NBA Game Notes (Feb. 26, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on February 26, 2024.
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 ⭐️
Scottie Barnes scored 21 points to go with game highs of 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and five blocks in the Toronto Raptors’ 130-122 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Barnes became the first player in franchise history to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and five blocks in a game. Leaguewide, he’s the first player to do so since DeMarcus Cousins on April 1, 2015.
Barnes now has four triple-doubles this season, breaking the franchise single-season record he shared with Kyle Lowry (2017-18). Barnes became the third player in franchise history to reach five career triple-doubles, joining Lowry (16) and Pascal Siakam (five).
Second ⭐️
Bennedict Mathurin matched his career high with 34 points in the Pacers’ loss to the Raptors. Mathurin shot 11-15 from the floor — including 5-8 from 3-point range — and made seven of his nine free throws. He also contributed nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a game-high 39 minutes played.
Third ⭐️
Jalen Brunson produced game highs of 35 points and 12 assists as the New York Knicks edged the Detroit Pistons 115-113. Brunson struggled from the field, going 11-26 (including 3-11 on 3-pointers), but hit 10 of his 11 free throw attempts. He also tied three others for the team lead in steals with two.
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Milestones
The Pistons’ Jalen Duren recorded his 30th double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and hauling in a game-high 16 rebounds in a loss to the Knicks. At 20 years and 100 days old, he became the youngest player in franchise history to reach that mark, surpassing Andre Drummond (20 years, 163 days).
The Brooklyn Nets routed the Memphis Grizzlies 111-86, giving interim head coach Kevin Ollie his first career victory.
The Indiana Pacers scored at least 120 points for the 40th time in 59 games this season. Only three other teams in NBA history have reached that mark in fewer than 60 games: the 1961-62 Philadelphia Warriors (55), the 1981-82 Denver Nuggets (57), and the 1959-60 Boston Celtics (58).
Streaking
The Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis produced his third straight triple-double, compiling 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 121-110 loss to the Miami Heat. Sabonis leads the NBA with 21 triple-doubles this season, having recorded eight in his last 10 games.
Sabonis has posted a double-double in 40 straight games, the second-longest such streak in franchise history (Jerry Lucas, 55) and the fourth-longest such streak since the ABA-NBA merger. He’s the 10th different player in NBA history to record at least 40 consecutive double-doubles in a single season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Kevin Love, Jerry Lucas, Moses Malone, and Bob Pettit.
Sabonis’ teammate, De’Aaron Fox, tallied 27 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, his fifth straight 25-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist game. He’s the first King to produce five such games in a row since Oscar Robertson in January 1968 (when the franchise was known as the Cincinnati Royals).
Fox also swiped three steals. He’s recorded at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in each of his last five games. Since the NBA began tracking steals in 1973-74, only one player has recorded a longer such single-season streak: Michael Jordan with seven in a row in 1988-89.
Brunson has scored at least 20 points in 18 straight games, the longest such streak of his career and the longest such streak by a Knicks guard since Walt Frazier in 1971-72 (22 in a row). Brunson is averaging 31.9 PPG and 7.4 APG with 49/36/87 shooting splits over that span.
The Pacers have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 67 games, the longest such streak in franchise history by a whopping 22 games (ABA seasons included).
Teams with losing streaks of five or more games: Detroit Pistons (six).
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Miscellany
Brunson led all scorers with 35 points last night, followed by Mathurin (34), Detroit’s Cade Cunningham (32), Miami’s Bam Adabeyo (28), Sacramento’s Keegan Murray (28), Fox (27), Indiana’s Pascal Siakam (27), and Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. (26).
Seven players secured double-digit rebounds last night: Duren (16), Sabonis (14), Barnes (12), the Knicks’ Precious Achiuwa (11), the Pacers’ Myles Turner (11), Adebayo (10), and the Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl (10).
Brunson and Barnes led all players in assists last night with 12 apiece. Miami’s Duncan Robinson (career-high 11) and Sabonis (10) also registered double-digit dimes.