PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 26, 2024--
According to preliminary insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse™, U.S. retail sales excluding automotive increased 3.8% year-over-year from November 1 through December 24. Mastercard SpendingPulse measures in-store and online retail sales, representing all payment types and is not adjusted for inflation.
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“The holiday shopping season revealed a consumer who is willing and able to spend but driven by a search for value as can be seen by concentrated e-commerce spending during the biggest promotional periods,” said Michelle Meyer, chief economist, Mastercard Economics Institute. “Solid spending during this holiday season underscores the strength we observed from the consumer all year, supported by the healthy labor market and household wealth gains.”
Key retail trends for the full holiday season included:
“This holiday season, we saw consumers motivated by deals and retailers respond with promotions to meet the demand,” said Steve Sadove, senior advisor for Mastercard and former CEO and chairman of Saks Incorporated. “The value-minded consumer showed up to shop at brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms, with retailers managing across both to capture attention throughout the season.”
*Excluding automotive
About Mastercard SpendingPulse
Mastercard SpendingPulse measures national retail sales based on aggregated and anonymized Mastercard insights, representing all payment types in select markets around the world.
Mastercard SpendingPulse defines “U.S. retail sales” as sales at retailers and food services merchants of all sizes. Sales activity within the services sector (for example, travel services such as airlines and lodging) are not included in the total retail sales figure. SpendingPulse insights are not indicative of Mastercard company performance; insights and forecast are subject to change.
Mastercard SpendingPulse U.S. Holiday Retail Sales November 1 - December 24, 2024 vs. 2023. (Graphic: Business Wire)
DENVER (AP) — A sick Jamal Murray may have been questionable for Game 6, but in his mind there was nothing ambiguous about his playing status.
“Absolutely not,” Murray said when asked if there was any chance he'd have sat out the game.
Murray scored 25 points and powered the Denver Nuggets past the Thunder 119-107 Thursday night, sending the series back to Oklahoma City for a decisive Game 7.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had no doubt.
“Yeah, I knew he was going to play, obviously in a do-or-die situation for them,” SGA said. “And they came out with a sense of urgency and jumped on us right away.”
After being sick for 24 hours, Murray ignited the Nuggets with a four-point play to start things off and sank a step-back 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter that pushed Denver's lead into double digits.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and Christian Braun scored a career playoff-best 23 points. But it was second-year reserve guard Julian Strawther who ignited the Nuggets' runaway, scoring a career playoff-high 15 points, all in the second half.
“Julian played huge for us, made real big shots," Aaron Gordon said. “I don't think that's something that they game-planned for.”
Strawther had a pair of 3s and a layup during the decisive 10-0 third-quarter spurt and he kept making big plays at both ends in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets finally had a laugher in this exhaustive, physical series.
Case in point: Strawther lost a crown in the fourth quarter. A ballboy retrieved the artificial tooth from the circle when the action went to the other end.
Gordon grabbed at his left hamstring late in the game and hobbled through the final few minutes, but he insisted he'd be fine for Game 7, which is Sunday, with the Minnesota Timberwolves awaiting the winner after dispatching Golden State in five games.
If he's good to go, that would be a huge relief for Denver interim coach David Adelman, who called Gordon “the reason why we've won games and won series and have a banner hanging up.”
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 32 points, but he didn’t get enough help from his teammates to clinch Oklahoma City's first trip to the Western Conference Finals since 2016. All-Star Jalen Williams scored six points on 3-of-16 shooting.
The Nuggets, who won the title two years ago, finally get two days off after a grueling past few weeks. They have played every other day since April 29.
“The guys in there looked like they were happier to have tomorrow off than they were about going to a Game 7,” Adelman said.
The Thunder have only lost back-to-back games twice this season, once in November and once in early April. However, this will be the current iteration's first win-or-go-home game.
“First of all, credit Denver — they threw a punch tonight as has happened in the series, both teams are exchanging blows," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “They got theirs in tonight, and both teams have done a great job of standing back up, including us, and we need to do that on Sunday.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
From left, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, center Isaiah Hartenstein, guard Cason Wallace, forward Jaylin Williams and guard Aaron Wiggins look on from the bench as time runs out in the second half of Game 6 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Denver Nuggets Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther reacts after hitting a 3-point basket late in the second half of Game 6 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic collects a loose ball in the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, front, drives the lane as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defends in the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, front left, drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder guards Alex Caruso, back left, and Luguentz Dort defend in the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
