead over the Suns at halftime.

The Cavaliers point guard has 14 points, including 3-4 from beyond the arc.

Durant is pacing the Suns with 13 points on 5-9 shooting and he also has five rebounds.

๐Ÿฆพโš™๏ธDee-Troit Basketballโš™๏ธ๐Ÿฆพ

Detroit hung on for a 107-96 win over the Rockets to snap a two-game losing streak.

It was a big win for the Pistons, as they knocked off the No. 2 seed in the West. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren were key in the victory. Cunningham finished with 32 points on 12-22 shooting, also tallying nine rebounds and seven assists. Duren was beastly in the paint, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.

Jalen Green scored 19 points for Houston, while VanVleet added 20. Amen Thompson once again filled up the box score, scoring 17, with six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

๐ŸปGrizzlies clawing back๐Ÿป

Memphis outscored Minnesota 28-22 in the third quarter to get within five, 76-71.

Morant continues to make plays, setting up Santi Aldama for his first bucket, and Jaโ€™s seventh assist. Itโ€™s Desmond Baneโ€™s 18 points through that are leading the Grizzlies scoring attack.

Edwards continues to lead the Timberwolves, with seven points in the third frame, he is now up to 29.

๐ŸชฝJohnson, Hawks soaring๐Ÿชฝ

Atlanta takes a 62-54 lead into halftime over the Knicks. Trae Young is cooking in the Garden, scoring 18 through two quarters on 5-6 long-distance shooting. Jalen Johnson has also been solid in his second game back from injury, recording seven points, five rebounds, two assists, and a big block seen below.

The gameโ€™s leading scorer is Jalen Brunson, who has put 19 on the board for New York on 7-10 shooting.

๐ŸพSham-Payne connection๐Ÿพ

Cameron Payne finds Landry Shamet streaking toward the basket and gives him the feed to set up a slam dunk finish.

The Knicks and Hawks are in a tight one, with Atlanta holding a 27-26 lead after a quarter of play.

๐ŸซฃNo-look laser๐Ÿซฃ

Ja Morant turns his head, then pushes a dart to Brandon Clarke who takes it to the bucket for two.

Despite the pretty pass, the Grizzlies havenโ€™t gotten much going offensively, trailing 54-43 to the Timberwolves at the half.

Edwards has been feasting, scoring 22 first-half points, on efficient 5-9 shooting, including 9-12 from the charity stripe.

๐Ÿš˜Motor Cade coming through๐Ÿš˜

Cunningham has put together a stellar third quarter, including this tough slam for two of his 19 third-quarter points. He now has 32 on the game to go with seven boards and seven assists.

His performance has propelled the Pistons to a 90-80 lead as these teams head into the final frame.

๐Ÿ“ˆTimberwolves surging๐Ÿ“ˆ

After a slow start, Minnesota took off, powered by a 23-5 run, and now leads Memphis 32-23 early in the second quarter.

The Timberwolvesโ€™ run was capped by an Anthony Edwards three, which brought his total to 12 points, which leads all scorers.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have seven each for Memphis.

๐ŸฅจKnotted up๐Ÿฅจ

Just like Dallas and Charlotte did earlier today, Detroit and Houston enter halftime tied up, this time 57-57.

This game has been a tale of two quarters, with the Pistons owning the first, then the Rockets answering with a 28-17 second frame.

Duren continues to dominate the inside, scoring 14 first-half points, and pulling down 8 rebounds. Cunningham is filling up the box score, as per usual, scoring 13, and adding five rebounds and five assists.

Amen Thompson is the Rocketsโ€™ leading scorer, with 15 on 6-9 shooting, including making a series of highlight plays.

๐Ÿ’ฅAlley-OOP๐Ÿ’ฅ

The Rockets have reeled off 16 straight points, to take a 45-44 lead on the Pistons. A big part of the run was this strong slam by Cam Whitmore on the lob from Amen Thompson.

๐ŸHornets win๐Ÿ

The first of eight games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is in the books, as the Hornets outscored the Mavericks, 28-22 in the final frame to pick up a 110-105 victory.

Kyrie Irving ended up the gameโ€™s leading scorer with 33, and Gaffordโ€™s massive day ended with a career-high 31 points, 15 rebounds, and a monstrous seven blocks.

The Hornets were paced by Ball and Bridges, who each finished with 23 points, while Mark Williams posted a double-double scoring 13 and pulling down 13 boards, including this big dunk below. He also had three blocks.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธPistons revving๐Ÿ› ๏ธ

The Thompson twins traded buckets to start the scoring in Houston, first an Amen floater, then an Ausar layup. From there, Detroit took charge, building a 40-29 lead after a quarter of play.

