Starting 5: The battle in the West continues

Jalen Suggs was eating on Thanksgiving eve and saved room for seconds.

THE LINEUP 🏀
Nov. 28, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?
West Duel & Hot Streaks: OKC & Golden State go down to the wire, Rockets & Magic stay sizzling
Thanksgiving Stuffing: Trae, Harden and Jokić cooked up Ws while stuffing the stat sheet
Marquee Wins Out West: Dallas grabs another dub, while the Lakers & Kings bounce back
14-Game Slate Roundup: Memphis, Indy & Brooklyn stay rolling, plus a standings update
Season Of Giving: How the NBA family made a difference off the floor this Thanksgiving
BUT FIRST … ⏰
A Black Friday special after a Thanksgiving Day breather…

After a day off on Thanksgiving to fill up on turkey and Wednesday’s highlights, the NBA returns with 10 Emirates NBA Cup games on Black Friday — marking the second-to-last day of Group Play.
Friday’s NBA Cup action tips off with a tripleheader on NBA TV, starting at Noon ET. Then, an ESPN doubleheader headlines the evening slate as Anthony Edwards and the Wolves host James Harden and the Clippers (7:30 ET), followed by a showdown between the Thunder and Lakers (10 ET).
NBA League Pass Black Friday Sale: From now until Saturday, fans in the United States and Canada can get 50% off on a season-long subscription to NBA League Pass. Don’t miss the best deal of the season! Tap here for U.S. and here for Canada. First time subscribers only.
Players Who Deserve More Thanks: For Thanksgiving, Shaun Powell is shouting out 10 players who deserve more props for their contributions to open the 2024-25 season.
1. BEST IN THE WEST BATTLE IN THE BAY, ROCKETS & MAGIC KEEP ROLLING

Thunder 105, Warriors 101: In a showdown between the top two teams out West, Buddy Hield and the Warriors — who were without Steph Curry — erased a 19-point deficit in the 1st half to take a three-point lead with 5:45 remaining in the 4th quarter.
But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sparked a late OKC burst with a pair of 3s, then hit two clutch free throws with 1.2 seconds left as the Thunder closed the game on a 12-5 run to edge out Golden State in the Bay. | Recap | Watch The Epic Ending 
Frantic Finish: The 4th quarter featured five lead changes
SGA, KD & Russ: Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points
Stingy OKC: Jonathan Kuminga (19 pts) and Hield (17 pts) led

Rockets 122, 76ers 115 (OT): In a duel between two young stars, Jalen Green erupted for a season-high 41 points while going back and forth with Tyrese Maxey (39 pts, 10 ast, career-high 5 stl), who knocked down three game-tying free throws in regulation to force overtime.
But Houston outscored Philly 14-7 in OT thanks to Alperen Sengun’s 11 points, notching its ninth win in 11 games. | Recap | Watch The Dramatic Finish 
Not Just An Early-Season Spark: Houston — now 14-6 on the
On The Rise: With the win and Golden State’s loss, Houston
Maxey Joins AI & McGinnis: Maxey is the third player in Sixers

Magic 133, Bulls 119: Orlando can’t stop collecting dubs. Jalen Suggs finished with a career-high 31 points, seven dimes and one drumstick, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tallied a season-high in points (24) and 3s (6) and Franz Wagner added 21 points to lead the Magic to their 10th win in their last 11 outings. | Recap 
The Magic have won four straight games and hold the No. 3 seed
Winning With Defense: Orlando is allowing a league-best 102.9
2. FEASTING: TRAE, HARDEN & JOKIĆ STUFF THE STAT SHEET

Hawks 135, Cavaliers 124: Trae Young was feeling more than generous on Thanksgiving eve, as he dished out a career-high 22 assists — one shy of the Hawks’ all-time record — while adding 20 points to hand Donovan Mitchell (30 pts, 7 ast) and the Cavs just their second loss this season. | Recap
Atlanta Answers: The Cavs jumped out to a 19-point lead in the
History & Helpers: Young is the first player in Hawks history
No Longer Perfect In Cleveland: It’s the Cavs’ first home loss

Clippers 121, Wizards 96: James Harden was unconscious in the 1st quarter, dropping 23 points on five 3s on his way to a season-high in both points (43) and triples (7), plus seven helpers, as the Clips earned a wire-to-wire win over the Wizards. | Recap 
Harden 🤝 Kobe: Harden finished the 1st half with 31 points
Elite Clippers Company: Harden is just the fifth player in

