NBA Recap: Cavs Make It Rain from 3-Point Range to Beat Hot Bucks, OKC Stays Hot & 12 Games on Saturday

A strong start to #WorldBasketballDay.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Dec. 21, 2024

Can’t-Miss Cavs: Cleveland hits 20 treys to slow down the surging Bucks

Friday Fire: Embiid returns as the Sixers heat up, and the Thunder keep rumbling

Star Guard Saturday: One night, three matchups and six electrifying playmakers

Big Men Battle: AD & Sabonis clash inside for the second time in three days

Beasts In The East: Keys to watch as the top six teams in the East take the floor tonight

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Friday’s scores and a stacked Saturday slate…

Twelve games tip off today, including an interconference clash on NBA TV as the Pelicans host Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks, who are seeking a third straight win (8 ET).

Happy World Basketball Day! Today, the NBA family comes together to celebrate basketball’s power in uniting and connecting people worldwide. See how hoopers around the globe are celebrating below:

Basketball’s Global Impact: The founder of World Basketball Day, David Hollander, discusses the sport’s immeasurable impactWhy Do You Love Hoops? Your favorite internet hoop creators share what makes basketball so special to themTrivia Time!

Have some fun and test your knowledge on today’s NBA Play Trivia, centered around World Basketball Day

Join the global celebration! Share how you’re honoring the day by using the hashtag #WorldBasketballDay.

1. CAVS COOL OFF BUCKS IN STATEMENT WIN

The Bucks rolled into Friday on fire, winning 12 of their last 15 games, leading to a trip to the Emirates NBA Cup championship, where they knocked off the West-leading Thunder to hoist the Cup.

But then the Cavs, sitting atop the East standings for nearly two months, reminded the league why they own the best record in the NBA.

Cavaliers 124, Bucks 101: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 14 boards, but it wasn’t enough to take down Cleveland, as Donovan Mitchell (27 pts) led six scorers in double figures, and the Cavs sank 20 3s to earn a statement dub. | Recap

Cavs In Focus: Cleveland shot 50.5% from the field and 42.6% from 3, marking its league-high 12th game this season with a 50/40 shooting split or betterBalanced Buckets: Cleveland’s starting 5 outscored Milwaukee’s 83-48, led by Mitchell and Darius Garland (16 pts)All Cleveland: The Cavs trailed for just 29 seconds early in the 1st quarter. By halftime, they led 69-51, and their advantage ballooned to 36 in the 4th“We did it for 48 minutes

tonight,” said Mitchell. “Just a level of tenacity and hunger — not being satisfied with where we are.”

What It Means: The Cavs’ victory pushed their record to 24-4, staying on pace with their 2008-09 squad as the best start in franchise history. They also improved to 15-1 at home.

Series Dub: The Cavs are now 3-0 against the Bucks (who were without Damian Lillard due to a strained calf), clinching the regular-season series with one game left3 In A Row:

It’s also Cleveland’s third straight victory, all of which have come by double figures

2. EMBIID RETURNS, THUNDER STRIKE IN FLORIDA AGAIN

Don’t look now, but the Sixers are heating up.

76ers 108, Hornets 98: After suffering a sinus fracture last Friday, a masked Joel Embiid returned with a bang, notching 34 points, nine assists and two blocks to lead Philly past Charlotte, marking the Sixers’ fourth win in five games. | Recap

Embiid Eats: It’s Embiid’s third 30+ point game in just seven outings this season, and he scored 12 points in the 4th quarter to seal the winMore Buckets: Tyrese Maxey (23) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (22) both added 20-pieces for Philly, while Vasilije Micić (20) led Charlotte with LaMelo Ball out“He’s battling a lot,”

said Oubre on Embiid. “He fights for us … he put us on his back in the 4th quarter, and did what Joel does.”

Thunder 104, Heat 97: After winning in Orlando on Thursday, OKC took down the Heat in Miami as Jalen Williams dropped a season-high 33 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 25 to stave off Tyler Herro (28 pts) and company. | Recap

Thunder Streak: It’s OKC’s seventh straight dub (the Emirates NBA Cup championship doesn’t count toward reg. season record) and its 22nd on the season, pushing it past Boston for the second-most in the NBAStingy OKC: Boasting the league’s best defense, the Thunder have now held their opponent under 100 points 13 times this season — the most in the NBABam Passes Alonzo:

Bam Adebayo (17 pts, 10 rebs) tallied his 206th career double-double, passing Alonzo Mourning (205) for the second-most in Heat history

3. STAR GUARDS TAKE CENTER STAGE SATURDAY

Saturday’s slate features some of the best guards in the NBA going head-to-head, from all-time bucket-getters to electrifying dime-droppers.

Let’s turn on the tape and break down a specific skill set to watch in each matchup:

Clippers at Mavericks (8:30 ET) | James Harden vs. Kyrie Irving

Two generational scorers, Harden and Irving have feasted in isolation for years, but they’re also among the best finishers in the paint — standing out not only among guards but all players.

Tough Buckets: Since 2011-12, (the first season both were in the league), Harden ranks second in points scored in the restricted area (5,794), while Irving ranks sixth (4,166)Efficiency: Their field goal percentage from the RA? 61.1% and 60.4% — ranking second and fifth, respectively, in that spanHow Harden Does It:

Often attacking from the top of the key, The Beard thrives at getting downhill and maneuvering around bigs with his famous euro-step

Kyrie’s Creativity: Despite being undersized at 6-foot-2, Irving’s post-up game is elite, as he utilizes ball fakes and masterful footwork to create space

Grizzlies at Hawks (7:30 ET) | Ja Morant vs. Trae Young

Prepare for takeoff. While Young leads the NBA in assists per game (12.2), Morant is averaging a career-high (8.1). Tonight, fans can expect some high-flying lobs, as they rank first (41) and second (31) in alley-oop assists.