Cunningham has been tough, including a behind-the-back move to get to the bucket for a tough and-1 finish on his way to nine first quarter. Jalen Duren is doing the heavy lifting for Detroit though, scoring 12 points and pulling down five rebounds.

Fred VanVleet is Houstonโ€™s leading scorer with eight.

The first quarter also included a three by Ron Holland that literally took the lights out in Houston.

๐Ÿ“บGafford show remains on๐Ÿ“บ

Gafford hasnโ€™t stopped stuffing the stat sheet and is now up to 27 points (10-12 FG), nine rebounds, three assists, and four blocks. Kyrie Irving is also putting up a notable effort this far with 19 points, three assists, and two steals for Dallas, who lead Charlotte 83-82 after three quarters.

LaMelo Ball slowed down in the third, scoring just two points, to bring his total to 22, but he now has six rebounds and seven assists. Miles Bridges has picked up the scoring slack, and is now up to 16 points, while Nick Smith Jr. scored eight straight for the Hornets, and is also now up to 16 points as well.

๐ŸคTight at the break๐Ÿค

The Mavericks and Hornets are knotted up at 55 as they enter halftime.

The story of the first half has been the dominance of Gafford inside, who already has 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.

Ball has been doing his part to keep Charlotte in it, scoring 20 points, connecting on 5-7 long-range shots, including back-to-back threes near the end of the half. Heโ€™s also dished out four assists.

๐Ÿ“–One in the books๐Ÿ“–

Dallas has jumped out a 27-24 lead over Charlotte after one-quarter of play.

The Mavericks got on the board quickly, as Kyrie Irving drained a three directly off the opening tip to get the scoring going. Heโ€™s now up to seven points and also has two assists and a steal. Daniel Gaffordโ€™s eight points, including an authoritative dunk below, leads all Dallas scorers, and the big man has also chipped in two rebounds, assists, and blocks.

LaMelo Ball is buzzing for the Hornets, and already has 10 on the board, shooting 4-6 from the field.

โณLast chanceโณ

As we prepare to enjoy a full day of NBA action this is a reminder that today is your last day to vote for who you think should play in the NBA All-Star Game. Voting will conclude at 11:59 PM ET, so vote for your favorites now!

3๏ธโƒฃ๐Ÿ”‘Stories

  1. Two of arguably the biggest surprise teams of the season thus far, the Pistons and Rockets will meet in Houston at 2 ET this afternoon. The Rockets finished 41-41 last year, and No. 11 in the West, while the Pistons finished with a league-worst, 14-68 mark. Both of these teams taking a leap upward was expected, but Detroit playing to a 21-21 record and in the thick of the playoff race, and the Rockets sitting No. 2 in the West at 28-13 are likely bigger leaps for each squad than predicated. As an extra layer of intrigue, this matchup will feature two of the biggest rising stars in the NBA, with 2021 No. 1 and No. 2 selections, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green squaring off. It may also feature a matchup of the Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar, who also went back-to-back in the 2023 Draft, at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively. However, Amen is currently listed as questionable due to calf tightness.ย 
  2. Two of the NBAโ€™s biggest highlight reel creators, Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant will square off this afternoon. The Timberwolves and Grizzlies last met just over a week ago on Jan. 11, playing to a 127-125 final with Memphis earning the victory. Neither Edwards nor Morant had remarkable games statistically, but that is unlikely to remain the case again. With these two on the floor, weโ€™re certain to get at least a couple of eye-popping, must-see plays. Beyond just the individuals, this game will also feature two teams working to gain ground in the standings. Memphis is now No. 3 in the West, and after playing to a 5-5 record over their last 10, have the Nuggets and Clippers nipping at their heels. As for Minnesota, after making it to the Western Conference Finals last season and looking to take another leap forward, sit at just 22-20 and are No. 8 in the West, tied with the Sacramento Kings. Theyโ€™re also only 0.5 games from being out of the playoffs altogether, but conversely just one game out of the No. 6 seed.ย 
  3. Boston visits Golden State this evening for a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals. Both of these teams had a red-hot start to their season but have fallen back a bit since. However, that fallback has been much greater for the Warriors. Golden State started their season with a 12-3 record featuring wins over Oklahoma City and their opponent today, but now sits at just 21-20, and after already losing Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) and Brandin Podziemski (abdomen) to injuries, theyโ€™ll also be without Draymond Green (calf), and could be without Stephen Curry (ankle), who is considered questionable to suit up. A win here could help spark a Golden State turnaround, but in a crowded Western Conference, a loss will push them further away from the playoffs.

Source link

Leave a Reply