Here are some quick hitters on the NBA’s top performers in the month of March. Please note that all references to a “month” mean a calendar month, and all per-game factoids are based on a minimum of 10 games played.
The leaders in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks were:
498 PTS — Joel Embiid
203 REB — Domantas Sabonis
146 AST — Spencer Dinwiddie
33 STL — Fred VanVleet
42 BLK — Brook Lopez & Walker Kessler
The leaders in PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, and BPG were:
33.5 PPG — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
12.8 RPG — Nikola Jokic
11.5 APG — James Harden
2.4 SPG — Fred VanVleet
3.2 BPG — Walker Kessler
Domantas Sabonis compiled 327 points, 203 rebounds, and 130 assists. He became just the fourth player since the ABA-NBA merger to record at least 300 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists in a month:
Grant Hill (March 1996)
Russell Westbrook (April 2021)
Nikola Jokic (January 2022)
Domantas Sabonis (March 2023)
Nikola Jokic and Sabonis tied for the monthly lead with five triple-doubles apiece. Jokic has recorded at least five triple-doubles in each of his last fourth months. He’s just the third player in NBA history to record at least four such months in a row, joining Russell Westbrook (three times) and Oscar Robertson.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid recorded 12 games in which he scored at least 25 points on 50% shooting from the field, tying Wilt Chamberlain’s franchise mark for most such games in a month.
Embiid produced seven games in which he made at least 10 field goals and 10 free throws, tying Allen Iverson (November 2005) for the most such games in a month in franchise history.
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 6.8 APG with a field goal percentage of 60.2%. The last player to average at least 30 PPG, 10 RPG, and 5 APG while shooting 60% from the field in a month was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in January 1971.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey made 60 3-pointers, setting a new franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a month. Maxey easily eclipsed the previous mark of 50 3-pointers made established by Kyle Korver in January 2005.
Maxey averaged 22.7 PPG with shooting percentages of 55.3% from the field, 51.3% from 3-point range, and 93.9% from the free throw line. Maxey is just the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 20 PPG on 55/50/90 shooting splits in a month:
Larry Bird (March 1986 & March 1987)
Jeff Hornacek (February 1990)
Mark Price (December 1992)
Tyrese Maxey (March 2023)
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler averaged 13.8 PPG and 10.0 RPG with a field goal percentage of 75.7%. He’s the first rookie in NBA history to average a double-double while shooting at least 75% from the field in a month.
Kessler also averaged 3.2 BPG, the second straight month he’s averaged a double-double with a least 3.0 BPG. The last rookies to achieve this feat in consecutive months were Shaquille O’Neal (November 1992–February 1993) and Alonzo Mourning (January–February 1993).
The New Orleans Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III made 60 3-pointers, setting a new franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a month. Murphy III eclipsed the previous mark of 57 3-pointers made established by Baron Davis in November 2003.
The Sacramento Kings scored at least 120 points 12 times. The last team to record 12 such games in a month was the Los Angeles Lakers in March 1985.
The Milwaukee Bucks scored at least 130 points seven times. The last team to record at least seven such games in a month was the Denver Nuggets in November 1988 with nine.
The Indiana Pacers allowed at least 140 points four times. The last team to record at least four such games in a month was the Denver Nuggets in December 1990 with six.