NBA Game Notes (Dec. 3, 2022)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on December 3, 2022.
Simons Says
Anfernee Simons scored a career-high 45 points — 33 of them in the first half — as the Trail Blazers beat the Jazz 116-111. Simon connected on 15 of his 25 shots from the field, including seven 3-pointers, and made all eight of his free throws.
Simons’ 33 first-half points are the most ever scored in the first half of a regular-season game in franchise history. Damian Lillard scored 34 points in the first half of a playoff game on April 23, 2019.
It’s the 11th time Simons has made at least seven 3-pointers in a game. Only three players in NBA history have recorded more such games before their 24th birthday:
12 — Luka Doncic
12 — Trae Young
12 — D’Angelo Russell
11 — Anfernee Simons
Cool Hand Luka
Luka Doncic tallied 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks to lead the Mavericks to a 121-100 victory over the Knicks. Doncic personally outscored the Knicks 19-15 in the third quarter, as the Mavericks turned a seven-point deficit into a 19-point lead.
Donic shot 11-21 (52.4%) from the field, the 14th time he’s scored at least 30 points with a field goal percentage of 50% this season. No other player in NBA history has recorded more such games through their first 21 games of a season:
14 — Luka Doncic, 2022-23
14 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1971-72
14 — Wilt Chamberlain, 1962-63
13 — Michael Jordan, 1988-89
Doncic has produced at least 20 points and five assists in each of his 21 games this season, the second-longest such streak to start a season in NBA history. The record is held by James Harden, who opened the 2017-18 season with 22 such games in a row.
Dating back to last season, Donic has recorded 30 straight 20-point, 5-assist games. The only other players in NBA history to record at least 30 such games in a row are Oscar Robertson and Nate Archibald.
Curry Extends Streaks
Stephen Curry scored 30 points and dished out a game-high 10 assists as the Warriors took care of the Rockets 120-101. It was the 33rd time Curry has recorded at least 30 points and 10 assists in a game, breaking a tie with Tim Hardaway for the most such games in franchise history.
Curry — who hit eight 3-pointers — has made at least one 3-pointer in each of his last 211 regular-season games, the longest such streak in NBA history by 54 games. He’s made at least three 3-pointers in each of his 22 games this season, the longest such streak to start a season in NBA history by 14 games. Regardless of starting point, it’s the second-longest such streak in NBA history:
24 — Stephen Curry (Feb. 6-April 2, 2019)
22 — Curry (Oct. 18-Dec. 3, 2022)
18 — James Harden (Nov. 27, 2019-Jan. 8, 2020)
Teammate Andrew Wiggins scored a season-high 36 points. He shot 14-19 from the field (73.7%) and matched his career high with eight 3-pointers made. Curry and Wiggins are just the third duo in NBA history to each make at least eight 3-pointers in the same game:
Zach LaVine & Coby White (Feb. 10, 2021)
Donovan Mitchell & Kevin Love (Oct. 30, 2022)
Stephen Curry & Andrew Wiggins (Dec. 3, 2022)
The Warriors have made 20 or more 3-pointers in four of their last five games. The only other team in NBA history to record four such games in a five-game span is the Jazz from Nov. 27-Dec. 8, 2021.
SGA Powers Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 33 points on 10-17 shooting from the field as the Thunder outlasted the Timberwolves 135-128. Gilgeous-Alexander also dished out six assists, swiped three steals, and made all 12 of his free throws.
Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points with a field goal percentage of 50% in 12 games this season. He’s one of only six players in NBA history to record at least 12 such games through their first 21 games of a season (a total of seven instances):
14 — Wilt Chamberlain, 1962-63
14 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1971-72
14 — Luka Doncic, 2022-23
13 — Michael Jordan, 1988-89
12 — Adrian Dantley, 1982-83 & 1985-86
12 — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2022-23
Sabonis Leads Kings
The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis scored a game-high 24 points, dished out a game-high six assists, and grabbed five rebounds in a 123-96 blowout win over the Clippers. He did this in just 26 minutes of playing time.
Sabonis missed just one of his 11 shots from the field. It’s the second time he’s recorded at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists with a field goal percentage of 90%. Sabonis is one of only three active players with multiple such games:
4 — Nikola Jokic
2 — Domantas Sabonis
2 — Ben Simmons
The Kings are now 12-9 after an 0-4 start. A total of 145 teams in NBA history have lost their first four games of a season. Only two of those teams recorded more wins through 21 games than the Kings: the 2006-07 Mavericks and the 2018-19 Thunder, both of whom had 14 wins.