Transition Oops: Ranking third in transition points, Atlanta (26.8) creates lob opportunities on the run, with Young leading the chargeHalfcourt Highlights: In 5×5 situations, Morant — a high-flyer himself — takes advantage of hedging defenders at the rim for easy oops, adding to an NBA-best 58.6 PITP per game for Memphis

Warriors at Wolves (8 ET) | Steph Curry vs. Anthony Edwards

In Year 5, Ant is having a Steph-like season from 3, hitting a career-high 4.3 triples per game — the second-most in the NBA. Ranked fourth in the league? Curry, with 4.0 3s an outing.

Splashing In Space: Ant is shooting 46.5% on open 3s, while Steph is shooting 36.7% — ranking third and fourth among players averaging 5+ open triples per gameCreating Looks:

But how do such dangerous threats from deep get so open? For the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader, it’s about staying active off-ball

Ant’s Athleticism: Meanwhile, Edwards uses the threat of him getting into the lane to create space off the dribble and splash

More Must-See Matchups: Another duel of elite guards takes place tonight as Devin Booker and the Suns host Cade Cunningham and the Pistons (9 ET).

Plus, the NBA’s second all-time assist leader, Chris Paul, will lead the Spurs against the Blazers (8:30 ET).

4. IN-STATE RIVALS & STAR CENTERS TIP OFF SATURDAY

To open Saturday’s slate, two of the most dominant bigs in the NBA — Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis — will clash for the second time in three days as the Kings host the rival Lakers (6 ET).

Known for their physicality, Sabonis leads the league with 24 double-doubles this season, while Davis is the only player averaging 25+ points, 10+ rebounds and 2+ blocks.

In their head-to-head battles, Davis (23.6 ppg, 11.3 rpg) has outscored and outrebounded Sabonis (15.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg), but the Kings hold a 10-2 record against the Lakers with both stars in the lineup.

“He’s a hell of a player,” said Davis on Sabonis. “An All-Star. One of the premier bigs in this league. Hats off to him for what he’s able to do on both ends.”

Flipping The Script: Sacramento swept Los Angeles last season, but the Lakers have taken both matchups this year, including a 113-110 win on Thursday.

The driving force? Davis, who posted 21 points, 19 rebounds and a season-high six blocks.

“AD is special,” said LeBron James postgame. “Don’t take those performances for granted … that’s a special talent, and we needed every last one of those 20 boards.”

The Lakers shot just 40.4% from the field — their second-lowest mark this season — but outrebounded the Kings 53-43, with 35.8% of their boards coming from Davis.

“This might be my favorite win we’ve had all season,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick postgame. “Just because our offense wasn’t efficient…“AD was phenomenal tonight.

It just shows you how elite he is as a player that he can have a 7-for-20 night and still dominate a basketball game.”

On the other side, Sabonis tallied 18 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for Sacramento, but both he and Kings coach Mike Brown demanded more intensity.

“They touched our paint whenever they wanted,” said Brown. “They manhandled us the boards … we have to better.”“I think we can play

a lot tougher — me first,” added Sabonis. “That’s something we got to change for the next game.”

Tonight, Sacramento aims to make a statement while preventing its first season series loss to Los Angeles since 2019-20. With Sabonis and Davis each looking to impose their will — the battle begins inside.

5. BEASTS IN THE EAST: WINNING KEYS TO WATCH

The top six teams in the East — Cleveland, Boston, New York, Orlando, Milwaukee and Miami — all take the floor on Saturday.

Below is one winning key to watch for each team tonight.

76ers at Cavaliers (8 ET): After earning a big win over the Bucks on Friday, the Cavs face another tough test against a rejuvenated Sixers squad with Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid starting to gel after four games together.

Winning Both Ways: While their offense ranks first in both field goal (50.4%) and 3-point percentage (40.0%), the Cavs defense has held its opponent under 110 points 13 times this season. In those games, they’re 13-0

Knicks at Pelicans (8 ET, NBA TV): Coming off a 26-point win against the Wolves in Karl-Anthony Towns’ return to Minnesota, the Knicks will look for a third straight win as they visit the Pelicans.

The KAT Key: Towns’ monster night marked his 17th game of 20+ points and 10+ rebounds — the second-most in the NBA behind only Giannis (20). New York’s record in those 17 games? 14-3

Celtics at Bulls (8 ET): After Thursday’s loss to the Bulls in Boston, the Celtics will aim to avoid their first back-to-back defeats since April 11 as they face Chicago again — this time, at the United Center.

Boston 3 Party: Leading the league in 3-point attempts (51.3) and makes (18.8), Boston is 13-2 this season when they shoot over 35% from deep

Heat at Magic (7 ET): In another in-state rivalry matchup tonight, the Magic host the Heat, with both teams coming off a loss to the Thunder. A win for Orlando would snap a three-game skid.

Stops & Shots: While allowing the second-fewest opponents’ ppg this season, Orlando is 13-2 when it shoots above its season average of 45.1%

Wizards at Bucks (8 ET): Looking to bounce back from last night’s loss, Giannis and the Bucks will host Jordan Poole and the Wizards.

Deer From Deep: Since their 2-8 start, the Bucks have moved from 14th in 3-point percentage (35.6%) to first (40.7%). They’ve won their last six games in which they’ve shot over 40% from deep