FloaterDaily Brief
Friday, December 17, 2021Regular season · 8 games
← Dec 16CalendarDec 18 →

8 games, 1 went to overtime. Biggest comeback: SAS trailed UTA by 14 at halftime and won 128–126.

Final · Box score
Heat115
Magic105
Q1 MIA +9; Q2 MIA +9; Q3 MIA +10; Q4 MIA +10
Final · Box score
Nuggets133
Hawks115
Q1 DEN +3; Q2 DEN +18; Q3 DEN +19; Q4 DEN +18
Final · Box score
Warriors111
Celtics107
Q1 GSW +8; Q2 GSW +14; Q3 GSW +1; Q4 GSW +4
Final · OT · Box score
Bucks112
Pelicans116
Q1 NOP -7; Q2 NOP +3; Q3 Pelicans 0; Q4 Pelicans 0; OT1 NOP +4
Final · Box score
Spurs128
Jazz126
Q1 SAS -1; Q2 SAS -14; Q3 SAS +4; Q4 SAS +2
Final · Box score
Lakers92
Wolves110
Q1 MIN +7; Q2 MIN +9; Q3 MIN +20; Q4 MIN +18
Final · Box score
Hornets116
Blazers125
Q1 POR +17; Q2 POR +26; Q3 POR +17; Q4 POR +9
Final · Box score
Grizzlies124
Kings105
Q1 MEM -2; Q2 MEM +2; Q3 MEM +16; Q4 MEM +19
The lead · Spurs-Jazz

San Antonio rallies from 14 down to beat Utah

Damian Lillard goes for 43 points

Game flow · SAS margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0-1-14+4+2SAS AHEAD ↑UTA AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Spurs36234128128
Jazz37362330126
Who led
Keldon JohnsonPoints, last 10 games: 17, 13, 14, 15, 13, 5, 14, 17, 21, 24SAS24 PTS · 8 REB · 2 AST
Derrick WhitePoints, last 10 games: 24, 12, 25, 12, 26, 23, 10, 24, 18, 22SAS22 PTS · 2 REB · 3 AST
Donovan MitchellPoints, last 10 games: 16, 21, 30, 34, 35, 36, 22, 28, 27, 27UTA27 PTS · 5 REB · 4 AST
Jordan ClarksonPoints, last 10 games: 7, 20, 22, 11, 7, 18, 11, 11, 21, 21UTA21 PTS · 4 REB · 2 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Three games go down to the wire

Three of 8 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: Memphis by 19.

SAS over UTA2GSW over BOS4NOP over MIL4POR over CHA9MIA over ORL10DEN over ATL18MIN over LAL18MEM over SAC19Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
Lead changes
Spurs-Jazz16
Bucks-Pelicans12
Grizzlies-Kings6
Warriors-Celtics4
Nuggets-Hawks2
Hornets-Blazers2
Shot of the night

IV's jumper with 14 seconds left puts the Spurs ahead, 128-126 final

The night in charts
Spurs-Jazz combined for 254, 6 more than any other game
Points by game
Spurs-JazzSpurs 128, Jazz 126
254
Nuggets-HawksNuggets 133, Hawks 115
248
Hornets-BlazersHornets 116, Blazers 125
241
Grizzlies-KingsGrizzlies 124, Kings 105
229
Bucks-PelicansBucks 112, Pelicans 116 · OT
228
Heat-MagicHeat 115, Magic 105
220
Warriors-CelticsWarriors 111, Celtics 107
218
Lakers-WolvesLakers 92, Wolves 110
202
3 of 8 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Spurs-JazzSpurs 128, Jazz 126
+2 SAS
Warriors-CelticsWarriors 111, Celtics 107
+4 GSW
Bucks-PelicansBucks 112, Pelicans 116 · OT
+4 NOP
Hornets-BlazersHornets 116, Blazers 125
+9 POR
Heat-MagicHeat 115, Magic 105
+10 MIA
Nuggets-HawksNuggets 133, Hawks 115
+18 DEN
Lakers-WolvesLakers 92, Wolves 110
+18 MIN
Grizzlies-KingsGrizzlies 124, Kings 105
+19 MEM
SAS erased a 14-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Spurs-JazzSAS won · Spurs 128, Jazz 126
14 pts
Bucks-PelicansNOP won · Bucks 112, Pelicans 116 · OT
7 pts
Grizzlies-KingsMEM won · Grizzlies 124, Kings 105
2 pts
Keldon Johnson shot 10-of-13 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
Keldon JohnsonSAS · 24 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST
77% (10-13)
StrusMIA · 32 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST
73% (11-15)
ValanciunasNOP · 24 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK
73% (11-15)
HylandDEN · 24 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 BLK
73% (8-11)
CapelaATL · 15 PTS, 11 REB, 3 BLK, 1 AST
70% (7-10)
Final · Spurs-Jazz
Spurs 128Jazz 126
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Spurs36234128128
Jazz37362330126
The story
Dejounte Murray had a 16-11-11 triple-double as San Antonio beat Utah 128-126

Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 27 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST 16 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST · 6-16 FG, 1-6 3PT

The swing

Down 14 after the second, the Spurs took the third 41-23.

