The NBA was extremely busy on Wednesday with a dozen games on the docket. The Eastern Conference boasted a very intriguing battle with the Toronto Raptors coming back to beat the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors were shorthanded without Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka in the lineup due to injury.
Later the Milwaukee Bucks beat the New Orleans Pelicans in a matchup between two of the best players in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis. The Houston Rockets also gave us a taste of history, as they made an NBA-record 26 3-pointers in a blowout win over the Wizards.
Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s action, along with Thursday’s schedule.
NBA scores for Wednesday, Dec. 19
- Charlotte Hornets 110, Cleveland Cavaliers 99 (Box Score)
- San Antonio Spurs 129, Orlando Magic 90 (Box Score)
- Philadelphia 76ers 131, New York Knicks 109 (Box Score)
- Phoenix Suns 111, Boston Celtics 103 (Box Score)
- Toronto Raptors 99, Indiana Pacers 96 (Box Score)
- Houston Rockets 136, Washington Wizards 118 (Box Score)
- Milwaukee Bucks 123, New Orleans Pelicans 115 (Box Score)
- Brooklyn Nets 96, Chicago Bulls 93 (Box Score)
- Detroit Pistons 129, Minnesota Timberwolves 123 — OT (Box Score)
- Utah Jazz 108, Golden State Warriors 103 (Box Score)
- Portland Trail Blazers 99, Memphis Grizzlies 92 (Box Score)
- Oklahoma City Thunder 132, Sacramento Kings 113 (Box Score)
NBA schedule for Thursday, Dec. 20
*All times Eastern
Rockets break single-game record for 3-pointers
The Houston Rockets proved that they are still capable of being the type of offensive juggernaut which propelled them to the Western Conference Finals this past season against the Washington Wizards by knocking down an NBA record 26 3-pointers.
Russ, PG take care of Kings
The Thunder’s two best players put on a show on Wednesday — Russell Westbrook posted a big triple-double with 19 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds, while Paul George dropped 43 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out seven assists in the win.
VanVleet hits clutch 3-pointer
The Raptors trailed by as many as 17 points against the Pacers, but ended up coming all the way back for the win thanks to Fred VanVleet’s go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds.
Davis goes behind his back to beat Giannis
The best individual matchup of the night is Anthony Davis facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and, at least on this possession, it was the Brow who got the best of the Greek Freak by going behind his back to beat the big man and finish at the basket.
Kawhi throws one down over Sabonis
Kawhi Leonard has looked like his old self since joining the Raptors, and he provided fans with another impressive highlight in their matchup against the Pacers on this strong drive to the basket and finish over Domantas Sabonis.
Giannis weaves his way through the defense for a slam
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a walking, talking highlight waiting to happen and he showed off the athleticism that has garnered him the Greek Freak nickname against the Pelicans by getting to the rim and throwing down a one-handed slam dunk in traffic.
Simmons bullies his way to the bucket for a dunk
Ben Simmons may still have some issues with his jump shot, but he is an absolute beast in transition and he proved that once again on Wednesday night by bullying his way to the basket and finishing with authority.
Allen posterizes Carter Jr.
Just one day after making headlines for rejecting LeBron James at the rim, Nets center Jarrett Allen provided another impressive highlight, this time on the offensive end, as he curled around a screen before rising up and finishing a one-handed slam over Bulls rookie Wendell Carter Jr.
Paul puts the ball on a string to beat his defender
Chris Paul has been one of the best that his position has to offer for quite some time and he proved that he still has it against the Wizards as he put on a dribbling display before blowing by his defender and getting to the basket for a score.
DeRozan completes TD pass to Gay
DeMar DeRozan and a healthy Rudy Gay have provided the Spurs with a bit of athleticism that they have not seen in recent years, and the two explosive wing players linked up in the first half on Wednesday night on this full-court pass which led to an emphatic finish from Gay.
Rose glides through the lane for a reverse layup
Derrick Rose has shown that he is still a more than capable player by adding a three-point shot to his offensive arsenal this season but he is still able to attack the basket and provide highlight-reel worthy finishes as well as he did on his drive to the basket after a hesitation move froze his defender.
Tatum shows off his handle
Jayson Tatum spent a portion of the offseason working out with Kobe Bryant, and he put some of the wisdom he received from the Lakers legend on display against the Suns with this smooth crossover that freed up enough space for him to get his shot off.
Oubre blows a kiss to the crowd, twice
Kelly Oubre’s Phoenix Suns career is still in its infancy but he is already bringing the type of swagger that fans saw during his tenure in Washington D.C. to his new ballclub by blowing a kiss to the fans at TD Garden who booed him while he was at the foul line. Later on, he did it once again after hitting a clutch three to seal the win for the Suns.
Redick reaches career scoring milestone
Sixers guard J.J. Redick has been known as a scorer going back to his days as a prep star in Virginia, and he has kept that going through college and now at the professional level. He reached 10,000 points for his career in the early going of Philadelphia’s matchup with the Knicks.
Dragic to miss two months after knee surgery
The Miami Heat will be missing a key member of their starting lineup for the foreseeable future. Goran Dragic had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined for two months. Dragic has missed 12 of Miami’s last 14 games and averaged 15.3 points per contest in the 14 games that he did suit up for. The 10-year veteran last played on Dec. 10 against the Lakers when he scored 7 points in 18 minutes.
Ingram, Rondo set to rejoin Lakers
The injury bug has really bit the Lakers hard during the early portion of the season. Brandon Ingram is currently dealing with a sprained ankle while Rajon Rondo broke his hand last month. On top of that, the team has been without JaVale McGee, who has been dealing with the flu over the past few games. However, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, Ingram and Rondo are expected to rejoin the team this week as long as nothing changes in terms of their injuries.
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