FloaterDaily Brief
Thursday, December 26, 1996Regular season · 11 games
← Dec 25CalendarDec 27 →

11 games, 1 went to overtime. Biggest comeback: UTA trailed POR by 12 after the first quarter and won 99–94.

Final · Box score
Bulls103
Hawks108
Q1 ATL +3; Q2 ATL +3; Q3 ATL +3; Q4 ATL +5
Final · Box score
Warriors113
Mavs108
Q1 GSW -3; Q2 GSW +9; Q3 GSW +14; Q4 GSW +5
Final · Box score
Sixers118
Nuggets89
Q1 PHI -1; Q2 PHI +14; Q3 PHI +27; Q4 PHI +29
Final · OT · Box score
Pacers95
Pistons89
Q1 IND +2; Q2 IND -2; Q3 IND -5; Q4 Pacers 0; OT1 IND +6
Final · Box score
Magic76
Heat96
Q1 MIA +7; Q2 MIA +17; Q3 MIA +9; Q4 MIA +20
Final · Box score
Rockets101
Bucks90
Q1 HOU +7; Q2 HOU +10; Q3 HOU +13; Q4 HOU +11
Final · Box score
Knicks80
Wolves88
Q1 MIN -3; Q2 MIN -8; Q3 MIN -3; Q4 MIN +8
Final · Box score
Grizzlies88
Kings111
Q1 SAC +17; Q2 SAC +18; Q3 SAC +20; Q4 SAC +23
Final · Box score
Spurs86
Sonics94
Q1 SEA +7; Q2 SEA +10; Q3 SEA +9; Q4 SEA +8
Final · Box score
Nets96
Raptors98
Q1 TOR -1; Q2 TOR +1; Q3 TOR +1; Q4 TOR +2
Final · Box score
Blazers94
Jazz99
Q1 UTA -12; Q2 UTA -10; Q3 Jazz 0; Q4 UTA +5
On this day · 1995–96Dec 26, 1995: 10 games. Top scorer: Karl Malone (Jazz-Blazers), 47 points.
Dec 26 in other seasons2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991997
The lead · Blazers-Jazz

Utah fights back from 12 down against Portland

Joe Smith goes for 30 points

Game flow · UTA margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0-12-100+5UTA AHEAD ↑POR AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Blazers3018212594
Jazz1820313099
Who led
Karl MalonePoints, last 10 games: 21, 22, 27, 11, 29, 35, 20, 20, 22, 24UTA24 PTS · 9 REB · 5 AST
Bryon RussellPoints, last 10 games: 10, 5, 12, 2, 7, 8, 16, 13, 15, 23UTA23 PTS · 3 REB · 2 AST
Arvydas SabonisPoints, last 10 games: 22, 11, 13, 13, 18, 8, 9, 8, 23, 26POR26 PTS · 13 REB · 2 AST
Isaiah RiderPoints, last 10 games: 21, 18, 2, 11, 12, 23, 18, 8, 4, 19POR19 PTS · 3 REB · 2 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Eleven games, by the margins

Closest finish: 2. Widest: Philadelphia by 29.

TOR over NJN2ATL over CHI5GSW over DAL5UTA over POR5IND over DET6MIN over NYK8SEA over SAS8HOU over MIL11MIA over ORL20SAC over VAN23PHI over DEN29Final margin, points. Pink = closest and widest.
The night in charts
Warriors-Mavs combined for 221, 10 more than any other game
Points by game
Warriors-MavsWarriors 113, Mavs 108
221
Bulls-HawksBulls 103, Hawks 108
211
Sixers-NuggetsSixers 118, Nuggets 89
207
Grizzlies-KingsGrizzlies 88, Kings 111
199
Nets-RaptorsNets 96, Raptors 98
194
Blazers-JazzBlazers 94, Jazz 99
193
Rockets-BucksRockets 101, Bucks 90
191
Pacers-PistonsPacers 95, Pistons 89
184
Spurs-SonicsSpurs 86, Sonics 94
180
Magic-HeatMagic 76, Heat 96
172
Knicks-WolvesKnicks 80, Wolves 88
168
4 of 11 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Nets-RaptorsNets 96, Raptors 98
+2 TOR
Blazers-JazzBlazers 94, Jazz 99
+5 UTA
Warriors-MavsWarriors 113, Mavs 108
+5 GSW
Bulls-HawksBulls 103, Hawks 108
+5 ATL
Pacers-PistonsPacers 95, Pistons 89
+6 IND
Spurs-SonicsSpurs 86, Sonics 94
+8 SEA
Knicks-WolvesKnicks 80, Wolves 88
+8 MIN
Rockets-BucksRockets 101, Bucks 90
+11 HOU
Magic-HeatMagic 76, Heat 96
+20 MIA
Grizzlies-KingsGrizzlies 88, Kings 111
+23 SAC
Sixers-NuggetsSixers 118, Nuggets 89
+29 PHI
UTA erased a 12-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Blazers-JazzUTA won · Blazers 94, Jazz 99
12 pts
Knicks-WolvesMIN won · Knicks 80, Wolves 88
8 pts
Pacers-PistonsIND won · Pacers 95, Pistons 89
5 pts
Warriors-MavsGSW won · Warriors 113, Mavs 108
3 pts
Nets-RaptorsTOR won · Nets 96, Raptors 98
1 pt
Hakeem shot 14-of-18 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
HakeemHOU · 29 PTS, 6 REB, 3 BLK
78% (14-18)
AustinMIA · 17 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST
73% (8-11)
AIPHI · 31 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB, 4 STL
68% (13-19)
KempSEA · 20 PTS, 11 REB, 1 AST
67% (8-12)
PippenCHI · 20 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST
64% (9-14)
Final · Nets-Raptors
Nets 96Raptors 98
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Nets2226192996
Raptors2128193098
The story
Toronto beat New Jersey 98-96 behind 18 points from Damon Stoudamire

