Let's take a look at what happened on Wednesday in the NBA.
Here’s the NBA Daily Recap for 2024 Christmas Day, where we witnessed five matchups. Players like Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant and LeBron James produced solid performances.
From Timberwolves denying late comeback of Dallas in Conference Final rematch to thrilling showdown of Lakers and Warriors, let’s go through the key highlights from the NBA action on Christmas Day.
Mikal Bridge highlighted a season-high 41-point performance, and the New York Knicks squeezed past the San Antonio Spurs 117-114. Bridges made a difference while shooting 17-for-25 from the field, and 6-for-9 behind the arc. Victor Wembanyama dropped 42 points, and 18 rebounds on his Christmas debut and set a franchise record for points on the holiday.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points and nine boards, while Jalen Brunson had 20 points. Josh Hart chipped in a double-double with 12 points, and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who secured a fifth straight win. Jeremy Sochan also led Spurs with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Spurs had a 58-51 lead at halftime but Knicks outscored the visitors 37-25 to take a 5-point lead heading into the final quarter. Spurs had a 13-3 run to regain the lead. With 7:16 left in the game, Spurs had a lead of 8 points but Knicks pulled off a comeback with a 23-9 surge in the end.
Timberwolves avenged the Western Conference Final loss with a convincing win over Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic left the game with a strained left calf and Dallas couldn’t recover. Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, and Julius Randle added 23.
Kyrie Irving scored 39 points but missed a 3-pointer in clutch time. Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Minnesota controlled the game by outscoring Dallas 57-40 at half-time and stretched their lead to 28 points in the third.
Mavericks had an 8-2 run in the end to reduce the deficit to 22 points going into the fourth. The Mavericks had a great comeback in the fourth as the Timberwolves had a 101-99 lead with 1:05 left in the game. Dallas made errors in the final moments and the Wolves ended a three-game losing streak. Klay Thompson also moved to 5th on the all-time 3-pointers made list.
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Joel Embiid scored 27 points and nine rebounds to help the 76ers surprise Boston Celtics on Christmas Day. Boston outscored the 76ers in the third to tie the game heading into the fourth. However, the Sixers had an 18-4 run to take full control of the game. The Celtics replied with a 23-11 surge to reduce the deficit to three points. Embiid scored a pair of free throws with three seconds left to seal the game.
Tyrese Maxey finished with 33 points, including 13 in the final quarter. Caleb Martin chipped in 23 and hit 7-of-9 from 3-point range. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 32 points and 15 rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 23 points and Derrick White had 21. Kristaps Porzingis sustained an ankle injury and didn’t return for the Celtics.
Steph Curry-LeBron James rivalry has given another thrilling encounter on Christmas Day. LeBron James, who played 19th Christmas Day game, scored 31 points and 10 assists and the Lakers held the nerves to beat the Warriors 115-113. Anthony Davis left the arena due to a sprained left ankle. Reaves posted a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers. His winning layup with one second left stole the show.
Steph Curry improved from previous slump and scored 38 points. Curry hit eight 3s including a crucial one to tie the game with seven seconds remaining. Warriors dropped 11th game in last 14 and the Lakers won third straight game on the road. The King also earned his 11th win on Christmas Day, passing former teammate Wade’s holiday record.
Phoenix Suns’ Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant scored 27 points each to outclass Denver Nuggets 110-100 in the final game of the Christmas Day. Jusuf Nurkic added 14 rebounds and Monte Morris had 11 points off the bench. Denver snapped their two-game winning streak and Phoenix Suns ended a three-game losing streak.
Suns had a 58-56 lead at the halftime and the lead was stretched to 7 points ahead of the final stanza. Kevin Durant’s driving layup helped the Suns to take a 15-point lead with 3:06 left in the game. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 22 points while Russell Westbrook added 17 off the bench.
Image Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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