FloaterDaily Brief
Thursday, December 18, 2025Regular season · 12 games
← Dec 17CalendarDec 19 →

12 games, 3 went to overtime. Biggest comeback: Pelicans trailed Rockets by 22 at halftime and won 133–128.

Final · Box score
Hawks126
Hornets133
Q1 Hornets +5; Q2 Hornets +11; Q3 Hornets +12; Q4 Hornets +7
Final · Box score
Knicks114
Pacers113
Q1 Knicks -11; Q2 Knicks -3; Q3 Knicks -6; Q4 Knicks +1
Final · Box score
Heat106
Nets95
Q1 Heat +3; Q2 Heat +5; Q3 Heat +4; Q4 Heat +11
Final · Box score
Raptors111
Bucks105
Q1 Raptors +6; Q2 Raptors +4; Q3 Raptors +7; Q4 Raptors +6
Final · OT · Box score
Rockets128
Pelicans133
Q1 Pelicans -9; Q2 Pelicans -22; Q3 Pelicans -16; Q4 Pelicans 0; OT1 Pelicans +5
Final · Box score
Clippers101
Thunder122
Q1 Thunder -6; Q2 Thunder +9; Q3 Thunder +20; Q4 Thunder +21
Final · Box score
Wizards94
Spurs119
Q1 Spurs +7; Q2 Spurs +4; Q3 Spurs +16; Q4 Spurs +25
Final · OT · Box score
Pistons114
Mavs116
Q1 Mavs +5; Q2 Mavs +9; Q3 Mavs +12; Q4 Mavs 0; OT1 Mavs +2
Final · Box score
Magic115
Nuggets126
Q1 Nuggets -7; Q2 Nuggets +14; Q3 Nuggets +14; Q4 Nuggets +11
Final · Box score
Warriors98
Suns99
Q1 Suns -3; Q2 Suns -7; Q3 Suns -1; Q4 Suns +1
Final · Box score
Lakers143
Jazz135
Q1 Lakers -9; Q2 Lakers -5; Q3 Lakers -4; Q4 Lakers +8
Final · OT · Box score
Kings133
Blazers134
Q1 Blazers -4; Q2 Blazers +3; Q3 Blazers -1; Q4 Blazers 0; OT1 Blazers +1
The lead · Rockets-Pelicans

New Orleans needs overtime to survive Houston

Luka Doncic posts a triple-double

Game flow · Pelicans margin at each break
-30-20-100+10+20+30OVERTIMETipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3End reg.Final0-9-22-160+5Pelicans AHEAD ↑Rockets AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4OT1T
Rockets333432209128
Pelicans2421383614133
Who led
Saddiq BeyPoints, last 10 games: 18, 21, 22, 22, 20, 18, 17, 15, 10, 29Pelicans29 PTS · 9 REB · 1 AST
Trey Murphy IIIPoints, last 10 games: 19, 20, 12, 33, 21, 23, 32, 24, 20, 27Pelicans27 PTS · 3 REB · 2 AST
Kevin DurantPoints, last 10 games: 20, 13, 25, 32, 24, 28, 27, 16, 25, 32Rockets32 PTS · 7 REB · 2 AST
Alperen SengunPoints, last 10 games: 28, 14, 18, 16, 27, 31, 28, 22, 33, 28Rockets28 PTS · 11 REB · 8 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Four games go down to the wire

Four of 12 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: San Antonio by 25.

