Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Stephen Curry poured in a game-high 48 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Golden State Warriors fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 136-131. Curry went 16-26 from the field, sinking 12 of his 19 attempts from 3-point range. He also recorded a team-high three steals (tied with two others) and one block, and was not charged with a personal foul in 35 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Shaedon Sharpe scored a team-high 35 points (tied with Jerami Grant) in the Trail Blazers’ win over the Warriors. Sharpe shot a sizzling 12-18 from the floor (5-7 on threes) and 6-6 from the free throw line. He also dished out four assists and swiped a game-high four steals in 33 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Dyson Daniels scored a season-high 27 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 120-117 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Daniels was very efficient, making 13 of his 19 field goal attempts. He added 10 rebounds, four assists, a team-high two blocks (tied with Onyeka Okongwu), and one steal in 39 minutes played.
Milestones
Curry recorded his 75th career 40-point game, making him the ninth player in NBA history to reach that mark. It’s the 45th time he’s produced a 40-point game since turning 30 years old, breaking a tie with Michael Jordan for the most such games in league history.
Curry set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a loss with 12. The previous mark of 11 triples in defeat had been achieved six times, four of them by Curry.
The Hawks’ Jalen Johnson (12 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists) recorded his eighth career triple-double, breaking a tie with Mookie Blaylock atop the franchise’s all-time list.
Royce O’Neale (4-7 on threes) made his 1,000th career 3-pointer in the Phoenix Suns’ 116-114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s one of 61 active players and 173 players in NBA history to attain that milestone.
The Trail Blazers’ Jerami Grant (7-13 on threes) also reached 1,000 career 3-pointers made. It’s just the fourth time he’s made at least seven threes in a game.
The Brooklyn Nets destroyed the Milwaukee Bucks 127-82, matching the largest margin of victory in franchise history. They also recorded 45-point wins on Dec. 26, 1974 (when they were members of the ABA) and Jan. 9, 1993.
Streaking
Johnson recorded his fourth straight triple-double, the longest such streak in franchise history. The only other Hawk to even post back-to-back triple-doubles is Bob Sura (April 9 and 10, 2004).
The Lakers’ Luka Doncic (29 points, six assists) produced his 10th straight game with at least 25 points and five assists, tying LeBron James (Dec. 18, 2022 to Jan. 7, 2023) for the longest such streak in franchise history.
The Minnesota Timberwolves extended their streak of 100-point games to 84 in a 117-103 win over the Sacramento Kings. That breaks a tie with the Milwaukee Bucks (Feb. 23, 2019 to Feb. 28, 2020) for the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Timberwolves (12-37 on threes) have made 10 or more 3-pointers in 35 consecutive games, snapping a tie for the longest such streak in franchise history. The previous record was set from Dec. 15, 2024 to Feb. 23, 2025.
Miscellany
Curry led the daily scoring brigade, bagging 48 points. He was followed by the Sixers’ Paul George (35 points), Grant (35), Sharpe (35), Doncic (29), and the Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel (29).
The Hawks’ Onyeka Okongwu was the day’s top board man, snagging 15 rebounds. The Washington Wizards’ Marvin Bagley III, teammate Justin Champagnie, and the Sixers’ Joel Embiid were runners-up with 14 rebounds apiece.
Johnson was the premier playmaker, handing out 12 assists yesterday. The only other player to deliver double-digit dimes was the Kings’ Russell Westbrook with 10.
Curry recorded his 28th career game with 10 or more 3-pointers made. That’s 19 more such games than any other player in NBA history, and equals the total of the next six closest players combined.
Three players scored at least 35 points with five 3-pointers made in the Portland Trail Blazers’ win over the Golden State Warriors: Curry, Sharpe, and Grant. It’s just the third game in NBA history to feature three such players, the first two occurrences coming on March 3, 2017 (Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks) and Nov. 14, 2025 (New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat).
Curry only broke the regular season record for made 3s in a loss.
Lillard famously set the playoff record of 12 3s in a game in a double-OT loss to Denver in 2021.