Nightly Pulse: Nov. 21 News & Highlights

Results from Thursday’s tightly-contested 4-game slate:
Wagner set season-high marks of 37 points and 26 shots, including a side-step three in the final seconds to give Orlando the lead. The 23-year-old also set a new career high with 11 assists, displaying true takeover mode for the Magic.
Jalen Suggs played sidekick for Orlando with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks, while Goga Bitadze’s 15 rebounds helped fuel a 55-48 edge in the team rebounding battle.
Anthony Davis posted 39 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks to lead all scorers, but he’ll be haunted by missing two free throws prior to Wagner’s game-deciding three. LeBron James continues defying Father Time with the stat line of 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Charlotte’s duo of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller became the first teammates in franchise history to each score 35 plus-points in a game, propelling a 123-121 victory over Detroit.
LaMelo Ball (35 points, five rebounds, nine assists) fouled out on the first play of overtime, while Cade Cunningham (27 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists) exited in the fourth quarter with a hip injury. Miller proceeded to take over, finishing with 38 points (15-26 FG), a career-high eight made threes, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in 42 minutes of action.
Tobias Harris also had a big night for Detroit, finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds. Cody Martin was third in scoring on the Hornets with 15 points, while Moussa Diabaté racked up 16 rebounds along with three points.

After punishing the rim in the first half, James is scorching nets in the second half. James has erupted for 30 points (12-22 FG, 5-9 3PM, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds and seven assists with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Thursday marks James’ fifth game of the year with at least four made threes.

Clinging to an 89-88 lead, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner co-lead Orlando with 22 points, with Suggs burying 5-of-11 3PA — one shy of his season-high. Wagner has tied his career high with 10 assists.
Orlando’s supporting cast is stepping up as well. Goga Bitadze has ripped down 12 rebounds to accompany his four points. Moritz Wagner has 14 points to lead all scorers off the bench.

Anthony Davis has cruised to 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocks to lead all scorers, while Franz Wagner’s 18 points counters for Orlando. Davis’ arsenal has been on full display, attacking off-the-dribble as well as showcasing his mid-range game.

James sizes up the defender and posters the second-line rim protection. The soon-to-be 40-year-old finishing dunks in traffic is a marvel.
Moritz Wagner got the dunk party started.

San Antonio completes a 20-point comeback to beat Utah 126-118. Eight players for the Spurs had at least 11 points, headlined by Harrison Barnes posting 25 points and 10 assists to lead San Antonio in both categories.
Charles Bassey starred defensively with Victor Wembanyama (knee) unavailable, notching a career-best six blocks. Bassey was a prodigious collegiate rebounder and shot-blocker at Western Kentucky, so his emergence in San Antonio’s frontcourt could prove to be part of the future.
Chris Paul and rookie Stephon Castle showed blossoming chemistry, with Paul notching a 13-point, 10-assist double-double and Castle finishing with 18 points and six assists. This duo combined for just two turnovers across 64 combined minutes.
Lauri Markkanen provided a game-high 27 points for the Jazz. John Collins supplied a big double-double, finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Brice Sensabaugh, a second-year wing from Ohio State, notched a season-high 18 points, representing the third-highest scoring performance of his career.

RJ Barrett erupted for his fifth 30-point game of the season, finishing with 31 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Chris Boucher boomed off the bench for 22 points, while Scottie Barnes logged 27 minutes of action in his return from an 11-game absence due to an orbital fracture. Barnes finished with 17 points, three rebounds and six assists.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 26 points, while Julius Randle (23 points, nine rebounds) and Jaden McDaniels (22 points, seven rebounds) formed a formidable big three.

Rookie flashes from Isaiah Collier📈📈
Collier hits John Collins with a perfect pocket pass out of pick-and-roll for the And-1. The rookie from USC has climbed to 21.7 minutes per game across Utah’s last three contests.

Jaden McDaniels gets the steal and gets downhill for a nasty lefty slam. The 24-year-old continues being a mismatch on both ends at 6-foot-10.

In what is becoming a deep highlight reel of half-court lobs from LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller converts for the bucket to get scoring underway in Charlotte.

Detroit sets the tone and breaks it down. Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren start for the Pistons on Thursday.

Barnes is warming up in advance of his first game since Oct. 28 after suffering an orbital fracture. The 23-year-old posted 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and five blocks in his lone contest against the Timberwolves last year.