NBA Game Notes (Dec. 25, 2023)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on December 25, 2023.
Merry Christmas for Luka
Luka Doncic had a very merry Christmas, tallying 50 points and 15 assists as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 128-114. He’s just the second player in NBA history to record at least 50 points and 15 assists in a game, joining James Harden (Dec. 31, 2016).
Doncic became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a Christmas Day game:
60 — Bernard King (1984)
59 — Wilt Chamberlain (1961)
50 — Rick Barry (1966)
50 — Luka Doncic (2023)
It’s Doncic’s sixth career 50-point game, two more such games than all other players in franchise history combined (two for Dirk Nowitzki, one apiece for Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson).
Doncic eclipsed 10,000 career points in the first quarter, tying Bob McAdoo as the seventh-fastest player in NBA history to reach that mark (358 games). At 24 years and 300 days old, he’s the sixth-youngest player to achieve that milestone.
In addition to the points and assists, Doncic compiled six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. He shot 15-25 from the field (with eight 3-pointers made) and a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line.
Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II returned from a four-game absence to score 20 points and grab a team-high 10 rebounds, making eight of his nine shots from the field. It’s the fourth game in which Lively II has recorded at least 15 points and 10 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 85%. The only rookie over the last 50 seasons to produce more such games is Buck Williams with seven in 1981-82.
Grayson Allen scored a season-high 32 points to lead the Suns, shooting 12-22 from the floor with eight 3-pointers made. Backcourt made Devin Booker chipped in with 20 points and a team-high 10 assists.
Chimezie Metu came off the bench to produce career highs of 23 points and 19 rebounds for the Suns, also establishing career highs for field goals made (nine) and attempted (18).
The Suns’ Kevin Durant was held to 16 points on 4-11 shooting from the field, snapping his streak of 25-point games at 23. It’s the longest such streak in franchise history by 12 games, and tied for the longest such streak in NBA history by a player age 35 years or older (LeBron James).
Knicks Snap Bucks Streak
The New York Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-122, snapping the Bucks’ seven-game winning streak. The Knicks have scored at least 110 points in each of their last 14 games, one shy of matching the longest such streak in franchise history.
Jalen Brunson led all players with 38 points, shooting 15-28 from the field and 7-9 from the free throw line. It’s the most points scored by a Knick in a Christmas Day game since Bernard King’s 60-point classic in 1984.
Brunson also dished out a team-high six assists. He’s the first Knick to record at least 15 field goals made and five assists in back-to-back games since King achieved the feat on March 22 & 23, 1985.
Brunson was one of four Knicks to score at least 20 points. The others were Julius Randle (24 points, nine rebounds), RJ Barrett (21 points, 8-14 field goals), and Immanuel Quickley (20 points, 7-10 field goals). That ties the record for most 20-point scorers by a team in a Christmas Day game, a distinction shared with seven other teams.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard scored 32 points apiece to lead the Bucks. Antetokounmpo also snagged a game-high 13 rebounds with six assists, while Lillard dished out a game-high eight assists.
It’s the fourth time Antetokounmpo and Lillard have each scored at least 30 points in the same game this season, already tied for the second-most such games in franchise history by a duo in a season. The record of six such games was set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Flynn Robinson in 1969-70.
The Bucks’ Khris Middleton scored a season-high 24 points, shooting 10-20 from the field with four 3-pointers made. Middleton also handed out six assists.
Jokic Ties Franchise Mark
Nikola Jokic tied the franchise record for most free throws made in a game without a miss, going 18-18 from the charity stripe in a 120-114 victory over the Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets have won five consecutive games, while the loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Warriors.
Jokic shares the franchise record with Danny Schayes (April 15, 1988) and Danilo Gallinari (Feb. 5, 2016). He established a new career high for free throws made and tied his career high for free throws attempted.
Jokic scored 26 points and recorded game highs of 14 rebounds and eight assists. It’s the ninth time this season Jokic has been a game’s outright leader in both rebounds and assists, four more such games than any other player.
