{"id":303943,"date":"2025-11-23T17:54:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T17:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/303943\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T17:54:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T17:54:14","slug":"starting-5-12-in-a-row-pistons-extend-streak-harden-drops-55-jokic-russ-duel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/303943\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: 12 In A Row! Pistons Extend Streak, Harden Drops 55, Joki\u0107 & Russ Duel"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Motorcade in control. Detroit on a roll.<\/p>\n

Make that 12 straight wins for the Pistons.<\/p>\n

\"Cade<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n

Nov. 23, 2025<\/p>\n

Historic Heat: A Cade clinic extends Pistons streak, the Beard breaks Clips\u2019 scoring record<\/p>\n

West Wins: Russ & Kings overcome Joki\u0107\u2019s 44, Grizzlies hold off Klay & Mavs<\/p>\n

East Flex: Franz fuels Magic past Knicks, Porzi\u0146\u0123is powers Hawks, Giddey triple-doubles<\/p>\n

Surging Sunday Squads: The Raptors, Thunder, Lakers, Suns and Spurs all look to stay hot<\/p>\n

More On League Pass: Miami\u2019s potent offense faces Philly and a sizzling Tyrese Maxey<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

A full day of hoops\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Eight games tip off today on League Pass, beginning with the Heat visiting the Sixers (1 ET<\/a> | Tap to Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Exclusive Weekend Streaming Access: Today marks the end of NBA ID Member Days<\/a>, where fans in the U.S. with NBA IDs can stream League Pass on us. Not an NBA ID member yet? Tap here to join now<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NBA 2K League Is Here: The world\u2019s top pros, creators, and fans battle it out in 2K like never before, with insane challenges, surprise guests and a reckless commissioner. Through Next Fan Up, fans can play alongside NBA players, win tickets, and more. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. HISTORIC HEAT: DETROIT EXTENDS STREAK, HARDEN GOES OFF<\/p>\n

\"Cade<\/p>\n

The last time a Pistons team got hot enough to win 12 in a row, they ended up raising a championship banner.<\/p>\n

Pistons 129, Bucks 116: Cade Cunningham (29 pts, 8 reb, 10 ast<\/a>) nearly had a triple-double as Detroit\u2019s 12th straight win matches its longest streak since its championship year of 2003-04, and ends a 13-game skid against the Bucks. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Luka, Ice & Cade: Cunningham joins Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Trae Young as the only players since 2000 with 6+ consecutive regular season games with 25+ points and 10+ assists
\nEven Better: The NBA\u2019s hottest team got healthier with the returns of Jaden Ivey \u2013 who scored 10 in his first game back since Jan. 1 \u2013 and Tobias Harris (18 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast)
\n\u201dWe\u2019re an elite team when we can get out in transition,\u201d said head coach J.B. Bickerstaff of his team\u2019s 10 steals and 15 forced turnovers for 30 points
\nBuck Up: Ryan Rollins (24 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast) has led Milwaukee in scoring in each game Giannis has missed, averaging 28.0 ppg in those outings<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

David Jensen\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Clippers and Hornets got Saturday started with a 1 ET tip in Charlotte.<\/p>\n

And before 11 a.m. LA-time, James Harden had already tied his career-high and the Clippers\u2019 franchise record for 1st-quarter points, with 27.<\/p>\n

Clippers 131, Hornets 116: The Beard finished with more points than any Clipper in history, netting a season-high 55<\/a>, with 10 3s to match his career-high. LA never trailed after Harden\u2019s hot 1st quarter, overpowering Charlotte and Kon Knueppel\u2019s career-high six 3s for 26 points. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Franchise Man: Harden is now the only player to hold the single-game scoring record for multiple franchises, pairing this with his Rockets-best 61 points in 2019 (March 22 & Jan. 23)
\n50+ Club: Harden joins Steph, LeBron and Kobe as the only players with a 55+ point game at age 36 or older. His 25th 50+ point game ties Kobe for 3rd-most ever<\/p>\n

2. WEST WINS: RUSS & KINGS OVERPOWER JOKI\u0106, GRIZZ EDGE MAVS
\n\"Nikola<\/p>\n

Garrett Ellwood\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Russell Westbrook and Nikola Joki\u0107 typically go back and forth against each other in the triple-double record books.<\/p>\n

Saturday night, they went back and forth in the clutch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kings 128, Nuggets 123: Dennis Schr\u00f6der (21 pts, 7 ast) sparked a 13-point comeback and Russell Westbrook (21 pts, 6 reb, 11 ast) closed out the road win, as Sacramento survived Nikola Joki\u0107\u2019s 20-point 4th quarter and 44-point effort. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Joker\u2019s Push: Joki\u0107 (13 reb, 7 ast) scored Denver\u2019s final 15 points over the last 5 minutes of the game
\nRoyal Response: But Westbrook scored 15 of his own in the 4th, capped by a clutch fadeaway with 36 seconds left, before DeMar DeRozan (17 pts) iced the game with an and-1 middy
\nCount On Cam: Stepping up for Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Cameron Johnson had his best scoring night as a Nugget (20 pts)
\nLight The Beam: With six scorers in double figures, the Kings snap an 8-game losing streak and now have marquee wins over the Nuggets, Warriors and Bucks<\/p>\n

