Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Nov. 26

Emirates NBA Cup action returns with a five-game slate that should further help the field take shape.
East C:
Bulls 127, Wizards 108 (
)
East B:
Bucks 106, Heat 103 (
)
West A:
Rockets 117, Timberwolves 111 (
)
West B:
Spurs 128, Jazz 115 (
)
West B:
Lakers 100, Suns 127 (Final
)
Damian Lillard: 37 points (10-17 FG, 8-13 3PT) and 12 assists.
Victor Wembanyama: 34 points (13-23 FG, 6-14 3PT), seven rebounds, three blocks.
Alperen Sengun: 22 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. 
Beal gets up and blocks the LeBron James lay-in attempt off the glass.

The Suns took complete control of the game in the second half and the benches have emptied, as the Suns hold a 119-92 lead with just a couple of minutes remaining. Anthony Davis had a strong 25-point performance with 15 rebounds, five assists a steal, and four blocks, but that wasn’t enough. Kevin Durant scored 23 points on 9-17 shooting and grabbed six rebounds, while Bradley Beal posted 23 on 10-for-15 shooting in their returns. It was Devin Booker’s 26 points that led the way though, and he also had 10 assists.
Durant accelerates to the rim off the pick and gets the easy dunk.

The Suns went on a tear in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 36-18, and now have a 101-78 lead early in the fourth quarter. Durant, Beal, and Booker all have 19 points a piece for Phoenix.
Wembanyama hits the fadeaway for his final points of the night and pushes the Spurs to a 128-115 win over the Jazz.

It was another big game for Victor, who scored 34 points on 13-23 shooting, including 6-14 from three. He also grabbed seven rebounds and swatted three shots. The rookie Stephon Castle was productive as well, putting up 23 points and five dimes. Keyonte George was the leader for Utah, scoring 26 on 9-16 shooting and 6-12 from three with five dishes and two steals.
Reaves hovers in the lane and tosses it up over his head and in for the and-1.

We’re at the break in Phoenix and the Suns have a 62-60 lead. Davis continues to put up numbers, sitting at 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. The returning Beal and Durant are still the top dogs in the Valley as each has 14 points on a combined 11-17 shooting.
George finds the big man for another alley-oop.

The Spurs are leading the Jazz 96-93 after three quarters of play. Wembanyama is torching Utah for 32 points on 12-20 FG and 6-12 from deep.
Kevin Durant gets the almost dunk, lay-in on one end, and James slams it home on the other.

LeBron James finds Dalton Knecht for an alley-oop on the inbounds pass.

It’s a tight one in Phoenix, as the Suns lead 42-39 at about the midpoint of the second quarter. Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant are pacing the Suns in their return with 10 and 9 points respectively.
Sengun pushes his way to the rim and goes over his head with a clutch two-point make that helped seal the W for Houston.

The Rockets punched their ticket to the knockout round of the Emirates NBA Cup with the victory. Sengun posted a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. VanVleet came close to one himself, scoring 27 on 6-12 three-point shooting, with 11 assists and eight rebounds. Anthony Edwards had another typical solid outing in the loss, pouring in 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Anthony Davis just swallows up the ball as Grayson Allen tries to get up the shot in the paint.

Davis is owning the first quarter with 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists, but it’s the Suns with a 28-25 advantage as the first quarter nears its end.
Rudy Gobert gets the big block to give the Timberwolves the final possession, but Anthony Edwards’ shot rims out sending the game to overtime.

Victor Wembanyama knocked down his third three here and finished the first half with 24 points and four triples on nine attempts.

Utah and San Antonio are knotted up at 66 at the break. Brice Sensabaugh leads all Jazz players with 16 points off the bench on 6-8 shooting. John Collins is well on his way to a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Thompson gets the feed from Sengun and gets up for the slam for two of his ten points and Alperen’s ninth assist.

It’s becoming a tight one in Minnesota, as the Rockets only have a one-point lead, 97-96 with just minutes remaining.
AJ Green sinks a pair of triples that ultimately sealed a 106-103 win for the Bucks.

