NBA News Today: Kyrie Irving wins it at the buzzer for the Nets; Anthony Davis suffers foot injury, and more
Kyrie Irving is one of the most clutch player in the NBA but has never hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating shot. That changed on Friday when his 3-point shot propelled the Brooklyn Nets to a win over the Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis suffered a foot injury in the LA Lakers' win against the Denver Nuggets. Davis, who has been relatively healthy this season, was ruled out for the second half of the game.
On that note, here's the latest NBA news today (December 17) brought to you by Sportskeeda:
Heat list every player on injury report after getting fined by NBA
The NBA fined the Miami Heat $25,000 for failing to disclose the proper availability of their injured players, per ESPN. The Heat were unable to update their injury report before their game against the OKC Thunder on December 14.
For their upcoming game against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in Mexico City, the Heat listed all of their players on the injury report. Three players are listed as out; six are questionable, and the remaining players are probable.
The Heat listed 12 players on their injury report for Thursday's game against the Houston Rockets. Just like last season, Miami have struggled with injuries, and it's affecting their results on the court.
Also Read: Top 5 Kyrie Irving game winners that prove he is Mr. Clutch featuring his insane shot in 2016 NBA Finals
Kyrie Irving wins it at the buzzer for the Nets
Kyrie Irving finally has a buzzer-beating game winner in his career. Irving beat the buzzer, as well as the Toronto Raptors, on Friday night with a 3-point shot. The 119-116 win was the Brooklyn Nets' fifth win on the trot.
With 3.7 seconds left in the game, Irving received an inbound pass from Ben Simmons. He made a quick move to get rid of Fred VanVleet before stepping back and hitting the winner.
Irving ended the game with 32 points, three rebounds and five assists, while Kevin Durant had 28 points, four rebounds and three assists. VanVleet had 39 points, five rebounds and four assists for the short-handed Raptors.
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Celtics lose to Magic in Robert Williams III's return
Robert Williams III played his first game of the 2022-23 NBA season on Friday night against the Orlando Magic. He had undergone knee surgery in the offseason and was initially ruled out for eight weeks.
"Time Lord" ended the game with nine points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. Jayson Tatum had 31 points, seven rebounds and three assists to lead the Celtics. Jaylen Brown added 26 points, while Malcolm Brogdon had 15 points off the bench.
However, the Magic played spoilers and beat the Celtics for their fifth straight time. Moritz had 25 points and eight rebounds, while rookie forward Paolo Banchero added 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Also Read: "Kyrie the f***ing goat man let's go," "Curry can't do this" - NBA fans go wild as Kyrie Irving hits ridiculous buzzer-beating for Brooklyn Nets
Anthony Davis suffers foot injury in Lakers win
Anthony Davis is having a resurgent season for the LA Lakers. Davis has also been relatively healthy this season, but that changed on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets. He hurt his foot after colliding with Nikola Jokic in the first quarter.
Davis was able to shake off the injury initially but was ruled out of the second half. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that Davis is expected to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. He missed 42 games last season due to multiple injuries.
Meanwhile, despite not having their best players on Friday, the Lakers earned a convincing 126-108 win over the Nuggets. LeBron James had 30 points and nine rebounds, while Davis scored 10 points before his injury.
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Complete NBA scores for December 16
There were 10 games on the NBA schedule on Friday night. The day was headlined by the LA Lakers' dominating win over the Denver Nuggets. The Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks earned blowout victories.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets narrowly won their contests too. The Orlando Magic pulled off an upset, while the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers emerged victorious.
Here are the complete results for December 16:
- Atlanta Hawks def. Charlotte Hornets 125-106
- Sacramento Kings def. Detroit Pistons 122-113
- Brooklyn Nets def. Toronto Raptors 119-116
- Philadelphia 76ers def. 118-106
- Cleveland Cavaliers def. Indiana Pacers 118-112
- Orlando Magic def. Boston Celtics 117-109
- Minnesota Timberwolves def. OKC Thunder 112-110
- New York Knics def. Chicago Bulls 114-91
- Dallas Mavericks def. Portland Trail Blazers 130-110
- LA Lakers def. Denver Nuggets 126-108
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