Three Stars
The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.
First ⭐️
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 42 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 136-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14-26 from the field (5-9 on 3-pointers) and 9-11 from the free throw line. He added a game-high six assists, six rebounds, and one block, committing just one turnover in 37 minutes of action.
Second ⭐️
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his third straight triple-double, scoring a team-high 23 points to go with game highs of 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Antetokounmpo went 9-15 from the floor, but made just four of his 11 free throw attempts. He also recorded one steal and one block, and was not charged with either a turnover or a personal foul in 38 minutes played.
Third ⭐️
Ivica Zubac scored 24 points and hauled in a game-high 20 rebounds as the LA Clippers picked up their fifth straight win with a 122-117 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Zubac was efficient from the field, sinking 11 of his 17 attempts. He also dished out five assists and swiped one steal in 39 minutes of court time.
Milestones
Antetokounmpo produced his 10th triple-double of the season, tying the Milwaukee Bucks’ single-season record he set last season. His 55 career triple-doubles are just one fewer than the combined total of all other players in franchise history.
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (25 points) broke the franchise record for most points scored in a season with 2,081, surpassing Karl-Anthony Towns’ 2,061 points in 2016-17.
The Lakers’ LeBron James appeared in his 1,560th career regular season game, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second place on the NBA’s all-time list. The league record of 1,611 games played is held by Robert Parish.
The Oklahoma City Thunder notched their 51st double-digit victory of the season, breaking a tie with the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the most such wins in a single season in NBA history.
The Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 63-16 with a 135-113 blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history. They also achieved the feat in the 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2015-16 seasons.
The Memphis Grizzlies set a franchise record for most points scored in a season in a 124-100 rout of the Charlotte Hornets. Memphis has tallied 9,614 points this season, surpassing the 9,587 they scored in the 2023-24 campaign.
The Grizzlies (18-55 on threes) also set a franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a game. They had launched 54 shots from beyond the arc on three previous occasions, most recently Jan. 15, 2024.
The Chicago Bulls (26 assists) broke the franchise single-season record for assists with 2,289, eclipsing the previous mark of 2,279 dimes set in 1991-92.
Streaking
Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 72 games, tying Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant for the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history.
As noted above, Antetokounmpo recorded his third straight triple-double, matching the longest such streak in Milwaukee Bucks history. He also produced three consecutive triple-doubles March 11-15, 2021.
Antetokounmpo has scored at least 20 points with 60% shooting from the field in nine straight games, tying Kevin McHale for the second-longest such streak in NBA history. The record of 10 such games in a row is held by Wilt Chamberlain.
Jayson Tatum (32 points) scored at least 15 points for the 110th consecutive game in the Boston Celtics’ 119-117 overtime win over the New York Knicks. It’s the longest such streak in franchise history (by 13 games) and the 17th-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels (one steal) extended his streak of games with at least one steal to 50 in a 119-112 loss to the Orlando Magic. It’s the longest such streak in franchise history (steals have been tracked since the 1973-74 season).
The Magic’s Paolo Banchero (33 points) has produced 20 straight 20-point games, the longest such streak of his career by 12 games. He’s averaging 30.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 4.6 APG over that span.
Banchero and teammate Franz Wagner (22 points) have each scored at least 20 points in the last 11 games they’ve played together, the longest such streak in Orlando Magic history and the seventh-longest such streak since the ABA-NBA merger.
The Grizzlies’ Ja Morant (28 points) has recorded 15 consecutive 20-point games, the third-longest such streak in franchise history. The two longest such streaks by a Grizzly also belong to Morant (22 and 19 games).
Zubac has recorded at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of his last 12 games, the longest such streak by an LA Clipper since Blake Griffin in the 2010-11 season (27 games). Over that stretch, Zubac is averaging 19.0 PPG and 13.6 RPG with a field goal percentage of 62.3%.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Indiana Pacers (five), LA Clippers (five), and Milwaukee Bucks (five).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Phoenix Suns (seven).
The Bulls have scored at least 110 points in each of their last 25 games, tying the 1965-66 Baltimore Bullets and the 2020-21 Utah Jazz for the 10th-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Cavaliers (25-50 on threes) have made 10 or more 3-pointers in 84 straight regular season games. It’s the third-longest such streak in NBA history, trailing only a 97-game run by the Houston Rockets and an 87-game run by the Utah Jazz.
The Cavaliers have recorded 41 consecutive 100-point games, matching the longest such streak in franchise history (April 7, 2024 to Jan. 9, 2025). They are averaging 122.4 PPG over that stretch.
Miscellany
Gilgeous-Alexander led the nightly scoring brigade, pouring in 42 points. He was followed by the Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis (season-high-tying 34), the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (34), Banchero (33), Tatum (32), and the Hawks’ Onyeka Okongwu (career-high 30).
Zubac was the chairman of the boards, snagging 20 rebounds last night. The Grizzlies’ Zach Edey ranked second with 19 boards, while the Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein placed third with 15.
The Clippers’ James Harden was the night’s top playmaker, handing out 12 assists. Five more players recorded double-digit dimes, each with exactly 10: Antetokounmpo, the Brooklyn Nets’ Reece Beekman (career high), the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, the New Orleans Pelicans’ Elfrid Payton, and the Hawks’ Trae Young.
Zubac is the first LA Clipper to record at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists in a game since Elton Brand on Dec. 23, 2005. Zubac has four 20-point, 20-rebound gams this season, one shy of Nikola Jokic’s league-leading total.