Knicks over Pacers1Suns over Warriors1Blazers over Kings1Mavs over Pistons2Pelicans over Rockets5Raptors over Bucks6Hornets over Hawks7Lakers over Jazz8Heat over Nets11Nuggets over Magic11Thunder over Clippers21Spurs over Wizards25Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
Lead changes
Kings-Blazers22
Pistons-Mavs10
Warriors-Suns9
Knicks-Pacers8
Heat-Nets6
Rockets-Pelicans4
Clippers-Thunder3
Wizards-Spurs2
Magic-Nuggets1
Shot of the night

Brunson's three with 5.6 seconds left puts the Knicks ahead, 114-113 final

The night in charts
Lakers-Jazz combined for 278, 11 more than any other game
Points by game
Lakers-JazzLakers 143, Jazz 135
278
Kings-BlazersKings 133, Blazers 134 · OT
267
Rockets-PelicansRockets 128, Pelicans 133 · OT
261
Hawks-HornetsHawks 126, Hornets 133
259
Magic-NuggetsMagic 115, Nuggets 126
241
Pistons-MavsPistons 114, Mavs 116 · OT
230
Knicks-PacersKnicks 114, Pacers 113
227
Clippers-ThunderClippers 101, Thunder 122
223
Raptors-BucksRaptors 111, Bucks 105
216
Wizards-SpursWizards 94, Spurs 119
213
Heat-NetsHeat 106, Nets 95
201
Warriors-SunsWarriors 98, Suns 99
197
5 of 12 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Knicks-PacersKnicks 114, Pacers 113
+1 Knicks
Warriors-SunsWarriors 98, Suns 99
+1 Suns
Kings-BlazersKings 133, Blazers 134 · OT
+1 Blazers
Pistons-MavsPistons 114, Mavs 116 · OT
+2 Mavs
Rockets-PelicansRockets 128, Pelicans 133 · OT
+5 Pelicans
Raptors-BucksRaptors 111, Bucks 105
+6 Raptors
Hawks-HornetsHawks 126, Hornets 133
+7 Hornets
Lakers-JazzLakers 143, Jazz 135
+8 Lakers
Heat-NetsHeat 106, Nets 95
+11 Heat
Magic-NuggetsMagic 115, Nuggets 126
+11 Nuggets
Clippers-ThunderClippers 101, Thunder 122
+21 Thunder
Wizards-SpursWizards 94, Spurs 119
+25 Spurs
Pelicans erased a 22-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Rockets-PelicansPelicans won · Rockets 128, Pelicans 133 · OT
22 pts
Knicks-PacersKnicks won · Knicks 114, Pacers 113
11 pts
Lakers-JazzLakers won · Lakers 143, Jazz 135
9 pts
Magic-NuggetsNuggets won · Magic 115, Nuggets 126
7 pts
Warriors-SunsSuns won · Warriors 98, Suns 99
7 pts
KD shot 12-of-15 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
KDRockets · 32 PTS, 7 REB, 4 BLK, 2 AST
80% (12-15)
Amen ThompsonRockets · 23 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL
79% (11-14)
Wendell Carter Jr.Magic · 26 PTS, 8 REB, 2 BLK, 1 STL
73% (11-15)
WareHeat · 22 PTS, 12 REB, 4 BLK, 1 AST
73% (8-11)
PodziemskiWarriors · 18 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL
73% (8-11)
Final · Kings-Blazers
Kings 133Blazers 134
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Kings4020233218133
Blazers3627193319134
The story
Portland beat Sacramento 134-133 in OT behind 35 points from Deni Avdija

DeMar DeRozan paced Sacramento: 33 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST 35 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST · 12-19 FG, 1-5 3PT

The swing

A 27-20 second quarter erased a 4-point hole for the Trail Blazers.

Blazers lead by quarter
200 −4+3−10+1 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Fantasy angle

Maxime Raynaud topped the game at 49.7 FPTS: 29 PTS, 11 REB, 2 AST

Final · Pistons-Mavs
Pistons 114Mavs 116
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Pistons302722314114
Mavs353125196116
The story
Cooper Flagg had 23 points and 10 rebounds as Dallas beat Detroit 116-114 in OT

Jalen Duren led Detroit with 17 PTS, 13 REB 23 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 3 BLK · 8-20 FG, 0-4 3PT

The swing

The Mavericks won the first 35-30, their biggest quarter edge.

