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 ⭐️
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 32 points as the Los Angeles Lakers halted the Denver Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak with a 123-100 blowout victory. Doncic shot 10-22 from the field (4-9 on 3-pointers) and made all eight of his free throw attempts. He added a team-high 10 rebounds, a team-high seven assists (tied with Austin Reaves), and a game-high four steals, committing just one turnover and no personal fouls in 31 minutes of action.
Second ⭐️
Keyonte George came off the bench to score a game-high 30 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a 124-115 upset win over the Houston Rockets. George went 10-17 from the floor, hitting five of his eight 3-point attempts. He also contributed eight rebounds and six assists while being charged with only one turnover and no personal fouls in 29 minutes played.
Third ⭐️
Kevin Durant scored 27 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds (tied with Nick Richards) in the Phoenix Suns’ 121-117 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Durant shot 9-15 from the field (3-6 on 3-pointers) and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. He also dished out five assists and blocked one shot in 38 turnover-free minutes.
Milestones
The Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic snagged a game-high 11 rebounds, including the 10,000th of his career in the first quarter. He’s the 44th player in NBA history (and fourth active player) to reach that mark.
The Portland Trail Blazers destroyed the Charlotte Hornets 141-88, the largest margin of victory in franchise history. The 53-point win surpassed their 50-point victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 21, 1982.
Streaking
Doncic extended his 3-point streak to 96 games, breaking a tie with Klay Thompson for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA history.
Doncic has recorded at least 10 points and one 3-pointer made in each of his last 96 contests, one game shy of the longest such streak in NBA history held by Stephen Curry.
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Philadelphia 76ers (seven) and Chicago Bulls (six).
Miscellany
Doncic paced all scorers with 32 points yesterday. The Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey was next in line with 31 points, followed by George with 30.
The Jazz’s Walker Kessler was the leading rebounder yesterday, collecting 17 boards. Also securing at least a dozen rebounds were the Trail Blazers’ Jabari Walker (season-high 14), the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (13), and the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun (12).
Four players tied for the daily lead in assists with 10 apiece: the Jazz’s Isaiah Collier, the Bulls’ Josh Giddey, the Rockets’ Jalen Green (matching his career high), and Jokic.
Jokic recorded his 156th career triple-double and league-leading 26th triple-double of the season, scoring 12 points to go with game highs of 13 rebounds and 10 assists. However, he shot just 2-7 from the field and committed a game-high six turnovers.