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 ⭐️
Jaylen Brown bagged a game-high 28 points in the Boston Celtics’ 130-120 win over the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics’ ninth victory in their last 10 tries. Brown went 10-21 from the floor (missing five of his six 3-point attempts) and 7-11 from the free throw line. He also contributed a team-high nine assists, six rebounds, and a game-high three steals (tied with Marcus Sasser), and was not charged with a personal foul in 39 minutes of action.
Second ⭐️
Franz Wagner scored a game-high 35 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 106-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando’s 13th win in its last 15 games. Wagner shot 12-23 from the field (but just 1-6 from 3-point range) and sank all 10 of his free throe attempts. He also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds (tied with three others) and blocked one shot in 36 minutes of playing time.
Third ⭐️
Tyler Herro poured in a game-high 31 points as the Miami Heat routed the Los Angeles Lakers 134-93, matching the fourth-largest margin of victory in franchise history. Herro shot 11-19 from the field, hitting nine of his 16 attempts from 3-point range. He added five rebounds, four assists, and one steal, posting a rating of plus-30 points in 27 minutes played.
Milestones
On a night where not much went right, Lakers center Anthony Davis recorded his 1,000th career steal in the first quarter. He’s just the 13th player to produce at least 1,000 steals and 1,500 blocks since the NBA began tracking those statistics in 1973-74.
The Lakers’ LeBron James snapped a streak of 20 consecutive misses from long range in the third quarter, giving him 2,451 career 3-pointers made. That broke a tie with Kyle Korver for seventh place on the NBA’s all-time list.
Herro made seven of his nine 3-pointers in the third period, tying the Miami Heat record for most threes made in a quarter. He shares the record with Duncan Robinson (Nov. 20, 2019).
The Miami Heat set a franchise single-game record for assists with 42. Five players recorded at least five dimes, led by Bam Adebayo with seven. The previous mark of 41 assists was set on March 29, 2024.
Led by Herro’s nine triples, the Heat tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a game with 24. Miami also made 24 threes in a game on Dec. 14, 2022.
Streaking
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points (8-14 field goals), 11 rebounds, and five assists in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 119-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He’s scored at least 20 points on 50% shooting from the field in 19 straight games, the longest such streak to open a season in NBA history by six games.
The Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic tallied 15 points, five assists, and a career-high five steals, going 3-5 from long range. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in 99 consecutive regular season games, tying Jordan Clarkson for the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Atlanta Hawks (five).
The Hawks dished out 29 assists, the 15th consecutive game in which they’ve recorded at least 25 dimes. That’s the longest such streak in franchise history by five games.
The Boston Celtics made 21 threes on 53 attempts, the 46th straight game in which they’ve hit 10 or more 3-pointers. It’s the sixth-longest such streak in NBA history.
Miscellany
Wagner led all scorers last night with 35 points, followed by Antetokounmpo and Herro with 31 apiece.
The Hawks’ Clint Capela was the top board man, hauling in 17 rebounds last night. Teammate Jalen Johnson (13), Antetokounmpo (11), the Heat’s Bam Adebayo (10), and the LA Clippers’ Ivica Zubac (10) also collected double-digit boards.
The Pistons’ Cade Cunningham was the night’s leading playmaker, handing out a career-high 14 assists. The only other player to deliver double-digit dimes was the Celtics’ Derrick White with 11.
The Celtics have made 199 threes over their last 10 games, the most in NBA history over a 10-game span. They’ve made at least 20 threes in a game seven times during that run, the most such games in league history over a 10-game stretch.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been outscored by 70 points over their last two games, the worst two-game point differential in franchise history. It’s just the sixth time in franchise history they’ve lost back-to-back games by 25 or more points, with two of those instances coming this season.