Celtics Edge Magic, Nuggets Dominate Suns, Lakers Fall

Posted : 24 December 2024

The Boston Celtics narrowly edged out the Orlando Magic 108-104 in a dramatic contest. Despite leading 58-43 at halftime, the Celtics faced a second-half resurgence from Orlando, capped by a clutch three-pointer from rookie Tristan da Silva.

Da Silva, alongside teammates Jaylen Suggs, Contavos Caldwell-Pope, Trevelin Quinn, and Goga Bitadze, contributed to the Magic’s fightback. Da Silva finished with 18 points, while Kevin added 17. On the Celtics' side, Jaylen Brown's 35 points were not enough to secure a comfortable victory, as the absence of Jayson Tatum impacted the team’s three-point shooting, which was only 8-of-32.

In a one-sided clash, the Denver Nuggets dismantled the Phoenix Suns 117-90. Nikola Jokic led the way for Denver with 32 points on an efficient 12-of-17 shooting performance, while Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points.

Despite playing without Jamal Murray, Denver recorded its fifth win in six games. On the other hand, Phoenix struggled in the absence of Devin Booker, suffering its third consecutive loss. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal each scored 23 points, but the Suns couldn’t recover from a disastrous third quarter where they were outscored 45-28.

Suns dominated without Booker by Jokic4 Nuggets in 3rd straight loss

The Philadelphia 76ers secured a 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs despite losing Joel Embiid early in the game due to two technical fouls. Embiid’s ejection came just minutes after Andre Drummond’s removal, creating a challenging situation for Philadelphia.

Tyrese Maxey stepped up in the absence of the star center, dominating in crunch time with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. His decisive steal and three-point play sealed the win. For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama’s stellar performance of 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 blocks wasn’t enough to turn the tide.

In Los Angeles, the Lakers fell to the Detroit Pistons 117-114, marking their second loss to Detroit this season. The game remained close until Tim Hardaway Jr.’s late scoring spree extended the Pistons' lead to 115-105.

LeBron James recorded a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists but missed a critical shot that could have forced overtime. Anthony Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Malik Beasley led Detroit with 21 points. Cade Cunningham contributed 20 points and 10 assists to secure the win for the Pistons.

Celtics Edge Magic, Nuggets Dominate Suns, Lakers Fall

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