Scoreboard
Lakers 124, Pistons 117
Knicks 112, Kings 99
Hawks 123, Bulls 122
Pelicans 129, Suns 124
Magic 111, Raptors 99
76ers 131, Hornets 113
Rockets 97, Bucks 92
What went down
The Lakers ended their road trip with a victory against the Pistons, 124-117, securing the game until the very last possession.
The Pistons got the full LeBron James experience in their first and only encounter with him this entire season. James was absent in their first matchup with Detroit but he definitely made an intro with 35 points and five rebounds in the closeout win. The King had a slow start but exploded in the second frame, starting with ten straight points and back-to-back dunks from Russell Westbrook passes. He was also the one who found Austin Reaves for the 3 in the critical late possession when the Pistons came near within two points.
We saw the Lakers playing comfortably against the struggling Pistons, as L.A. used a three-guard starting lineup to contain their opponents’ offense. The Pistons had a hard time shooting the ball as Bojan Bogdanovic was the only starter keeping them afloat. He had a career-high quarter performance of 25 points in the third frame, effectively fending off the notorious defender in Patrick Beverley.
In the fourth, Lakers rose to the occasion and proved why they’re the superior team in the matchup. Detroit tried to kick in a comeback but James and Anthony Davis kept making the tough baskets and Reaves was doing all the dirty work to prevent that. This snaps their three-game losing streak and improves them to an 11-15 record this season. AD had another big double-double night with 34 and 15 boards, and Lonnie Walker IV also helped them lock in with 18 of his own.
Bogdanovic finished with 38 points, while Jaden Ivey had 16. No other Detroit starter had double-digit outputs as Jalen Duren had only three. Saddiq Bey came off the bench to pull up 14 while Alec Burks and Marvin Bagley subbed in as well with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Big-time ballers
We got exciting wins last night but we’re not surprised by the talented players who made them possible.
Jalen Green led the Rockets against the Bucks, generating 30 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. The Knicks relied on the big boys R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle to handle the situation against the Sacramento Kings where they produced 27 points each.
The New Orleans Pelicans once again proved to everyone why they’re on top of the Western Conference standings. Zion Williamson showed the way for the Pelicans with a team-high 35 points and eight rebounds, while C.J. McCollum finished with 29 and seven dishes in the overtime win.
What he said
Hawks rookie AJ Griffin sees his second game-winning play of the season as a major blessing.
🔥 27 Games into his rookie season, AJ Griffin already has 2 #TissotBuzzerBeaters! pic.twitter.com/WYWezKq202
— NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2022
Did you see that?
Joel Embiid also had a big night tonight with a 51-point outing versus the Hornets. This quick dunk puts an exclamation point on that statement.
