NBA Game Notes (Dec. 9, 2022)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on December 9, 2022.
Sixers Recover, Beat Lakers
Despite blowing a nine-point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation, the Sixers bounced back to defeat the Lakers 133-122 in overtime. The Sixers committed 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter, three of them in the final half-minute.
The Sixers’ Joel Embiid scored a game-high 38 points and added 12 rebounds and five assists, shooting 14-19 from the field (73.7%). Embiid has recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in eight of his last 11 games. The only other player in franchise history to record eight such games in an 11-game span is Wilt Chamberlain in Feb. 1966.
Teammate De’Anthony Melton recorded his first career 30-point game, scoring 33 points, and established a new career high in steals with seven. Melton had an effective field goal percentage 93.8%, shooting 11-16 from the field with a career-high eight 3-pointers made.
Melton and Embiid recorded Game Scores of 33.0 and 30.6, respectively. It’s just the sixth time this season teammates have each recorded a Game Score of 30.0 or higher in the same game.
The Lakers’ Anthony Davis scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the loss, making nine of his 13 shots from the field (69.2%) and 13 of his 14 free throws (92.9%). His lone miss from the free throw line was a big one, as it would have given the Lakers a one-point lead with 3.7 seconds remaining.
Davis has recorded at least 25 points and 10 rebounds with 50% shooting from the field in 10 of his last 11 games. Since the ABA-NBA merger, the only other players to record at least 10 such games in an 11-game span are Moses Malone and Shaquille O’Neal.
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook recorded his 195th career triple-double, compiling 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Westbrook shot just 4-14 (28.6%) from the field, the 18th time he’s recorded a triple-double with a field goal percentage less than 30%. That’s the most such games in NBA history, six more than any other player (Jason Kidd, 12).
Mount Zion Erupts
Zion Williamson scored a game-high 35 points as the Pelicans beat the Suns 128-117. The Pelicans have won six consecutive games and are now in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.
Williamson shot 13-17 from the field (76.5%), the 10th time he’s scored at least 30 points with a field goal percentage of 75%. The only other players in NBA history to record at least 10 such games before their 23rd birthday are Shaquille O’Neal (11) and Dwight Howard (10). Williamson does not turn 23 years old until July 6, 2023.
During the Pelicans’ six-game winning streak, Williamson is averaging 29.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 5.7 APG while shooting 67.0% from the field. He has more steals (10) and blocks (8) than personal fouls (7) over that span.
The Suns’ Deandre Ayton tallied 25 points and 14 rebounds in the loss, shooting 11-15 from the field (73.3%). It’s the 30th time Ayton has recorded at least 20 points and 10 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 70%, the most such games in franchise history:
30 — Deandre Ayton
24 — Amar’e Stoudemire
21 — Larry Nance
15 — Shawn Marion
13 — Alvan Adams
King Domantas
Domantas Sabonis had 18 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks to lead the Kings to a 106-95 victory over the Cavaliers. Both teams were playing without a star guard: De’Aaron Fox for the Kings (foot) and Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers (leg).
Sabonis has season totals of 409 points, 271 rebounds and 157 assists through 24 games. Since the ABA-NBA merger, only one player has reached 400 points, 250 rebounds, and 150 assists in fewer games: Nikola Jokic in 2021-22 (21 games) and 2020-21 (22 games).
The Kings have won 14 of their last 20 games after an 0-4 start. It’s the first time since 2006 they’ve won at least 14 games in a 20-game span.
The Kings have scored at least 100 points in each of their 24 games this season. It’s just the second time they’ve opened a season with at least 24 straight 100-point games. The first occurrence came in the 1970-71 season, when they were known as the Cincinnati Royals. They started that season with 45 consecutive 100-point games.
Efficient Haliburton
The Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton scored 23 points, dished out 11 assists, and committed just one turnover in a 121-111 win over the Wizards. It’s the sixth time Haliburton has recorded a 20-point, 10-assist game with one or fewer turnovers this season. No other player has recorded more than two such games.
Haliburton shot 9-14 for the field (64.3%), the fourth time this season he’s recorded at least 20 points and 10 assists with 60% shooting from the field. The only other players to record multiple such games are Nikola Jokic, Tyus Jones, and Pascal Siakam, each of whom has done so twice.
Teammate Buddy Hield scored a season-high 28 points on 12-19 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers. It’s the fifth time Hield has scored at least 25 points with an effective field goal percentage of 70% this season. The only players with more such games are Stephen Curry and Donovan Mitchell, each of whom has done so six times.
The Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and nine rebounds with 11-13 shooting from the field (84.6%) in the loss. Porzingis scored 20 of his points in the first half, making all nine of his shots from the field. The only other Wizard over the last 25 seasons to make at least nine field goals without a miss in a half is Caron Butler on Jan. 3, 2007 (9-9 in the first half).
Bucks Squeak Past Mavs
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded team highs of 28 points and 10 rebounds as the Bucks squeaked past the Mavericks 106-105. Antetokounmpo has 12 25-point, 10-rebound games this season, the most such games in the NBA:
12 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
10 — Anthony Davis
10 — Jayson Tatum
9 — Joel Embiid
The Mavericks’ Luka Doncic recorded game highs of 33 points and 11 assists in the loss. It’s the 63rd time Doncic has been a game’s outright leader in both categories. The only player in NBA history to record more such games before their 24th birthday is LeBron James (71). Doncic will not turn 24 years old until Feb. 28, 2023.