NBA Weekly Roundup 10

This last week was filled with the holiday spirit, as we prepared to sit down with our families and have a delicious dinner together, but that didn’t stop the NBA from giving us a pair of exciting match days with a lot of little surprises. 

The Boston Celtics keep the top with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers on their tail, and the Nuggets and Nets remain pretty close behind.

The Memphis Grizzlies got coal this holiday season, as they were on the opposite side of the most unexpected upset when the Golden State Warriors took them down on Sunday.

For their part, the current champions, Golden State Warriors, once again lost 2 of their 3 games this week, but thanks to the aforementioned victory against the Grizzlies, they ended the week on a high note.

NBA Weekly Roundup 10 – Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

When: 

Friday, December 23rd at 05:00 pm ET at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Moneyline odds: 

Raptors -108

Cavaliers -110

The Raptors (15-18) came into the contest as notable underdogs, but they set the tone early by roaring to 69 first-half points to take a 16-point lead into intermission.

Just as important, Toronto ensured there would be no third-quarter surge for the Cavaliers (22-12) by adding another four points to its edge during the period, giving them enough cushion for the road victory.

Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby co-led the Raptors with 26 points each while adding nine assists and nine rebounds, respectively.

Scottie Barnes furnished 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 17 points, complementing them with eight assists, one rebound, and one steal.

The Raptors return home and host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, while the Cavaliers remain home and host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-107, at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Friday night.

NBA Weekly Roundup 10 – San Antonio Spurs vs. Orlando Magic

When: 

Friday, December 23rd at 7:00 pm ET at the Amway Center

Moneyline odds: 

Spurs -110

Magic -110

The Magic (13-21) didn’t have problems getting past the Spurs (10-22) in this one, as they enjoyed an excellent start, and while it seemed the Spurs would put up a fight, the Magic looked dominant in the second half and raced out with the win.

Orlando quickly grabbed the lead following a 34-28 score in the opening 12 minutes, but San Antonio responded with a 33-27 score in the second quarter, so the game was tied at the break.

The Magic looked dominant in the second half and won the third quarter by 33-28, setting themselves up for success down the stretch, and that’s exactly what they did as Orlando won the final 12 minutes by a dominant 39-24 score.

It was tougher than initially expected, but the Magic eventually raced out to a comfortable victory thanks to their second-half performance.

With the win, the Magic improved to 9-9 at home while the Spurs fell to 5-10 on the road.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with 21 points and four assists, while Paolo Banchero finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists across 29 minutes.

Keldon Johnson was the best player for the Spurs in this loss since he ended with 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Tre Jones finished with 16 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.

The Orlando Magic defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 133-113, at Amway Center on Friday.

NBA Weekly Roundup 10 – Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets

When: 

Friday, December 23rd at 7:30 pm ET at the Barclays Center

Moneyline odds: 

Bucks +125

Nets -145

The Nets (21-12) checked into the contest aiming to win their eighth straight and do so against one of the highest-caliber teams in either conference.

They got off to an excellent start in that regard, jumping out to a 36-29 lead through one and then adding another six points to their advantage before halftime with an impressive display of defense in the second quarter.

The Bucks (22-10) did manage to shave three points from their deficit in the third, but Brooklyn snuffed out any thoughts of a comeback with a 33-25 edge in the final 12 minutes.

Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks with 26 points, adding 13 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.

Kevin Durant led the Nets with 24 points, complementing them with six assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one block.

The Bucks remain on the road and visit the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon, while the Nets visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 118-100, at Barclays Center on Friday night.

NBA Weekly Roundup 10 – Chicago Bulls vs. NY Knicks

When:

Friday, December 23rd, 7:30 PM ET at the Madison Square Garden.

Moneyline odds:

Bulls -115

Knicks -110

The Bulls (14-18) came into the night aiming to extend a two-game winning streak, and they got off to a good start in that regard with a 29-22 lead through one.

However, the Knicks (18-15) wiped out their deficit in the second quarter and took a two-point lead into halftime, and New York extended its advantage by another point going into the final period.

The fourth quarter was as hotly contested as the rest of the game, and Chicago was able to finish on a 4-0 run over the final 7.1 seconds to wipe out a late three-point deficit and escape with a road victory.

Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 33 points, adding four rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

DeMar DeRozan followed with a 25-point tally that included the game-winning jumper with one second remaining and also provided 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block.

R.J. Barrett paced the Knicks with 44 points, supplementing them with seven rebounds and four assists.

The Chicago Bulls defeated the New York Knicks, 118-117, at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

NBA Weekly Roundup 10 – Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics

When:

Sunday, December 25th, 5:00 PM ET at the TD Garden

Moneyline odds:

Bucks -110

Celtics -110

The Celtics jumped out to a great start and led 36-28 after one quarter.

The Bucks picked up the pace in the second and rallied to cut it to a one-point game by halftime.

The Celtics reclaimed control in the third and outscored the visitors 38-25 in the quarter to amass a 14-point lead heading into the final frame.

They maintained control in the fourth and did not look back as they closed out their second straight win, while this marks the third straight loss for the Bucks.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 41 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals, in 36 minutes.

Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 27 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, in 35 minutes.

The Bucks (22-11) will look to bounce back as they take on the Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday.

The Celtics (24-10) play host to the Rockets on Tuesday.

The Boston Celtics defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, 139-118, at TD Garden on Sunday evening.

NBA Weekly Roundup 10 – Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors

When:

Saturday, December 10th, 08:00 PM ET at Chase Center

Moneyline odds:

Grizzlies -291

Warriors +236

The Warriors (16-18) came into the contest as a rare home underdog thanks to their recent struggles and the ongoing absences of Stephen Curry (shoulder) and Andrew Wiggins (groin), but they served early notice they were prepared to compete by forging a 33-29 lead through one.

Golden State managed to add another point to its advantage before halftime, but it was during the third quarter that the hosts effectively put the game away.

The defending champions outscored the Grizzlies (20-12) by a 40-30 margin during the period, giving them a 15-point edge heading into the final period that proved to be more than enough.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 36 points, adding eight assists, seven rebounds, and one steal.

Jordan Poole paced the Warriors with 32 points, complementing them with three rebounds and two assists.

The Grizzlies return home and host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, while the Warriors remain home and host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night as well.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 123-109, at Chase Center on Sunday night.