SAS lead by quarter
200 −1−14+4+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Bucks-Pelicans
Bucks 112Pelicans 116
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Bucks282128269112
Pelicans2131252613116
The story
Jrue Holiday had 40 points, but New Orleans won 116-112 in OT

For New Orleans, Devonte' Graham had 26 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST 40 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST · 18-36 FG, 1-8 3PT

The swing

The Pelicans trailed by 7 going into the second, then won it 31-21.

NOP lead by quarter
200 −7+300+4 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Final · Hornets-Blazers
Hornets 116Blazers 125
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Hornets24313130116
Blazers41402222125
The story
Portland beat Charlotte 125-116 behind 28 points from Ben McLemore

LaMelo Ball paced Charlotte: 27 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB 28 PTS, 2 REB · 10-16 FG, 8-13 3PT

The swing

A 41-24 first quarter did the most damage for the Trail Blazers.

POR lead by quarter
300 +17+26+17+9 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+7.5points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
7.3Season avg14.8Last 5

14.8 points a game over his last five games, against 7.3 in 26 earlier games. Today: 27 points in 36 minutes.

Losing minutes
−7.4minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
34.4Season avg27.0Last 3

27.0 minutes a game over his last three games, against 34.4 in 30 earlier games. Today: 6 points in 22 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+25.0minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
17.0Season avg42Today

42 minutes today, against 17.0 a game in 24 earlier games. Line: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 0 assists.

Top performances

Damian Lillard leads the day with 43

Damian LillardPoints, last 10 games: 22, 39, 25, 32, 16, 11, 24, 31, 21, 43Blazers-Hornets · W
22.8 PPG season to date · +21.0 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Tyrese Maxey PHI, Oct 27, 2025: 43 PTS · 4 REB · 8 AST
Season high43 PTS · 4 REB · 8 AST
Jrue HolidayPoints, last 10 games: 11, 26, 16, 20, 27, 12, 13, 20, 26, 40Bucks-Pelicans · L
17.3 PPG season to date · +23.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Latrell Sprewell GSW, Mar 1, 1997: 40 PTS · 5 REB · 5 AST
Season high40 PTS · 5 REB · 5 AST
Trae YoungPoints, last 10 games: 31, 33, 33, 25, 25, 29, 31, 41, 28, 34Hawks-Nuggets · L
27.3 PPG season to date · +7.0 vs his regular-season average before tonight
34 PTS · 3 REB · 10 AST
Max StrusPoints, last 10 games: 19, 10, 4, 25, 0, 16, 9, 0, 9, 32Heat-Magic · W
9.3 PPG season to date · +23.7 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high32 PTS · 7 REB · 1 AST
Stephen CurryPoints, last 10 games: 33, 12, 23, 27, 31, 22, 18, 26, 22, 30Warriors-Celtics · W
27.0 PPG season to date · +3.1 vs his regular-season average before tonight
30 PTS · 5 REB · 4 AST
Karl-Anthony TownsPoints, last 10 games: 25, 28, 32, 34, 31, 22, 21, 23, 32, 28Wolves-Lakers · W
24.4 PPG season to date · +3.7 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 10 REB · 4 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Derrick WhiteSAS+5.2 19.6 last 10 · 14.4 season
Kelly Oubre Jr.CHA+4.8 21.4 last 10 · 16.6 season
Jrue HolidayMIL+3.8 21.1 last 10 · 17.3 season
Gary HarrisORL+3.7 12.4 last 10 · 8.7 season
Trae YoungATL+3.7 31.0 last 10 · 27.3 season
Cold
Harrison BarnesSAC−4.3 13.3 last 10 · 17.6 season
Montrezl HarrellWAS−4.2 10.4 last 10 · 14.6 season
Ricky RubioCLE−3.8 8.8 last 10 · 12.6 season
Buddy HieldSAC−3.8 11.8 last 10 · 15.6 season
Spencer DinwiddieWAS−3.7 9.1 last 10 · 12.8 season