FloaterDaily Brief
Saturday, December 26, 2020Regular season · 10 games
← Dec 25CalendarDec 27 →

10 games, 2 went to overtime. Biggest comeback: POR trailed HOU by 10 at halftime and won 128–126.

Final · Box score
Hawks122
Grizzlies112
Q1 ATL +5; Q2 ATL +2; Q3 ATL -1; Q4 ATL +10
Final · Box score
Thunder109
Hornets107
Q1 OKC -2; Q2 OKC -2; Q3 OKC +5; Q4 OKC +2
Final · 2OT · Box score
Cavs128
Pistons119
Q1 Cavs 0; Q2 CLE +6; Q3 CLE -5; Q4 Cavs 0; OT1 Cavs 0; OT2 CLE +9
Final · Box score
Magic130
Wizards120
Q1 Magic 0; Q2 ORL +4; Q3 ORL +1; Q4 ORL +10
Final · Box score
Sixers109
Knicks89
Q1 Sixers 0; Q2 PHI +5; Q3 PHI +17; Q4 PHI +20
Final · Box score
Pacers125
Bulls106
Q1 IND -1; Q2 IND +10; Q3 IND +28; Q4 IND +19
Final · Box score
Raptors114
Spurs119
Q1 SAS -6; Q2 SAS +3; Q3 SAS +5; Q4 SAS +5
Final · Box score
Wolves116
Jazz111
Q1 MIN +4; Q2 MIN +15; Q3 MIN +9; Q4 MIN +5
Final · OT · Box score
Rockets126
Blazers128
Q1 POR -4; Q2 POR -10; Q3 POR -1; Q4 Blazers 0; OT1 POR +2
Final · Box score
Suns103
Kings106
Q1 SAC +6; Q2 SAC +4; Q3 SAC +4; Q4 SAC +3
On this day · 2019–20Dec 26, 2019: 6 games. Top scorer: Donovan Mitchell (Jazz-Blazers), 35 points.
Dec 26 in other seasons2025202420232022202120182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199719961995
The lead · Rockets-Blazers

CJ McCollum scores 44 as Portland beats Houston

James Harden goes for 44 points

Game flow · POR margin at each break
-20-100+10+20OVERTIMETipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3End reg.Final0-4-10-10+2POR AHEAD ↑HOU AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4OT1T
Rockets3137172813126
Blazers2731262915128
Who led
CJ McCollumPoints, last 2 games: 23, 44POR44 PTS · 3 REB · 8 AST
Damian LillardPoints, last 2 games: 9, 32POR32 PTS · 5 REB · 9 AST
James HardenHOU44 PTS · 4 REB · 17 AST
Christian WoodHOU31 PTS · 13 REB · 3 AST
Lead changes
Rockets-Blazers27
Hawks-Grizzlies17
Magic-Wizards15
Pacers-Bulls9
Thunder-Hornets8
Sixers-Knicks8
Suns-Kings8
Raptors-Spurs7
Wolves-Jazz7
Shot of the night

CJ's three with 6.9 seconds left in OT puts the Blazers ahead, 128-126 final

The night in charts
Rockets-Blazers combined for 254, 4 more than any other game
Points by game
Rockets-BlazersRockets 126, Blazers 128 · OT
254
Magic-WizardsMagic 130, Wizards 120
250
Cavs-PistonsCavs 128, Pistons 119 · OT
247
Hawks-GrizzliesHawks 122, Grizzlies 112
234
Raptors-SpursRaptors 114, Spurs 119
233
Pacers-BullsPacers 125, Bulls 106
231
Wolves-JazzWolves 116, Jazz 111
227
Thunder-HornetsThunder 109, Hornets 107
216
Suns-KingsSuns 103, Kings 106
209
Sixers-KnicksSixers 109, Knicks 89
198
5 of 10 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Thunder-HornetsThunder 109, Hornets 107
+2 OKC
Rockets-BlazersRockets 126, Blazers 128 · OT
+2 POR
Suns-KingsSuns 103, Kings 106
+3 SAC
Wolves-JazzWolves 116, Jazz 111
+5 MIN
Raptors-SpursRaptors 114, Spurs 119
+5 SAS
Cavs-PistonsCavs 128, Pistons 119 · OT
+9 CLE
Magic-WizardsMagic 130, Wizards 120
+10 ORL
Hawks-GrizzliesHawks 122, Grizzlies 112
+10 ATL
Pacers-BullsPacers 125, Bulls 106
+19 IND
Sixers-KnicksSixers 109, Knicks 89
+20 PHI
POR erased a 10-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Rockets-BlazersPOR won · Rockets 126, Blazers 128 · OT
10 pts
Raptors-SpursSAS won · Raptors 114, Spurs 119
6 pts
Cavs-PistonsCLE won · Cavs 128, Pistons 119 · OT
5 pts
Thunder-HornetsOKC won · Thunder 109, Hornets 107
2 pts
Pacers-BullsIND won · Pacers 125, Bulls 106
1 pt
Randle shot 11-of-15 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
RandleNYK · 25 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL
73% (11-15)
BryantWAS · 19 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST
73% (8-11)
SabonisIND · 22 PTS, 11 AST, 10 REB, 1 STL
73% (8-11)
GobertUTA · 18 PTS, 16 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK
70% (7-10)
BoucherTOR · 22 PTS, 10 REB, 7 BLK, 1 AST
69% (9-13)
Final · Rockets-Blazers
Rockets 126Blazers 128
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Rockets3137172813126
Blazers2731262915128
The story
Damian Lillard had 32 points and 9 assists as Portland beat Houston 128-126 in OT