Damian Lillard led all scorers with 37 points (10-17 FG, 8-13 3PT), and also had 12 assists. Butler had a team-high 23 points (6-12 FG), four rebounds and five assists for Miami. The Bucks move to 3-0 in Emirates NBA Cup play and are well positioned to move onto the knockout round.
Jalen Green picks off the pass and has nothing but space to detonate at the rim.

The Rockets have built their lead to 15, 84-69 with the third quarter nearing its end.
Drew Eubanks goes way up to get the alley-oop feed from Keyonte George and slams it down with one hand.

The Jazz have a 35-32 lead with the first quarter wrapping up. George leads all scorers with 15 points on 5-8 FG, including 4-6 from three.
Buzelis scores two of his nine points on the spin move to the rim to finish things in Washington.

The Wizards had an eight-point lead after the first frame, but fell flat afterward, ultimately losing 127-108. Kyle Kuzma finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Alex Sarr shot 4-5 from three and finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, plus a block and a steal. Coby White led the Bulls’ scoring with 21 points on 5-9 shooting from deep, while Vučević notched a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. 
Butler takes it to the rim for a strong finish and two of his 20 points.

Miami is now down only four after trailing by double digits for most of the game. Butler’s 20 leads the way for Miami, while Lillard is still stuck on 35, which is the game-high.
Lauri Markkanen gets the rebound then takes it to the rim for a throwdown to get things started in Utah.

The Jazz have a 15-13 lead early over the Spurs.
Lillard has not slowed down and is up to eight triples on the night.

Dame is up to 35 points on 8-12 shooting from deep and is propelling the Bucks’ offense to an 82-69 lead over the Heat with just a few minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Fred VanVleet caught fire in the second quarter, and now is up to 16 points (6-11 FG, 4-5 3PT), six assists, and four rebounds.

The Rockets take a 57-47 lead over Minnesota into halftime. VanVleet’s 16 points lead the Rockets, while Anthony Edwards’ 13 points are tops on the Timberwolves.
 
It’s still Dame time in Miami, as Lillard has 25 points on 8-12 shooting, including 6-9 from three.

The Bucks have a 65-51 lead over the Heat at the break.
Jabari Smith Jr. gets up and swats Rudy Gobert’s dunk attempt at the apex.

The Rockets still have a lead, 32-26 as the first quarter comes to a close.
Anthony Edwards shows off the handles and gets the tough finish in traffic.

The Rockets have blasted off in Minnesota, leaping out to a 22-11 lead about halfway through the first quarter. Dillon Brooks leads all scorers with eight.
The pump fake opens a path to the lane and then a euro step gets him to the hoop for the and-1.

Miami is trailing though, 46-34 halfway through the second quarter.
Matas Buzelis slams home the two-handed jam as part of a second-quarter explosion of offense from Chicago.

Kyle Kuzma has cooled off, as has the Wizards offense and the Bulls now enter halftime with a 61-47 lead, after outscoring Washington 40-18 in the second quarter. Chicago has three players in double figures, Vučević (11), Coby White (10), and Zach Lavine (10). 
Andre Jackson Jr. runs down Jimmy Butler and gets the rejection as Butler tries to lay it in.

The Bucks have built a 24-16 lead in Miami, and Lillard is still cooking with 17 points on 4-5 shooting from three.
Damian Lillard opens the scoring in Miami with this three-point shot.

Lillard didn’t stop there, as he’s already 3-3 from distance for nine points as the Bucks have jumped out to a 14-5 lead over Miami.
With Jordan Poole out of action, Kuzma has been the spark to ignite a 29-21 lead over the Bulls after a quarter of play.

The 29-year-old is shooting 6-12 for his 15-point effort with five rebounds.
Alex Sarr gets his first block of the night off a Nikola Vučević shot attempt.

The Wizards hold a 21-15 advantage over the Bulls early. Kyle Kuzma already has 12 points and six rebounds to lead all scorers.
The Suns will also be hosting their first Emirates NBA Cup game Tuesday night against the Lakers. Here’s a look at their special edition court.

Minnesota is hosting its first 2024 Emirates NBA Cup game against the Rockets tonight. Here’s a sneak peek at their Toyota Center digs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play tonight.

Wizards players arrive at the Capital One Arena looking to end their 11-game skid against the Bulls. They’ll have to get it done without Jordan Poole (hip) though.