Nuggets 122, Jazz 103: Did you expect anything less? Nikola Jokić (30 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) notched his fifth 30-point game in his last six outings while finishing three dimes shy of a triple-double, and the Nuggets led by double-digits the entire 2nd half in a win over Utah. | Recap
No Joke Numbers: In Jokić’s past six games, he’s tallied 186
 The only other player in NBA history to record 185+ points, 75+
3. MARQUEE WINS OUT WEST: LAKERS, MAVS & KINGS GET DUBS

Lakers 119, Spurs 101: LeBron James posted his sixth triple-double of the season (16 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast) — trailing only Nikola Jokić for the most in the NBA — and six other Lakers scored in double figures as Los Angeles outpaced Victor Wembanyama (20 pts, 10 reb) and the Spurs. | Recap 
Streaks Snapped: The win halts a three-game slide for Los
Mavericks 129, Knicks 114: Jalen Brunson netted a game-high 37 points and seven assists against his former team, but the Mavs were too good top to bottom as Naji Marshall, Kyrie Irving, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie all scored 20+ to lead Dallas to a near wire-to-wire win. | Recap
Mavs Moving Up: Dallas — which was without Luka Dončić for a
Marshall led the Mavs with 24 points and has now tallied four

Kings 115, Timberwolves 104: Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk poured in 27 points apiece, while De’Aaron Fox added 26 to help the Kings rally from a 12-point deficit in the 4th quarter and steal one from Anthony Edwards (29 pts, 5 ast) and the Wolves. The win snaps Sacramento’s four-game skid. | Recap 
Wild West Shake-Up: After Wednesday’s action, the West standings continue to move with the Clippers, Nuggets, Mavericks and Kings all climbing at least one spot.

4. ROUNDUP: GRIZZ, PACERS, NETS STAY HOT & MORE

Grizzlies 131, Pistons 111: Make that four straight dubs for the Grizz. Marcus Smart (25 pts) led seven Memphis players in double-figures as the Grizzlies outscored Detroit 37-18 in the 2nd quarter and never looked back to extend their win streak. | Recap
Pacers 121, Blazers 114: Tyrese Haliburton (28 pts, 10 ast, 5 3s) was operating, while Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 29 points as Indiana pulled away from Anfernee Simons (season-high 30 pts, 6 3pm) and the Blazers for its third straight W. | Recap 

Nets 127, Suns 117: Devin Booker (31 pts) and Kevin Durant (30 pts) combined for 61 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with Brooklyn as Tyrese Martin scored a career-high 30 points on eight treys, and the Nets knocked down 18 triples to close their three-game West road trip with three wins. | Recap 
Heat 98, Hornets 94: LaMelo Ball turned in 32 points to help Charlotte rally from a 20-point deficit and take the lead with 42 seconds left. But Tyler Herro (27 pts) responded with a go-ahead 3 for Miami with 28.4 ticks remaining and then came up with a steal on the ensuing possession to help seal the win. | Recap 
Raptors 119, Pelicans 93: Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle scored 24 points apiece and the Raptors never trailed in the 2nd half to beat the Pels in NOLA for their first road win of the season. Dejounte Murray finished with 14 points in his first game back since fracturing his left hand in New Orleans’ season-opener. | Recap
5. NBA FAMILY PROVIDES SUPPORT IN SEASON OF GIVING

As part of the NBA Cares Season of Giving, the NBA family is going beyond the hardwood to make a difference for thousands of fans and families this Thanksgiving.
From distributing turkeys to hosting meals and events, players, coaches and staff have rolled up their sleeves to give back, reminding us all of the impact hoops can have off the court and in the community.
Below are just a few highlights of how teams are bringing smiles and Thanksgiving Day essentials to those who need them most.
The Heat hosted their 33rd annual Thanksgiving celebration at the Miami Rescue Mission to provide meals for hundreds of underprivileged families.
Bam Adebayo: “We’re giving out plates to the community … They 
come to watch us play, and we can do the little things by giving 
them meals … For us, it’s just giving those little things back.”
The Pacers held their 27th Annual Come To Our House Thanksgiving dinner for the Indianapolis community, welcoming more than 700 Hoosiers experiencing homelessness for a warm holiday meal.
Tyrese Haliburton: “A big part of me growing up is my family

The Timberwolves held their annual Holiday Shopping event, where each player was paired with a child from A Mother’s Love initiative for a shopping spree at Target.
The Pistons served over 500 Metro Detroit families with turkeys and essential non-perishable items. Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed to cover the costs of Kroger turkeys and Feed the Children items.
The Mavericks held their 15th annual Turkey Drive, giving out Thanksgiving meals to those in need in DFW.
The Lakers were recently out spreading holiday cheer and serving Thanksgiving dinner to local students from Crete Academy.
Check out NBA Cares on Instagram or X to see more players and teams making a difference in their communities. Happy Thanksgiving!