Christian Wood led Houston with 31 PTS, 13 REB, 3 AST 32 PTS, 9 AST, 5 REB · 11-28 FG, 5-13 3PT

The swing

Down 10 after the second, the Trail Blazers took the third 26-17.

POR lead by quarter
200 −4−10−10+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Final · Suns-Kings
Suns 103Kings 106
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Suns25292524103
Kings31272523106
The story
Sacramento beat Phoenix 106-103 behind 24 points from De'Aaron Fox

Jae Crowder paced Phoenix: 17 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST 24 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB · 7-14 FG, 3-7 3PT

The swing

A 31-25 first quarter did the most damage for the Kings.

SAC lead by quarter
200 +6+4+4+3 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Raptors-Spurs
Raptors 114Spurs 119
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Raptors39192828114
Spurs33283028119
The story
DeMar DeRozan's 27 points and 8 assists carried San Antonio past Toronto, 119-114

For Toronto, Fred VanVleet had 27 PTS, 9 AST, 3 REB 27 PTS, 8 AST, 5 REB · 10-17 FG, 3-4 3PT

The swing

The Spurs trailed by 6 going into the second, then won it 28-19.

SAS lead by quarter
200 −6+3+5+5 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Chris Boucher was the fantasy play: 58.0 FPTS on 22 PTS, 10 REB

Fantasy angle
Heating up
+18.2points, last 2 vs 2019–20 avg
Points per game
17.82019–20 avg36.0Last 2

36.0 points a game over his last two games, against 17.8 in 2019–20 (67 games). Today: 28 points in 34 minutes.

Losing minutes
−17.7minutes, last 2 vs 2019–20 avg
Minutes per game
21.22019–20 avg3.5Last 2

3.5 minutes a game over his last two games, against 21.2 in 2019–20 (56 games). Today: 0 points in 2 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+22.7minutes, today vs 2019–20 avg
Minutes per game
21.32019–20 avg44Today

44 minutes today, against 21.3 a game in 2019–20 (62 games). Line: 31 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists.

Second story · the whole slate

Three games go down to the wire

Three of 10 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: Philadelphia by 20.

OKC over CHA2POR over HOU2SAC over PHX3SAS over TOR5MIN over UTA5CLE over DET9ATL over MEM10ORL over WAS10IND over CHI19PHI over NYK20Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
Top performances

James Harden leads the day with 44

James HardenRockets-Blazers · L
44.0 PPG season to date
Most like it, modern era: Damian Lillard POR, Feb 17, 2021: 43 PTS · 4 REB · 16 AST
44 PTS · 4 REB · 17 AST
CJ McCollumPoints, last 2 games: 23, 44Blazers-Rockets · W
33.5 PPG season to date
Most like it, modern era: Nick Van Exel DEN, Apr 15, 2000: 44 PTS · 3 REB · 8 AST
44 PTS · 3 REB · 8 AST
Bradley BealPoints, last 2 games: 31, 39Wizards-Magic · L
35.0 PPG season to date
39 PTS · 7 REB · 5 AST
Trae YoungPoints, last 2 games: 37, 36Hawks-Grizzlies · W
36.5 PPG season to date
36 PTS · 3 REB · 9 AST
Damian LillardPoints, last 2 games: 9, 32Blazers-Rockets · W
20.5 PPG season to date
32 PTS · 5 REB · 9 AST
Collin SextonPoints, last 2 games: 27, 32Cavs-Pistons · W
29.5 PPG season to date
32 PTS · 2 REB · 3 AST