NBA Game Notes (Dec. 12, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Dec. 12, 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 ⭐️
Domantas Sabonis scored a season-high 32 points and matched his season best with 20 rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 111-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Sabonis was incredibly efficient, going 11-15 from the field and 9-9 from the free throw line. He also recorded two steals and just one turnover in 34 minutes of action.
Second ⭐️
Payton Pritchard came of the bench to register game highs of 27 points and 10 assists as the Boston Celtics routed the Detroit Pistons 123-99. Pritchard went 10-20 from the floor, making seven of his 15 attempts from 3-point range. He was charged with just one turnover and zero personal fouls in 31 minutes played.
Third ⭐️
Bam Adebayo tallied 21 points, a game-high 16 rebounds, and a team-high five assists in the Miami Heat’s 114-104 win over the Toronto Raptors, Miami’s fourth straight victory. Adebayo shot 8-17 from the field (1-3 on 3-pointers) and 4-6 from the free throw line. He also blocked one shot and committed just one turnover in 35 minutes of playing time.
Need a gift for the NBA fan on your holiday list? I’m sure a subscription to Statitudes would mean a lot more than an impersonal Amazon or Starbucks gift card. Click the button below to give a year of “NBA statistical goodness” (Marc Stein) to a family member or friend.
Milestones
Sabonis appeared in his 600th regular season game last night. He’s averaging 16.0 PPG and 10.4 RPG with a field goal percentage of 55.9% for his career. Sabonis is the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 15 PPG and 10 RPG with 55% shooting from the field through his first 600 games, joining Artis Gilmore, Buck Williams, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwight Howard, and Nikola Jokic.
Pritchard made his 500th career 3-pointer, becoming the 10th player in Boston Celtics history to reach that mark. He attained that milestone in 292 games, the fourth-fastest player in franchise history to do so.
Adebayo recorded his 40th career 20-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist game. The only other player in Miami Heat history to reach that mark is LeBron James (54 such games).
Streaking
The Heat’s Tyler Herro scored a game-high 23 points, going 9-13 from the field with four 3-pointers made. He’s made at least one three in 57 straight games, tying Duncan Robinson for the second-longest such streak in franchise history.
The Boston Celtics went 20-48 from long range, the 49th consecutive game in which they’ve made 10 or more 3-pointers. That breaks a tie with the Toronto Raptors (Feb. 2, 2020 to Feb. 10, 2021) for the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Celtics have made 15 or more 3-pointers in each of their last nine games, tying themselves (March 9-23, 2024) for the seventh-longest such streak in league 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
The Pelicans’ CJ McCollum was the night’s top point producer, scoring a season-high 36 points. He was followed by Sabonis (season-high 32), the Kings’ DeMar DeRozan (29), Pritchard (27), and the Pistons’ Roland Holland II (career-high 26).
Sabonis led all players with 20 rebounds last night, matching his season high. Also collecting double-digit boards were Adebayo (16), the Raptors’ RJ Barrett (11), the Pelicans’ Yves Missi (11), and the Raptors’ Jonathan Mogbo (career-high 10).
Barrett and Pritchard were the top playmakers, each dishing out 10 assists last night. The Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray and the Kings’ Malik Monk were next with nine dimes apiece.
Barrett recorded his second career triple-double, scoring 13 points to go with his 11 rebounds and 10 assists. It wasn’t all good for Barrett, who shot just 5-18 from the floor and committed six turnovers.
Pritchard is the first bench player to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in a game for the Celtics since Larry Bird achieved the feat on April 11, 1985. It was a rare non-start for Bird, who came off the bench in just 27 of his 897 career games.
Pritchard has come off the bench to score at least 20 points in a league-leading 10 games this season. He’s made at least five 3-pointers in 12 games, the most such games by any player in the NBA this season.
Sabonis is the first King to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game with 70% shooting from the field since Johnny Green did so on Jan. 27, 1971. The franchise was known as the Cincinnati Royals at that time.
The Celtics have made 20 or more 3-pointers in 10 of their 25 games this season. No other team in NBA history has recorded 10 such games through their first 25 games of a season. In fact, Boston is already tied with five other teams for the eighth-highest single-season total in league history.