Mavs lead by quarter
200 +5+9+120+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Fantasy angle

Cade Cunningham led the game in fantasy with 54.5 FPTS (29 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST)

Final · Rockets-Pelicans
Rockets 128Pelicans 133
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Rockets333432209128
Pelicans2421383614133
The story
Herbert Jones' 18 points carried New Orleans past Houston, 133-128 in OT

For Houston, Kevin Durant had 32 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST 18 PTS, 8 STL, 3 REB, 3 AST · 7-14 FG, 2-6 3PT

The swing

The Pelicans trailed by 16 going into the fourth, then won it 36-20.

Pelicans lead by quarter
200 −9−22−160+5 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Fantasy angle

Alperen Sengun was the fantasy play: 63.2 FPTS on 28 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST

Fantasy angle
Heating up
+6.9points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
8.5Season avg15.4Last 5

15.4 points a game over his last five games, against 8.5 in 18 earlier games. Today: 29 points in 37 minutes.

Losing minutes
Josh GreenHornets
−13.5minutes, last 3 vs 2024–25 avg
Minutes per game
27.82024–25 avg14.3Last 3

14.3 minutes a game over his last three games, against 27.8 in 2024–25 (68 games). Today: 3 points in 11 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+18.5minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
10.5Season avg29Today

29 minutes today, against 10.5 a game in 17 earlier games. Line: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists.

Top performances

Luka Doncic leads the day with 45

Luka DoncicPoints, last 10 games: 37, 33, 43, 35, 34, 38, 31, 35, 29, 45Lakers-Jazz · W
35.2 PPG season to date · +10.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Tracy McGrady Magic, Feb 23, 2003: 46 PTS · 10 REB · 13 AST
45 PTS · 11 REB · 14 AST
Jalen JohnsonPoints, last 10 games: 28, 7, 29, 41, 29, 21, 30, 19, 12, 43Hawks-Hornets · L
23.6 PPG season to date · +20.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Russell Westbrook Thunder, Feb 28, 2017: 43 PTS · 11 REB · 10 AST
Career high43 PTS · 11 REB · 9 AST
Deni AvdijaPoints, last 10 games: 22, 37, 31, 25, 27, 35, 17, 16, 26, 35Blazers-Kings · W
25.8 PPG season to date · +9.5 vs his regular-season average before tonight
35 PTS · 5 REB · 5 AST
Keyonte GeorgePoints, last 10 games: 28, 31, 0, 28, 29, 18, 8, 39, 37, 34Jazz-Lakers · L
23.9 PPG season to date · +10.5 vs his regular-season average before tonight
34 PTS · 4 REB · 8 AST
DeMar DeRozanPoints, last 10 games: 33, 10, 16, 23, 12, 13, 20, 11, 17, 33Kings-Blazers · L
18.2 PPG season to date · +15.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Ties season high33 PTS · 4 REB · 3 AST
Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderPoints, last 10 games: 31, 37, 40, 37, 26, 38, 33, 28, 29, 32Thunder-Clippers · W
32.4 PPG season to date · −0.4 vs his regular-season average before tonight
32 PTS · 7 REB · 6 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Jaylen WellsGrizzlies+5.3 18.0 last 10 · 12.7 season
Cam SpencerGrizzlies+4.9 16.9 last 10 · 12.0 season
Saddiq BeyPelicans+4.5 19.2 last 10 · 14.7 season
Cooper FlaggMavs+4.2 22.8 last 10 · 18.6 season
Josh HartKnicks+3.6 16.0 last 10 · 12.4 season
Cold
Devin BookerSuns−4.7 20.4 last 10 · 25.1 season
De'Andre HunterCavs−4.1 11.2 last 10 · 15.2 season
Tristan Da SilvaMagic−4.0 5.7 last 10 · 9.7 season
Lauri MarkkanenJazz−4.0 23.8 last 10 · 27.8 season
James HardenClippers−3.5 22.5 last 10 · 26.0 season