December 13 – Payton Pritchard led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 123-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons, coming off the bench to score a game-high 27 points and record 10 assists. Pritchard was efficient, shooting 10 of 20 from the field, including 7 of 15 from beyond the arc. The Celtics also received 23 points from Derrick White and 19 from Kristaps Porzingis, extending their winning streak against the Pistons to 12 consecutive games.
The Pistons, despite a career-high 26 points from rookie Ronald Holland II, struggled offensively, particularly from three-point range, shooting just 7 of 37 (18.9%). Cade Cunningham contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in the loss.
In other NBA action, the Sacramento Kings edged the New Orleans Pelicans 111-109, with Domantas Sabonis posting a monster 32-point, 20-rebound performance. DeMar DeRozan added 29 points for the Kings, including 16 in a dominant third quarter where they outscored the Pelicans 38-28. CJ McCollum led New Orleans with 36 points.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat secured a 114-104 win over the Toronto Raptors. Bam Adebayo starred with 21 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, while Tyler Herro added 23 points to help Miami win their season-best fourth straight game. Toronto’s RJ Barrett notched a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, but his poor shooting (5 of 18) hurt the Raptors’ chances. Gradey Dick led Toronto with 22 points.
