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 ⭐️
Jayson Tatum compiled game highs of 43 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Boston Celtics blew out the Chicago Bulls 123-98, his third career triple-double and first 40-point triple-double. Tatum shot 16-24 from the field, making a career-high-tying nine of his 15 attempts from 3-point range.
Second ⭐️
Bobby Portis scored a season-high 34 points to the lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 112-101 victory over the Washington Wizards. Portis went 12-21 from the floor, hitting six of his nine 3-point attempts. He added a team-high 10 rebounds, a career-high eight assists, and a game-high three steals (tied with Bilal Coulibaly) in 32 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 30 points and tied his career high with 10 blocks in the San Antonio Spurs’ 114-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Wembanyama shot 8-16 from the field (4-8 on 3-pointers) and 10-11 from the free throw line. He also snagged seven rebounds, committed just one turnover, and was not charged with a personal foul in 30 minutes played.
Milestones
Wembanyama became just the sixth player (12th instance) to record at least 30 points and 10 blocks in a game since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74. He joins Hakeem Olajuwon (five times), David Robinson (three times), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Artis Gilmore, and Dwight Howard.
Tatum is just the second player in Celtics history to record a 40-point triple-dobule, joining Larry Bird (three times). He’s the first Celtic to produce at least 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.
James Harden scored 19 points in the LA Clippers’ 113-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, increasing his career total to 26,503. He passed Tim Duncan (26,496) to take over 16th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Philadelphia 76ers 126-99, improving their record to 25-4. They tied the franchise record for fewest games needed to reach 25 wins set in 2008-09.
Streaking
Wembanyama has blocked at least one shot in 62 consecutive games, breaking a tie with David Robinson (March 19, 1991 to Jan. 28, 1992) for the longest such streak in Spurs history.
The Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic made one three in a 128-112 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, extending his 3-point streak to 104 games. It’s the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole scored a team-high 26 points with eight 3-pointers made. Poole has made at least one three in 54 straight games, breaking a tie with Gilbert Arenas (Feb. 27, 2005 to Dec. 26, 2005) for the longest such streak in franchise history.
Karl-Anthony Towns extended his career-long double-double streak to 17 games, tallying 11 points and 10 rebounds in the New York Knicks’ 104-93 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s averaging 24.3 PPG and 14.9 RPG with 52.8/42.4/83.0 shooting splits over that span.
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: New Orleans Pelicans (six).
The Boston Celtics sank 15 threes, the 52nd straight game in which they’ve made 10 or more 3-pointers. It’s the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Cleveland Cavaliers — who scored 126 points and went 22-43 from long range — have scored at least 100 points with 10 or more 3-pointers made in each of their last 33 games, tying the Golden State Warriors (April 4, 2023 to Dec. 25, 2023) for the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Memphis Grizzles have scored at least 110 points in 15 consecutive games, snapping a tie for the longest such streak in franchise history. They recorded 14 straight 110-point games from Dec. 21, 2019 to Jan. 20, 2020.
Miscellany
The Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant and Tatum led all scorers last night, each bagging a season-high 43 points. They were followed by the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson (season-high 39), the Orlando Magic’s Cole Anthony (season-high 35), Portis (season-high 34), the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (32), the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (31), the Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox (31), and Wembanyama (30).
The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis was the night’s top board man, hauling in 19 rebounds. The Lakers’ Anthony Davis, Tatum, and the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac tied for second with 15 boards each (a season high for Tatum).
The Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham was the leading playmaker, handing out 13 assists last night. Also delivering double-digit dimes were Curry, the Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons, and Tatum with 10 apiece.