NBA Game Notes (Dec. 30, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Dec. 30, 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 ⭐️
Nikola Jokic racked up game highs of 36 points, 22 rebounds, and 11 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 132-121 victory over the Utah Jazz. Jokic shot an uncharacteristically inefficient 14-33 from the floor (3-9 on 3-pointers), but made five of his six free throw attempts. He also recorded a game-high four steals (tied with Russell Westbrook) and was not charged with a personal foul in 38 minutes of action.
Second ⭐️
Russell Westbrook messed around and recorded a “perfect” triple-double in the Nuggets’ win over the Jazz: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 7-7 field goals, 2-2 free throws, and zero turnovers. He also swiped a game-high four steals (tied with Jokic) in 33 minutes of playing time.
Third ⭐️
Josh Hart scored 23 points to go with game highs of 15 rebounds and 10 assists as the New York Knicks routed the Washington Wizards 126-106, New York’s eighth consecutive win. Hart went 7-15 from the field (4-8 on 3-pointers) and 5-7 from the free throw line. He also recorded two steals and committed just one turnover in a game-high 41 minutes played.
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Milestones
Jokic recorded his fifth career regular season game with at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. He’s the third player in NBA history to reach that mark, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. By the way, Jokic has recorded three such games in the postseason, one more than all other players in league history combined (Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one apiece).
Jokic surpassed 15,000 career points on a tip-in late in the third quarter. He’s the third player in Nuggets history to reach that mark, joining Hall of Famers Alex English and Dan Issel (includes one ABA season with Denver).
Westbrook is just the second player to record a “perfect” triple-double since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78, with “perfect” meaning a field goal percentage of 100%, a free throw percentage of 100%, and zero turnovers. He joins Domantas Sabonis, who became the first player to achieve the feat earlier this season on November 6.
Disregarding turnovers, Westbrook is one of only five players in NBA history to record a triple-double with 100% shooting from both the field and the free throw line. It’s actually Westbrook’s second such game, his first coming on March 22, 2017. He joins Jokic as the only players to do so more than once.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points with five 3-pointers made in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 113-95 win over the Golden State Warriors. He sank his 1,500th career three in the third quarter, becoming the third-fastest player in NBA history to reach that mark (499 games). Mitchell was facing the two fastest players to attain that milestone, the Warriors’ Stephen Curry (477) and Buddy Hield (492).
Jokic and Westbrook are just the eighth duo in NBA history to each record at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the same game. Westbrook has been a part of three of those pairings.
The Nuggets’ Jokic, Westbrook, and Jamal Murray (20 points, 10 assists) became just the sixth trio in NBA history to each record at least 10 assists in the same game. They are the first trio to each record at least 15 points and 10 assists in the same game.
The Chicago Bulls set a franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a game with 60 in a 115-108 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The previous mark of 55 was set earlier this season on November 17.
Streaking
Mitchell has made at least one 3-pointer in 55 consecutive games, the longest such streak in Cavaliers history by 20 games.
The Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III (18 points, 4-7 on 3-pointers) has made multiple threes in each of his last 25 games, the longest such streak in franchise history by six games.
Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points (7-13 field goals, 3-7 on 3-pointers) in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 125-103 blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Maxey has made three or more 3-pointers in nine straight games, the longest such streak in franchise history. The previous mark of eight such games in a row was set by rookie Jared McCain earlier this season.
Norman Powell scored a game-high 35 points as the LA Clippers got by the New Orleans Pelicans 116-113. Powell has recorded six straight 25-point games, the longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 29.3 PPG with 50.8/41.5/87.5 shooting splits over that span.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: New York Knicks (eight) and Cleveland Cavaliers (seven).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: New Orleans Pelicans (10) and Charlotte Hornets (eight).
The Knicks have won their last eight road games, matching the second-longest such streak in franchise history. The franchise record of 12 straight road wins was set in the 1969-70 season.
The Denver Nuggets have scored at least 130 points in three consecutive games for the first time since the 1988-89 season. They have scored at least 120 points in eight of their last 10 games, averaging 126.5 PPG over that span.
The Cavaliers have scored at least 100 points with 10 threes made in 36 straight games, snapping a tie with the Golden State Warriors (April 4, 2021 to Nov. 12, 2021) for the third-longest such streak in NBA history.
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Miscellany
The Sixers’ Joel Embiid was the night’s leading scorer, netting a season-high 37 points. Also producing 30-point efforts were Jokic (36), Powell (35), the Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox (33), the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum (33), the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (32), the Hornets’ Miles Bridges (season-high 31), and the Dallas Mavericks’ Spencer Dinwiddie (season-high 30).
Jokic was the top board man, hauling in a season-high 22 rebounds last night. He was followed by the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis (career-high 16), the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis (16), the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac (16), and Hart (season-high 15).
Jokic was also the top playmaker last night, handing out 11 assists. Hart, Murray, and Westbrook tied for second with 10 assists apiece.
The Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. swiped a career-high eight steals, tying the Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels for the most in a game this season. The last Sixer to record at least eight steals in a game was Robert Covington on Nov. 27, 2015.
The Washington Wizards have lost 11 games by 20 or more points this season, tying the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks for the most such losses by a team through its first 30 games of a season.
The Pelicans have lost 19 of their last 20 games, matching the worst 20-game stretch in franchise history. They have been outscored by an average of 12.8 PPG over that span.