\"Santi<\/p>\n

Glenn James\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Grizzlies 102, Mavericks 96: Santi Aldama\u2019s final bucket in a team-leading 20-point effort put Memphis up for good in the final minute as the Grizzlies won consecutive games for the first time this season. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Klay\u2019s Day: Klay Thompson splashed a season-high 22 points off the bench to lead Dallas, matching his season-best 6 triples
\nYouth Ranks: Coming off a career night, Cooper Flagg (12 pts, 7 reb) outscored Cedric Coward (9 pts) in a battle of top rookies. 2024 top-10 pick Zach Edey (12 pts, 15 reb) got his first double-double in four games this season<\/p>\n

3. EAST FLEX: FRANZ FUELS MAGIC, HAWKS & BULLS DUB
\n\"Franz<\/p>\n

Fernando Medina\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Welcoming in New York\u2019s 3rd-ranked offense on Saturday, Orlando and its standout defense chose to fight fire with fire.<\/p>\n

Magic 133, Knicks 121: Franz Wagner (37 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast), Desmond Bane (27 pts, 5 ast) and Jalen Suggs (26 pts) all scored season-highs in the Magic\u2019s highest scoring game this year, earning their eighth win in their last 11 outings. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Triple Threat: Wagner, Bane and Suggs are the first Magic trio to score 25+ points in the same game since 2019
\nStat-urday: Wagner was 1 point shy of matching his career high, while setting season-bests with 7 assists and 4 triples
\nBrunson\u2019s Best: Jalen Brunson\u2019s (33 pts, 11 ast) 15th career 30+ point double-double wasn\u2019t enough to keep New York from falling to 1-5 on the road<\/p>\n

\"Josh<\/p>\n

Jeff Haynes + Layne Murdoch Jr.\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Hawks 115, Pelicans 98: In his highest-scoring game as a Hawk, Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is led all scorers with 30 points, and Jalen Johnson (18 pts, 11 reb, 9 ast) narrowly missed a triple-double as Atlanta topped New Orleans. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Rolling Rookie: Derik Queen led NOLA (20 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast) joined Zion Williamson as the only Pelicans rookies to collect three straight 20+ point, 5+ rebound games<\/p>\n

Bulls 121, Wizards 120: Josh Giddey (18 pts, 12 reb, 11 ast) recorded his fourth triple-double of the season, and Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 added a game-high 28 points and 12 rebounds as the Bulls came back from 16 down to hold on late. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Comeback Coby: Coby White (20 pts, 6 ast) has scored 20+ points in all 3 of his games this season
\nWonderful Wiz: Cam Whitmore and Corey Kispert led Washington with 20 points apiece, while Kyshawn George stuffed the stat sheet (17 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast, 4 stl)<\/p>\n

4. STREAKING SQUADS HEADLINE SUNDAY\u2019S LEAGUE PASS SLATE
\n\"Brandon<\/p>\n

Vaughn Ridley + Melissa Majchrzak\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a new day\u00a0in Toronto. And early in the season, they\u2019ve sent that message.<\/p>\n

The Raptors won 30 games in 2024-25, but as December nears, they already boast more than a third of that total (11-5 record). And right now, the wins just keep on piling up.<\/p>\n

Tonight (6 ET, League Pass), the 2nd-place Raptors will look to extend their six-game win streak and earn their 11th win in 12 games as they face the Nets.<\/p>\n

Move It: Toronto ranks 2nd in both fastbreak ppg (21.2) and NetRtg (+13.7) during its last six games, while also boasting a 31.1 Opp 3P%
\nTight Trio: Brandon Ingram (21.1 ppg), RJ Barrett (19.6) and Scottie Barnes (19.4) all clicked on Friday, each scoring 20+ points together for the first time in 2025-26<\/p>\n

Later this evening (7 ET, League Pass), OKC puts its league-best record to the test. But opposing the defending champs is the only team that has solved them this season \u2013 the Blazers.<\/p>\n

Hopes For History: With a win, the Thunder can join the 2024-25 Cavaliers, 2015-16 Warriors, 2002-03 Mavs and 1996-97 Bulls as the only squads in the last 30 years to start a season 17-1
\nLooking Back: After their singular loss on Nov. 5, OKC has stifled opponents on the regular, owning a league-best 100.0 DefRtg
\nShai Shine: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led the way offensively, averaging 31.9 ppg, including four 30-pieces in his last five outings<\/p>\n

\"Luka<\/p>\n

Adam Pantozzi + Barry Gossage\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Lake Show rolls on. LeBron James is back in the fold, and the Lakers pay a visit to the Jazz tonight (8 ET, League Pass), hunting their fourth straight victory.<\/p>\n