Robert Pack paced New Jersey: 27 PTS, 9 AST, 7 REB 18 PTS, 6 AST, 2 REB · 4-17 FG, 2-6 3PT

The swing

A 28-26 second quarter erased a 1-point hole for the Raptors.

TOR lead by quarter
200 −1+1+1+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Kendall Gill topped the game at 55.6 FPTS: 23 PTS, 13 REB, 5 AST

Final · Blazers-Jazz
Blazers 94Jazz 99
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Blazers3018212594
Jazz1820313099
The story
Karl Malone's 24 points carried Utah past Portland, 99-94

For Portland, Clifford Robinson had 17 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST 24 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST · 10-20 FG

The swing

The Jazz trailed by 10 going into the third, then won it 31-21.

UTA lead by quarter
200 −12−100+5 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Bryon Russell was the fantasy play: 45.6 FPTS on 23 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST

Final · Pacers-Pistons
Pacers 95Pistons 89
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Pacers182517221395
Pistons16292017789
The story
Dale Davis had 21 rebounds and 13 points as Indiana beat Detroit 95-89 in OT

Grant Hill led Detroit with 19 PTS, 16 REB, 7 AST 21 REB, 13 PTS, 3 BLK, 2 AST · 6-13 FG

The swing

The Pacers won the overtime 13-7.

IND lead by quarter
200 +2−2−50+6 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+9.5points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
6.1Season avg15.6Last 5

15.6 points a game over his last five games, against 6.1 in 17 earlier games. Today: 14 points in 30 minutes.

Losing minutes
−12.0minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
23.0Season avg11.0Last 3

11.0 minutes a game over his last three games, against 23.0 in 13 earlier games. Today: 13 points in 24 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+21.4minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
24.6Season avg46Today

46 minutes today, against 24.6 a game in 24 earlier games. Line: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists.

Top performances

Christian Laettner leads the day with 37

Christian LaettnerPoints, last 10 games: 15, 16, 21, 22, 17, 9, 16, 24, 13, 37Hawks-Bulls · W
18.4 PPG season to date · +19.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high37 PTS · 14 REB · 1 AST
Michael JordanPoints, last 10 games: 13, 27, 32, 29, 30, 35, 31, 24, 23, 34Bulls-Hawks · L
30.6 PPG season to date · +3.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
34 PTS · 3 REB · 1 AST
Allen IversonPoints, last 10 games: 23, 26, 36, 35, 12, 8, 11, 22, 32, 31Sixers-Nuggets · W
22.6 PPG season to date · +8.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
31 PTS · 5 REB · 6 AST
Joe SmithPoints, last 10 games: 15, 24, 36, 12, 20, 16, 3, 30, 24, 30Warriors-Mavs · W
18.5 PPG season to date · +11.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
30 PTS · 16 REB · 0 AST
Hakeem OlajuwonPoints, last 10 games: 13, 29, 21, 9, 26, 23, 9, 20, 37, 29Rockets-Bucks · W
23.6 PPG season to date · +5.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
29 PTS · 6 REB · 0 AST
Robert PackPoints, last 10 games: 3, 19, 25, 23, 17, 7, 15, 29, 8, 27Nets-Raptors · L
15.2 PPG season to date · +12.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
27 PTS · 7 REB · 9 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Rony SeikalyORL+5.3 20.5 last 10 · 15.2 season
Anthony PeelerVAN+4.8 18.1 last 10 · 13.3 season
Shareef Abdur-RahimVAN+4.5 19.0 last 10 · 14.5 season
Bryant StithDEN+4.4 20.0 last 10 · 15.6 season
Scottie PippenCHI+3.4 23.1 last 10 · 19.7 season
Cold
Eddie JonesLAL−3.9 12.5 last 10 · 16.4 season
Armen GilliamMIL−3.7 6.2 last 10 · 9.9 season
Shawn KempSEA−3.2 18.8 last 10 · 22.0 season
Mark PriceGSW−2.9 9.1 last 10 · 12.0 season
Blue EdwardsVAN−2.9 8.3 last 10 · 11.2 season