Nightly Pulse: NBA Recap & Highlights from Nov. 26

The Emirates NBA Cup action is back with an exciting five-game slate that will continue to shape the field.

2024 Emirates NBA Cup

Bulls vs. Wizards (

7 ET, NBA League Pass

)

Bucks vs. Heat (

7:30 ET, TNT

)

Rockets vs. Timberwolves (

8 ET, NBA League Pass

)

Spurs vs. Jazz (

9 ET, NBA League Pass

)

Lakers vs. Suns (

10 ET, TNT

)

Big blow to the Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play tonight.

Nightly drip report ☔️

Wizards players arrive at the Capital One Arena looking to end their 11-game skid against the Bulls. They’ll have to get it done without Jordan Poole (hip) though.

Three key storylines

The tide is turning for the Bucks who have won four straight and are 2-0 in group play. They also have a +26 point differential in their two Emirates NBA Cup games, which would put them in a solid position to move on if they can just win one of their final two games. Standing in their way tonight is the Miami Heat who are 1-1 in group play and need a win to likely have any chance of moving on. 

The Rockets have been cooking, going 7-3 in their last 10 games, and sit 2-0 in group play. They also have a +49 point differential in their two Emirates NBA Cup games, which is massive and exceeds everyone in the NBA. Like the Bucks, they’re in a great position to move on if they can win just one of their final two games, and would clinch West A with a win tonight. Their opponent, the Timberwolves, are 1-1 with a -14 point differential. To have any chance of moving on, not only do they need to win tonight, but they likely need to do so in a somewhat convincing fashion to close that point differential gap, as a key tiebreaker. 

The Suns are expected to get Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal back tonight against the Lakers. The Suns went 1-5 without Durant while he tended to a calf injury and were looking like one of the best teams in the West with an 8-2 record before he went down. Their return comes just in time for a pivotal game against the Lakers who are 2-0 in group play. A win here for Phoenix would catapult them to the top of the West B standings with a 2-1 record, while a loss would all but eliminate them. A victory for the Lakers would keep them in the driver’s seat and atop the group standings.