Embiid Drops 50
Joel Embid scored a season-high 50 points as the Philadelphia 76ers outscored the Washington Wizards 131-126. It’s the sixth 50-point game of Embiid’s career, the third-most such games in franchise history behind Wilt Chamberlain (11) and Allen Iverson (10). Those three are the only Sixers to record multiple 50-point games.
Embiid also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and dished out seven assists. He and Chamberlain are the only players in franchise history to record a 50-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist game, each with four.
Embiid shot 19-29 from the field and made 11 of his 13 free throws. It’s the fifth time he’s made at least 10 field goals and 10 free throws in a game this season, the most such games in the NBA.
Teammate Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points on 10-20 shooting from the floor and tied Embiid for team-high honors with seven assists. Embiid and Maxey have each recorded at least 25 points and five assists in the same game seven times this season. Over the last 60 seasons, no other duo has produced more such games through their team’s first 20 games.
The Wizards’ Tyus Jones scored 20 points (8- 11 field goals), handed out eight assists, and committed just one turnover. Jones has recorded 101 assists and 13 turnovers this season, a ratio of 7.77-to-1. That’s the highest such figure through a player’s first 20 games of a season since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78 (minimum 100 assists).
The Wizards have allowed at least 130 points 10 times this season. The only team in NBA history with more such games through their first 20 games of a season is the 1990-91 Denver Nuggets with 13.
The Wizards have lost 12 of their last 13 games and have an overall record of 3-17. That matches the worst 20-game start in franchise history (2012-13).
Luka Reaches Milestone
Despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter, the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic compiled 40 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 147-97 rout of the Utah Jazz. It’s the sixth time the Mavericks have won a game by at least 50 points, the most such games by any franchise in NBA history. Making this even more impressive, the Mavericks did not make their debut until the 1980-81 season.
This was the 60th triple-double of Doncic’s career, making him the ninth player in NBA history to reach that mark. Based on games played, he’s the third-fastest player to do so:
135 — Oscar Robertson
341 — Magic Johnson
349 — Luka Doncic
Doncic now has seven career 40-point triple-doubles, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the fourth-most such games in NBA history:
22 — Oscar Robertson
16 — James Harden
13 — Russell Westbrook
7 — Wilt Chamberlain
7 — Luka Doncic
By halftime, Doncic had already tallied 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He became the first player in NBA history to record a 25-point triple-double in the first half of a game.
Doncic shot 14-25 from the field — including 6-12 from 3-point range — and made six of his eight free throws. It’s the 61st time he’s made at least five 3-pointers in a game, nine more such games than any other player in franchise history.
For the Jazz, this matched the second-worst loss in franchise history, trailing only a 56-point defeat at the hands of Milwaukee Bucks on March 14, 1979. The Mavericks also dealt the Jazz a 50-point loss on Nov. 14, 2018.
Quick Hitters
Other notes on a busy night of NBA action:
Desmond Bane scored a career-high 49 points in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 116-102 win over the Detroit Pistons, extending the Pistons’ losing streak to 18 games. Bane shot 19-31 from the field (4-8 on 3-pointers) and made all seven of his free throws, adding eight assists and six rebounds. He’s just the second player in franchise history to record at least 45 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a game, joining Mike Miller (Feb. 21, 2007).
The Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero scored a career-high 42 points, but it wasn’t enough in a 121-111 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Banchero made 16 of his 26 attempts from the floor and and nine of his 12 free throws. Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 35 points with seven rebound and six assists for the Cavaliers, while backcourt mate Darius Garland had 26 points, a game-high nine assists (tied), and zero turnovers.
The Minnesota Timberwolves improved to an NBA-leading 16-4 with a 102-94 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the best 20-game start in franchise history. On the flip side, the Spurs have lost 15 consecutive games, one game shy of matching the longest losing streak in franchise history. The Spurs have an overall record of 3-17, tying the worst 20-game start in franchise history (1996-97). The Timberwolves were led by center Rudy Gobert, who scored 16 points (7-8 field goals), hauled in a game-high 20 rebounds, and was +31 in 30 minutes played. No other player had a plus-minus rating higher than +14 in this game.
Mikal Bridges led the Brooklyn Nets to their fifth win in six games, tallying 32 points, six assists, and five rebounds in a 114-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young scored a team-high 30 points and distributed a game-high nine assists for the struggling Hawks, who have lost seven of their last 10 games.
Caleb Martin scored a team-high 24 points and snagged a career-high 12 rebounds as the Miami Heat knocked off the Toronto Raptors 112-103. Teammate Duncan Robinson scored 21 points and tied his career high with seven assists. The Raptors’ Pascal Siakam led all players with 30 points, shooting 9-13 from the field and 11-11 from the free throw line.
Center Alperen Sengun had 21 points (8-13 field goals), seven assists, and six rebounds as the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-101. Teammate Jabari Smith Jr. hauled in 18 rebounds, establishing a new career high. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 33 points (13-18 field goals) with six assists and six steals. It’s the fourth time Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded at least five steals in a game this season, the most such games in the NBA. He also leads the league in steals (50) and steals per game (2.6).
The Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 29 points in a 111-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets. DeRozan made just eight of his 20 attempts from the floor, but went 12-14 from the free throw line. The Bulls have won three straight games, all without the services of two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, who will be out another 3-4 weeks with a foot injury. Gordon Hayward matched his season high with 27 points to lead the Hornets.
Paul George scored a game-high 25 points as the LA Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets 111-102. Teammate James Harden chipped in with 20 points and a game-high 11 assists, his first 20-point, 10-assist game as a Clipper. The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic recorded his league-leading ninth triple-double of the season (22 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists), but shot an ugly 9-32 from the field. The 23 missed field goals are the most Jokic has ever recorded in a game, and also the most misses by a player in a game this season.
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 31 points as the Golden State Warriors edged the Portland Trail Blazers 110-106. Curry shot 5-13 from 3-point range and made 10 of his 11 free throws. It’s the 333rd time Curry has made at least five 3-pointers in a game, 154 more such games than the next-closest player (James Harden, 179). The Trail Blazers’ Anfernee Simons scored a team-high 28 points in his return from an 18-game absence, but misfired on 17 of his 27 shots from the floor.