Jamal Murray scored a game-high 28 points for the Nuggets, shooting 10-18 from the field and sinking all five of his free throws. Teammate Michael Porter Jr. chipped in with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and a game-high four blocks in 40 turnover-free minutes.
Aaron Gordon also recorded a double-double for the Nuggets, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Gordon made seven of his 10 attempts from the floor, including all six of his 2-pointers.
Jokic, Porter Jr., and Gordon are the first trio to each record at least 15 points and 10 rebounds in a Christmas Day game since Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish did so for the Boston Celtics in 1985.
Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 22 points, shooting 7-11 from the field and hitting all six of his free throws. Stephen Curry added 18 points, but shot just 7-21 from the field, misfiring on 10 of his 13 attempts from 3-point range.
Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski compiled 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and a career-high five steals. Since joining the starting lineup on December 14, Podziemski has averaged 10.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 2.1 SPG in six games.
Celtics Continue Scoring Roll
The Boston Celtics scored at least 125 points for the fourth straight game, knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers 126-115. The Celtics have scored a total of 541 points in that span, their most over a four-game stretch since March 12-17, 1968 (543).
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis produced team highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds, making 11 of his 19 attempts from the field. Teammate Jayson Tatum chipped in with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, making 12 of his 13 free throws.
All five starters for the Celtics scored at least 18 points. Along with Porzingis and Tatum, the others to do so were Jaylen Brown (19 points, game-high three steals), Jrue Holiday (18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists), and Derrick White (18 points, game-high 11 assists).
The Lakers’ Anthony Davis led all scorers with 40 points, also hauling in a game-high 13 rebounds. He’s the first Laker to record a 40-point game on Christmas Day since Kobe Bryant in 2004. Davis made 15 of his 26 shots from the floor and went 8-10 from the free throw line.
LeBron James had 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists for the Lakers, but was held to 5-14 shooting from the field. Teammate Taurean Prince scored 17 points, sinking five of his 12 attempts from 3-point range.
The Lakers have lost six of their eight games since winning the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, dropping to 16-15 on the season. They have given up at least 114 points in each of those games.
Jaquez Jr. Leads Heat
Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. established new career highs with 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Miami Heat to a 119-113 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Each team was missing an All-NBA player, as the Heat’s Jimmy Butler (calf) and the Sixers’ Joel Embiid (ankle) were both inactive due to injury.
Jaquez Jr. became the first rookie to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game on Christmas Day since Patrick Ewing in 1985. Overall, he’s just the fifth rookie in NBA history to record such a game on Christmas Day:
Wilt Chamberlain (1959)
Oscar Robertson (1960)
Walt Bellamy (1961)
Patrick Ewing (1985)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2023)
Jaquez Jr. is just the second rookie in franchise history to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game, joining Grant Long (twice). He shot 11-15 from the field, made all eight of his free throws, and did not commit a turnover in 39 minutes of action.
Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 26 points on 9-15 shooting from the floor. He also produced game highs of 15 rebounds and three blocks, and distributed a team-high five assists (tied).
Tyler Herro had 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists for the Heat, but misfired on 17 of his 25 shots from the field. In his four games since returning from an 18-game absence due to injury, Herro is averaging 26.3 PPG with 48/46/85 shooting splits.
Tobias Harris led the Sixers with 27 points on 10-18 shooting from the field, adding seven rebounds and six assists. Teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 25 points and seven rebounds, going 9-16 from the field with six 3-pointers made.
DeAntony Melton compiled 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals for the Sixers, but made just five of his 17 attempts from the floor. Center Mo Bamba came off the bench to score 18 points in 26 minutes played, missing just one of his eight shots from the field.
The Sixers’ second-leading scorer, Tyrese Maxey, scored just 12 points, his second-lowest total of the season. Maxey shot a dismal 4-20 from the field, making just one of his eight 3-point attempts.