Miami (United States), 27 December 2025 – I Miami Heatafter three defeats (there were eight knockouts in the last nine matches before tonight’s double-header), they savored the taste of victory again. The Florida franchise in fact, Atlanta won by beating the Hawks 126-115. Orphan of Bam Adebayo (knocked out by a back problem) and with a Simone Fontecchio remained on the bench for the entire 48 minutesMiami remained in the lead for large stretches of the match, closing the score with a 9-0 which, at the start of the fourth quarter, brought the maximum advantage up to +17. Standing out among the Heat were Norman Powell (25 points), Pelle Larsson (21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists), Andrew Wiggins (18 points) and Kel’el Ware (16 points and 13 rebounds). The biggest surprise in the East, however, was the fall of the top-of-the-class Detroit Pistons, defeated 131-129 on the pitch of the Utah Jazz: what condemned the Michigan franchise to the knockout was Keyonte George’s “floater” with 2.2″ to go. The Baylor product finished with a final haul of 31 points and was well supported by Lauri Markkanen (30 points), Jusuf Nurkic (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Brice Sensabaugh (20 points coming off the bench), while the Pistons – who shot 52% from the field and even 49% from three – were not enough with seven men in double figures, led by Cade Cunningham who scored 29 points. Much easier fourth consecutive win for the Boston Celticswho overwhelmed the Indiana Pacers with a peremptory 140-122: the green-and-whites, driven by Jaylen Brown’s 30 points and Payton Pritchard’s 29 (with 9 rebounds), managed to straighten out a slow start (-11 at the end of the first quarter) thanks to the 47-22 score in the second 12′ of the match and then never looked back, closing with the 57% from the field and 51% from three (20/39). Opposing moods at the home of the Toronto Raptors, who suffered their third defeat in the last four games by taking a heavy 138-117 on the Washington Wizards court, driven by Keyshawn George’s 23 points (9/13 shooting for him). Instead, there is the stamp of the “usual” Devin Booker on the Phoenix Suns’ blow in New Orleans: against the Pelicans, defeated 115-108, the guard born in 1996 brought home a personal haul of 30 points, 12 of which were scored in the fourth quarter and decisive in scoring the winning shot. The continuing absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo is felt quite significantly in the game economy of the Milwaukee Bucks (only four wins in the last eighteen games), who suffered another defeat in Memphis by losing 125-104 against Jaren Jackson jr.’s Grizzlies. (24 points) and Ja Morant (17 points topped with 10 assists). Finally, there were also victories for the Los Angeles Clippers (who beat the Portland Trail Blazers 119-103, driven by James Harden’s 34 points and Brook Lopez’s 31) and that of the Charlotte Hornets at the expense of the Orlando Magic, defeated 120-105.
