NBA Game Notes (Dec. 1, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Dec. 1, 2024.
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 ⭐️
Victor Wembanyama compiled game-high figures of 34 points, 14, rebounds, 11 assists, and three blocks as the San Antonio Spurs edged the Sacramento Kings 127-125. Wembanyama went 11-17 from the field — including 5-9 from 3-point range — and 7-9 from the free throw line. He registered a game-high rating of plus-19 points in 37 minutes of playing time.
Second ⭐️
James Harden recorded game highs of 39 points and 11 assists (tied with Nikola Jokic) in the LA Clippers’ 126-122 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Harden shot just 10-26 from the floor (6-15 on 3-pointers), but made all 13 of his free throw attempts. He also snagged a team-high nine rebounds and posted a game-best rating of plus-14 points in 38 minutes played.
Third ⭐️
Luka Doncic produced game highs of 36 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds (tied with three others) in his return from a five-game absence, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 137-131 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Doncic shot 15-24 from the field, making four of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. He also recorded three steals in 36 minutes of action.
Cyber Monday Special: Find out why Atlanta Hawks play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun says Statitudes is “a valuable part of my daily research and it is FUN!” Subscribe using the button below and get 30% off your first 12 months.
Milestones
Harden became just the second player in NBA history to reach 3,000 career 3-pointers made, joining Stephen Curry (3,810). He attained the milestone on a step-back three with 2:29 remaining in the second quarter.
LeBron James scored 27 points and dished out a game-high 14 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly escaped with a 105-104 win over the Utah Jazz. James made the 15,000th field goal of his career in the second quarter, becoming just the second player in NBA history to reach that mark (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 15,837).
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic tallied team highs of 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists for his 138th career triple-double. That ties Magic Johnson for third place on the NBA’s all-time list, trailing only Russell Westbrook (200) and Oscar Robertson (181).
Wembanyama is just the fourth player in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double before his 21st birthday, joining Luka Doncic (10 times), LeBron James (twice), and De’Aaron Fox.
The San Antonio Spurs set a franchise single-game record by sinking 23 shots from 3-point range. The previous mark of 22 threes was established on March 14, 2023 and tied on Nov. 11, 2024.
Streaking
Wembanyama has blocked at least one shot in each of his last 56 games, breaking a tie with David Robinson for the second-longest such streak in San Antonio Spurs history. He also extended his NBA-record streak of games with multiple 3-pointers made and multiple blocks to nine.
Doncic has scored at least 15 points with one 3-pointer made in 85 consecutive games, the longest such streak in NBA history by a whopping 22 games (James Harden, 63). Ignoring the points, Doncic’s 85-game 3-point streak ranks 10th on the league’s all-time list.
Jokic has recorded 14 straight 20-point games (the third-longest such streak of his career), averaging 30.6 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 10.5 APG with 57/52/82 shooting splits over that span. He’s also produced 12 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles in those games.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 32 points in a 119-116 loss to the Houston Rockets. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 16 games, averaging 30.9 PPG with 52/37/85 shooting splits over that stretch.
Kings center Domantas Sabonis recorded his 18th consecutive double-double, scoring 25 points to go with a team-high 13 rebounds. Sabonis has posted a double-double in 82 of his last 84 regular season games, averaging 19.9 PPG, 13.9 RPG, and 8.1 APG with a field goal percentage of 60.0% over that span.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Memphis Grizzlies (six) and Orlando Magic (six).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: New Orleans Pelicans (eight).
The Memphis Grizzlies knocked off the Indiana Pacers 136-121 for their sixth straight victory, the last five by 10 or more points. That matches the longest streak of double-digit wins in franchise history (Nov. 26-Dec. 6, 2005 and March 20-28, 2022).
The Grizzlies have scored at least 120 points in each of those five double-digit wins. The only teams in NBA history to record a longer such streak are the Los Angeles Lakers (Nov. 25-Dec. 5, 1971) and the Portland Trail Blazers (Nov. 11-23, 1990), both of whom posted six such wins in a row.
The Orlando Magic recorded their sixth consecutive victory (and 12th in the last 13 games), beating the Brooklyn Nets 100-92. It’s the first time since the 2005-06 season the Magic have won 12 games in a 13-game span.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made 17 threes in their 115-111 victory over the Boston Celtics, their 26th consecutive game with 10 or more 3-pointers made. That matches the longest such streak in franchise history (Nov. 9, 2017 to Jan. 2, 2018).
The Boston Celtics also connected on 17 threes, extending their streak of games with 10 or more 3-pointers made to 44. They broke a tie with the Golden State Warriors (Dec. 28, 2022 to March 31, 2023) for the sixth-longest such streak in NBA history.
Do you have family and friends who love the NBA as much as you do? Please consider sharing this free post with them. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Miscellany
Harden was the day’s leading scorer, bagging 39 points. Also producing 30-point outings were the Houston Rockets’ Fred VanVleet (season-high 38), the Toronto Raptors’ RJ Barrett (37), Doncic (36), the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (35), Wembanyama (34), the Lakers’ Anthony Davis (33), the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (33), Gilgeous-Alexander (32), the New York Knicks’ Mikal Bridges (season-high 31), and the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro (31).
The Heat’s Bam Adebayo was the top board man, hauling in a season-high 20 rebounds yesterday. Nine more players secured at least a dozen boards: Towns (season-high-tying 19); Jokic (14); the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. (14 apiece); Wembanyama (14); the Magic’s Goga Bitadze (13); the Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein (13); Sabonis (13); and the Knicks’ Jericho Sims (season-high 13).
James was the leading playmaker yesterday, handing out 14 assists. Doncic (13), Harden (11), Jokic (11), Wembanyama (11), and the Spurs’ Chris Paul (10) also delivered double-digit dimes.
Mitchell scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, going 6-6 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. He’s just the 10th player since the 1996-97 season to score at least 20 points on 100% shooting from both the field and the free throw line in a fourth quarter, and only the seventh to do so in a win.
James went 0-9 from long range, matching his most 3-pointers attempted in a game without a make. He also missed all nine of his 3-point attempts on April 4, 2010.
Wembanyama is averaging 31.1 PPG and 11.0 RPG over his last eight games. He’s just the third player in NBA history to average at least 30 PPG and 10 RPG over an eight-game span before his 21st birthday, joining LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
The New Orleans Pelicans were destroyed by the New York Knicks 118-85, their fifth loss by 25 or more points this season. That’s tied for the most such losses in NBA history by a team through its first 21 games of a season. The Portland Trail Blazers have also recorded five such losses in 21 games this season.