NBA Game Notes (Dec. 4, 2023)
NBA Game Notes (Dec. 4, 2023)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on December 4, 2023.
Haliburton Leads Pacers
The Indiana Pacers used a big third quarter to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a seven-point lead, eventually knocking off the Boston Celtics 122-112 in an In-Season Tournament quarterfinal. The Pacers move on to Las Vegas, where they will meet the winner of tonight’s game between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton notched his first career triple-double, recording 26 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds. He shot 10-18 from the floor (5-11 on 3-pointers) and did not commit a turnover. It’s the third time Haliburton has recorded a 25-point, 10-assist game with zero turnovers this season. Since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78, no player has recorded more such games in a single season.
Haliburton was one of seven Pacers to score in double figures. Buddy Hield finished with 21 points on 7-11 shooting from the field (4-6 on threes), while Myles Turner scored 17 points and snagged 10 rebounds.
The Pacers have scored at least 120 points 15 times this season, matching the most such games in NBA history by a team through its first 19 games of a season:
1961-62 Philadelphia Warriors
1988-89 Denver Nuggets
1990-91 Denver Nuggets
2023-24 Indiana Pacers
The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum produced game highs of 32 points and 12 rebounds, while teammate Jaylen Brown had 30 points and nine boards. Tatum and Brown have each scored at least 30 points in the same game 24 times, tying Wilt Chamberlain and Paul Arizin for the eighth-most such games in NBA history by a duo. It’s just the second time the Celtics have lost such a game, the first coming on Oct. 28, 2022 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Pelicans Advance to Semis
The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 127-117 to advance to the semifinals of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. The Pelicans will head to Las Vegas to face the winner of tonight’s contest between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram tied for game-high scoring honors with 30 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists. Ingram shot 10-20 from the field — including 3-6 from 3-point range — and made seven of his nine free throws.
Teammate Herbert Jones scored a season-high 23 points (8-13 field goals) with five rebounds and five assists, while Jonas Valanciunas contributed 18 points (7-11 field goals) and a team-high 11 rebounds.
The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox matched Ingram’s 30 points, but made just 10 of his 25 attempts from the floor. Fox has scored at least 25 points in each of his last six games, tying the second-longest such streak of his career.
Kings center Domantas Sabonis compiled 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, shooting 8-12 from the field 10-10 from the free throw line. Sabonis now has 34 career triple-doubles, breaking a tie with Bob Cousy and Ben Simmons for 13th place on the NBA’s all-time list. The only centers with more triple-doubles are Nikola Jokic (113) and Wilt Chamberlain (78).
Malik Monk came off the bench to score 21 points for the Kings, hitting five of his nine 3-point attempts. It’s the sixth time Monk has recorded a 20-point game coming off the bench this season, the most such games in the NBA.
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