January's Top Performers
Highlighting some of the NBA's top performers in the month of January.
Here are some quick hitters on the NBA’s top performers in the month of January. Please note that all references to a “month” mean a calendar month, all per-game factoids are based on a minimum of 10 games played, and all shooting-percentage factoids are based on a minimum of 10 games played with a pro-rated number of makes that would qualify for league leadership using the current guidelines.
The leaders in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, double-doubles, and triple-doubles were:
PTS — Anthony Edwards, 485
REB — Domantas Sabonis, 233
AST — Nikola Jokic, 159
STL — Dyson Daniels, 42
BLK — Victor Wembanyama, 49
DD2 — Giannis Antetokounmpo, 15
TD3 — Nikola Jokic, 8
The leaders in PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, and BPG were:
PPG — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 35.6
RPG — Domantas Sabonis, 16.6
APG — Nikola Jokic, 11.4
SPG — Dyson Daniels, 3.0
BPG — Victor Wembanyama, 4.1
The leaders in field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, and free throw percentage were:
FG% — Walker Kessler, 73.8%
3P% — Domantas Sabonis, 60.0%
FT% — Amir Coffey, 100%
Three different players recorded a 50-point game: the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (54 on Jan. 22 and 52 on Jan. 29), the New Orleans Pelicans’ CJ McCollum (50 on Jan. 3), and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (53 on Jan. 4).
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 or more points three times and 30 or more points 10 times, leading all players in both categories.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the first player in NBA history to average at least 35 PPG in a month while shooting 50% from the field and 95% from the free throw line.
The Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis averaged 21.1 PPG, 16.6 RPG, and 7.6 APG. He’s the first player to average at least 20 PPG, 15 RPG, and 5 APG in a month since Charles Barkley in March 1987. In fact, he and Barkley are the only players since the ABA-NBA merger to achieve this feat.
Sabonis shot 64.4% from the field, 60.0% from 3-point range, and 73.7% from the free throw line, a true shooting percentage of 71.9%. He’s the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 PPG and 15 RPG with a true shooting percentage of 70% in a month.
Sabonis’ rebounding average of 16.6 per game is the highest such figure by a Sacramento Kings player since Jerry Lucas in February 1969 (when the franchise was know as the Cincinnati Royals). Leaguewide, the last player to post a rate that high was Andre Drummond in November 2019.
The Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic averaged a triple-double, producing figures of 27.0 PPG, 12.8 RPG, and 11.4 APG with 58.5/44.0/85.7 shooting splits. His eight triple-doubles matched his career high for a month, achieved twice previously (January 2023 and February 2023).
Jokic had 11 games in which he dished out at least 10 assists. The only other center in NBA history to record 11 such games in a month is Wilt Chamberlain in March 1968.
Jokic produced eight 20-point, 10-assist games in which he shot at least 60% from the field, the most such games in a month in NBA history.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo had 13 games in which he recorded at least 25 points and 10 rebounds with 50% shooting from the field. That’s the most such games in a month since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in February 1972.
Antetokounmpo averaged 30.5 PPG, 13.2 RPG, and 5.7 APG while shooting 60.0% from the floor. It’s the sixth time he’s posted figures of 30 PPG, 10 RPG, and 5 APG with a field goal percentage of 60% in a month. The only other player in NBA history to produce even one such month is Abdul-Jabbar in January 1971.
The San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama made 37 threes and blocked 49 shots in 12 games. It’s the third straight month in which he’s averaged at least 3 per game in each category, a feat no other player in NBA history has accomplished even once.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James averaged 24.6 PPG, the highest such single-month figure in NBA history by a player age 40 years or older. The previous record of 20.6 PPG was set by Michael Jordan in March 2003.
The LA Clippers’ Amir Coffey went a perfect 33-33 from the free throw line. The last player to make at least 33 free throws in a month without a miss was JJ Redick in March 2015 (36-36).
Edwards set three Minnesota Timberwolves single-month records: most 3-pointers made (69), most 3-pointers attempted (157), and most 30-point games (nine).
Edwards averaged 30.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 5.8 APG, becoming the first player in franchise history to average at least 30 PPG, 5 RPG, and 5 APG in a month.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey and the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro both set franchise records for most 3-pointers attempted in a month with 157 and 149, respectively.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane averaged 20.9 PPG, shooting 54.3% from the field, 43.5% from 3-point range, and 90.3% from the free throw line. He’s the first player in franchise history to average at least 20 PPG with 50/40/90 shooting splits in a month.
Gilgeous-Alexander is just the third player in Oklahoma City Thunder history to average at least 35 PPG in a month, joining Kevin Durant (January 2014) and Paul George (February 2019).
The Indiana Pacers posted the month’s best record, going 10-2 (.833) with an average scoring differential of plus-10.3 points per game.
On the flip side, the Washington Wizards recorded the month’s worst record, going 1-16 (.059) with an average scoring differential of minus-17.4 points per game.
The Wizards lost 13 games by double digits, matching the NBA record for most such losses in a month. They tied the LA Clippers (March 1987), the Dallas Mavericks (December 1992 and January 1993), and themselves (November 2024).
The Wizards lost eight games by 20 or more points. The only team in NBA history with more such losses in a month is the Charlotte Bobcats with nine in April 2012.
The New York Knicks set a franchise single-month record with three 140-point games. The previous mark of two such games was set in December 1965 and tied in December 1967.
Two teams set franchise records for most 3-pointers made per game in a month: the San Antonio Spurs (15.3) and the Philadelphia 76ers (14.1).
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