Follow-Up? Making his long-anticipated debut Tuesday in his 23rd season, James put up 12 assists and 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting
\nDeadly As Don\u010di\u0107: While the 21-time All-Star was out, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 steered the ship offensively, and leads the NBA with 34.6 ppg and four 40-point games
\nLegendary Lore: His latest 40-piece on Nov. 15 was the 50th of his career, becoming the 4th player in NBA history to reach the mark at 26 or younger, joining Wilt Chamberlain (182), Michael Jordan (89) and Bob McAdoo (55)<\/p>\n

Rounding out the group of streaking squads are the Suns and Spurs, hitting the hardwood in the Valley (8 ET, League Pass). Phoenix can secure an eighth win in its last nine.<\/p>\n

Spread The Wealth: Dating back to Nov. 6, six different Suns are averaging double-digit scoring, led by Devin Booker (23.1 ppg)
\nSpurs Stepping Up: San Antonio has won three in a row without Victor Wembanyama (calf), as De\u2019Aaron Fox has produced a steady 26 ppg since Nov. 14<\/p>\n

5. MORE ON LEAGUE PASS: ELITE OFFENSES CLASH
\n\"Tyrese<\/p>\n

Emilee Chinn + Megan Briggs\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

To open Sunday\u2019s slate on League Pass, two of the league\u2019s most explosive offenses go head-to-head as Miami visits Philly (1 ET), with both squads coming off monster outings.<\/p>\n

The Heat \u2013 powered by the league\u2019s fastest attack \u2013 are fresh off a 143-107 NBA Cup win over the Bulls, boasting a league-best 124.8 ppg.<\/p>\n

The Sixers \u2013 fueled by one of the game\u2019s fastest guards \u2013 are coming off a 123-114 OT win over the Bucks on Thursday, which saw Tyrese Maxey erupt for a career-high 54 points.<\/p>\n

To The Max: The outburst highlights a historic start for Maxey, as he\u2019s just the fourth ever player to tally 500+ pts and 100+ ast in his first 15 games of a season, joining Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (2022-23), James Harden (2019-20) and Allen Iverson (2005-06).<\/p>\n

And like Iverson, Maxey carves up defenses with special shiftiness and shotmaking.<\/p>\n

\"Tyrese<\/p>\n

Maxey shakes free for the dribble handoff and, with one crossover, explodes into the lane. At full speed, he glides past the charge attempt with a smooth Euro for the and-1.<\/p>\n

Maxey\u2019s 33.4 ppg trails only Luka for the most in the NBA. Nearly one-third of those points come off drives, blowing past defenders for a career-best 11.0 ppg.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a unique double-threat,\u201d said Sixers coach Nick Nurse on Thursday. \u201cWhich is the speed, getting past people, and then the really deep shooting range \u2026 He\u2019s just really talented \u2013 and his confidence continues to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

That confidence has carried into his jumper, specifically from deep, as Maxey\u2019s shooting 42.1% from 3, up from 33.7% last year.<\/p>\n

His go-to? Using speed \u2013 and elite brakes \u2013 to create separation, leading to 10.5 ppg off pull-ups and a career-high 4.1 triples per game.<\/p>\n

\"Tyrese<\/p>\n

Maxey sells the drive with a sudden first step. Once Bobby Portis bites, he steps back on a dime for a deep 3.<\/p>\n

High-Speed Heat: While Philly leans on Maxey\u2019s burst, Miami attacks with top-to-bottom tempo. No team plays faster than the Heat, who lead the league in pace and rank sixth in total passes.<\/p>\n

That pace creates easy transition buckets, where Miami\u2019s pouring in 32.6 ppg \u2013 the second-most in the NBA.<\/p>\n

\"Heat\"<\/p>\n

In just two seconds (and two dribbles), the Heat go 94 feet to create a 2-on-1, ending in a Bam Adebayo lob \u2013 adding to their NBA-best 30.6 assists per game.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just pace and passing \u2014 it\u2019s balance and poise. Despite Miami\u2019s constant motion, it\u2019s averaging the 9th-fewest turnovers in the NBA, leading to the second-best assist\/turnover ratio in the league.<\/p>\n

And when a team plays that clean, everyone eats. While boasting the league\u2019s top offense, the Heat are the only squad with eight players averaging 10+ ppg (min. 10 GP).<\/p>\n

\"Heat\"<\/p>\n

Even in the half-court, Miami can spin it. Five passes around the arc gives everyone a touch, capped by a 3 from Bam (19.7 ppg).<\/p>\n

Three more games tip off today on League Pass, including a James Harden encore as the Clippers visit the Cavs (6 ET).<\/p>\n

Magic at Celtics (6 ET)
\nHornets at Hawks (6 ET)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Motorcade in control. Detroit on a roll. Make that 12 straight wins for the Pistons. 5 STORIES IN…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":303944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[4891,64,63,173488,590,124174,173487,85],"class_list":["post-303943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-4891","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-james-harden-scores-55","tag-nba","tag-nba-starting-5-newsletter","tag-november-23","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}