NBA Game Notes (Dec. 5, 2022)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on December 5, 2022.

Dec 06, 2022

Nembhard Makes Splash

Rookie Andrew Nembhard scored 31 points and dished out 13 assists — both figures game highs — to lead the shorthanded Pacers to a 112-104 upset win over the Warriors. Nembhard also grabbed eight rebounds and shot 13-21 (61.9%) from the field, including five 3-pointers made.

Nembhard is just the third Pacers rookie to record a 30-point, 10-assist game since the franchise joined the NBA in 1976:

Chuck Person (Dec. 20, 1986)
Jamaal Tinsley (March 5, 2002)
Andrew Nembhard (Dec. 5, 2022)

Nembhard is just the seventh rookie in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 10 assists, and five 3-pointers made in a game (a total of 12 instances):

Trae Young (four times)
Stephen Curry (three times)
Jason Kidd
Damon Stoudamire
Allen Iverson
Jamaal Tinsley
Andrew Nembhard

Teammate Buddy Hield contributed 17 points, nine assists, and four rebounds. He made his 1,500th career 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, becoming the second-fastest player in NBA history to reach that mark (by games played):

477 — Stephen Curry
492 — Buddy Hield
517 — Klay Thompson
548 — Damian Lillard
621 — Paul George

The Warriors’ Klay Thompson scored 28 points with eight 3-pointers made in the loss. He surpassed 13,000 career points in the third quarter, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to reach that mark.

20,753 — Stephen Curry
17,783 — Wilt Chamberlain
16,447 — Rick Barry
16,266 — Paul Arizin
16,235 — Chris Mullin
13,191 — Nate Thurmond
13,007 — Klay Thompson

Thompson’s backcourt mate, Stephen Curry, had a poor night, shooting just 3-17 from the field (17.6%), including 2-10 from 3-point range. It’s the first time this season he’s failed to make at least three 3-pointers in a game.

Giannis Makes History

The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 34 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in a 109-102 victory over the Magic. Antetokounmpo has season totals of 606 points, 215 rebounds, and 104 assists. He’s the first player in NBA history to record at least 600 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists through his first 19 games of a season.

Antetokounmpo shot 12-21 from the field, the seventh straight time he’s scored at least 30 points with a field goal percentage of 50%. It’s the longest such streak of his career and tied for the second-longest such streak in franchise history:

8 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Feb. 13, 1972–Feb. 29, 1972)
7 — Giannis Antetokounmpo (Nov. 21, 2022–Dec. 5, 2022)
7 — Abdul-Jabbar (Dec. 28, 1971–Jan. 9, 1972)
7 — Abdul-Jabbar (March 5, 1971–March 18, 1971)
6 — Marques Johnson (Oct. 14, 1978–Oct. 24, 1978)

Light Work for Luka

Luka Doncic had 33 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks in just three quarters of work as the Mavericks blew out the Suns 130-111. He shot 12-20 from the field (60.0%) with four 3-pointers made.

Doncic has scored at least 30 points on 50% shooting from the field in each of his last four games, matching the longest such streak of his career. It’s his 15th such game this season, tied for the most such games in NBA history by a player through his first 22 games of a season:

15 — Luka Doncic, 2022-23
15 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1971-72
14 — Wilt Chamberlain, 1962-63
13 — Michael Jordan, 1988-89
13 — Adrian Dantley, 1985-86

Doncic has recorded at least 20 points and five assists in each of his 22 games this season, tying James Harden (2017-18) for the longest such streak to start a season in NBA history.

Dating back to last season, Donic has recorded 31 straight 20-point, 5-assist games. The only players in NBA history with a longer such streak are Oscar Robertson and Nate Archibald.

Harden’s Homecoming

The Rockets spoiled James Harden’s homecoming, as their starting backcourt of Jalen Green (27 points) and Kevin Porter Jr. (24 points) combined for 51 points in a 132-123 double-overtime win over the Sixers.

Green has scored 518 points in 24 games this season. The only second-year players in franchise history to reach 500 points in fewer games are Elvin Hayes (20 games) and Hakeem Olajuwon (21 games).

Harden scored 21 points and dished out seven assists, but shot just 4-19 from the field (21.1%) — including 0-8 from 2-point range — and committed seven turnovers. It’s the 51st time Harden has missed at least 15 field goals and committed five turnovers in a game, the fourth-most such games since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78:

90 — Allen Iverson
61 — Russell Westbrook
54 — Kobe Bryant
51 — James Harden
35 — Dominique Wilkins

The Sixers’ Joel Embiid scored 39 points in the loss, making 12 of his 21 shots from the field (57.1%) and 14 of his 17 free throws (82.4%). Embiid has seasons totals of 510 points, 153 rebounds, and 79 assists. He’s the first player in franchise history to record at least 500 points, 150 rebounds, and 75 assists through his first 16 games of a season.

SGA Extends Sreak

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced 35 points, six rebounds, and five assists as the Thunder rallied to beat the Hawks 121-114. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points in each of his last seven games, the longest such streak of his career and tied for the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history:

12 — Kevin Durant (Jan. 7, 2014–Jan. 29, 2014)
9 — Durant (April 4, 2010–Oct. 29, 2010)
8 — Russell Westbrook (Nov. 13, 2016–Nov. 25, 2016)
7 — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Nov. 21, 2022–Dec. 5, 2022)
7 — Durant (Dec. 22, 2009–Jan. 2, 2010)

Gilgeous-Alexander shot 15-15 from the free throw line, and has made 27 free throws without a miss over his last two games. The only player in franchise history to make more free throws over a two-game span without a miss is Russell Westbrook (29, Feb. 11 & 19, 2015).

Career High for Jones

Filling in for the injured Ja Morant, Tyus Jones scored a career-high 28 points and added 10 assists, five rebounds, and two steals as the undermanned Grizzlies took down the Heat 101-93. It was just the second 20-point, 10-assist game of Jones’ career.

Jones committed just one turnover. It’s the 131st time he’s recorded at least five assists with one or fewer turnovers, the most such games since he entered the NBA in 2015-16:

131 — Tyus Jones
130 — Chris Paul
119 — Mike Conley
119 — T.J. McConnell
119 — Ish Smith