Murray, Jokic Lead Nuggets
Jamal Murray scored a season-high 41 points and Nikola Jokic recorded yet another triple-double as the Denver Nuggets cruised to a 128-108 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Nuggets have won 23 of their last 29 games, opening up a 4.5 game lead at the top of the Western Conference standings.
Murray shot 15-24 from the field — including 7-12 from 3-point range — and made all four of his free throws. He also contributed seven assists and five rebounds. Murray has recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of his last three games, matching the longest such streak in franchise history shared by Jokic (four times) and Alex English.
Jokic compiled 14 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. He took only eight shots from the field, making five of them. It’s the 49th time he’s recorded a triple-double with a field goal percentage of at least 60%, the most such games in NBA history:
49 — Nikola Jokic
44 — Wilt Chamberlain
41 — Magic Johnson
Jokic has recorded nine triple-doubles in his last 11 games, narrowly missing another by just one assist. Over that span, Jokic is averaging 23.5 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 12.0 APG, shooting 70.1% from the field, 52.4% from 3-point range, and 88.2% from the free throw line.
Jokic has recorded at least 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists while shooting 50% from the field in each of his last 33 games, the longest such streak in NBA history by a whopping 20 games (Wilt Chamberlain, 13). He also became the first player in NBA history to produce at least 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists with a field goal percentage of 60% in 10 straight games.
For the season, Jokic is averaging a triple-double — 24.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 10.1 APG — with a true shooting percentage of 70.4%. No player in NBA history has averaged at least 20 PPG with a true shooting percentage of 70% in a full season.
Giannis, Bucks on a Roll
Giannis Antetokounmpo notched his 32nd career triple-double, recording 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 123-115. The Bucks have won seven consecutive games to move within one game of the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Antetokounmpo is now tied with Rajon Rondo for 14th place on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list. He has 12 career 30-point triple-doubles, four more such games than all other players in franchise history combined:
12 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
6 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1 — Terry Cummings
1 — Sam Cassell
Antetokounmpo — who shot 13-19 from the field — has recorded at least 25 points and 10 rebounds with 50% shooting from the field in each of his last seven games, matching the longest such streak of his career.
Over his last six games, Antetokounmpo is averaging 41.2 PPG, 15.2 RPG, and 5.2 APG. The last player to average at least 40 PPG, 15 RPG, and 5 APG over a six-game span was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in February 1972.
Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 32 points for the Heat, shooting 11-21 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line. Butler also snagged eight rebounds and did not commit a turnover.
Clippers Outlast Knicks
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 65 points as the LA Clippers outlasted the New York Knicks 134-128 in overtime. The Clippers have won seven of their last nine games, while the Knicks have dropped seven of their last 10 contests.
Leonard scored a team-high 35 points and recorded four steals. Leonard is averaging 29.1 PPG on 50/40/90 shooting over his last 13 games (51.9% from the field, 43.3% from 3-point range, and 92.9% from the free throw line). He’s scored at least 24 points in 12 of those games.
George tallied 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He shot 9-16 from the field — including 5-9 from 3-point range — and made all seven of his free throws. In the nine games since his return from injury, George is averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 5.7 APG with shooting percentages of 51.4% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range.
The Knick’s Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 41 points and dished out seven assists in the loss. Brunson shot 14-19 from the field — including 5-7 from 3-point range — and made eight of his 10 free throws. His effective field goal percentage was 86.8%, the highest ever by a Knick in a 40-point, 5-assist game.
Teammate Julius Randle compiled 28 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Randle has recorded 34 points-rebounds double-doubles this season, the second-most such games in the NBA (Domantas Sabonis, 38). He’s produced a double-double in 24 of his last 27 games, narrowly missing two more by just a single rebound. He’s averaging 27.2 PPG and 13.0 RPG over that span.
Bulls Rally, Beat Blazers
The Chicago Bulls withstood a 40-point performance by Damian Lillard, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 129-121. The Bulls rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Trail Blazers 33-17 in the third quarter.
Lillard produced 40 points, five rebounds, and five assists, shooting 12-21 from the field (with five 3-pointers made) and 11-11 from the free throw line. Lillard now has 10 40-point games this season, seven of them coming in his last 13 games. Lillard is one 40-point game shy of matching the franchise single-season record he set in 2019-20.
Over his last 15 games, Lillard is averaging 37.5 PPG and 7.4 APG, shooting 52.0% from the field, 38.4% from 3-point range, and 94.2% from the free throw line. He’s scored at least 24 points in each of those games, breaking a tie with Geoff Petrie (1970-71) for the longest such streak in franchise history.
The Bulls’ Zach LaVine scored a team-high 36 points, adding six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. LaVine shot 11-18 from the field — including 5-10 from 3-point range — and made all nine of his free throws. It’s the 18th time LaVine has scored at least 30 points with an effective field goal percentage of 75% as a Bull, the most such games in franchise history. Michael Jordan is second with 15 such games.
Quick Hitters
Some other notes from around the NBA:
LeBron James had 27 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 131-126 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He needs 36 points to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. James has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 35 games, the longest such streak in NBA history by a player age 35 years or older.
Cam Thomas came off the bench to score 44 points in just 29 minutes played as the Brooklyn Nets came back from a 23-point deficit to stun the Washington Wizards 125-123. Thomas is the third player in franchise history to record a 40-point game coming off the bench, joining Robert Hawkins (Feb. 9, 1977) and Cliff Robinson (March 9, 1980). Thomas and Stephon Marbury (Nov. 11, 2000) are the only Nets to record a 40-point game while playing fewer than 30 minutes.
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton produced 31 points and 16 rebounds with 13-15 shooting from the field (86.7%) in a 116-100 win over the Detroit Pistons. Ayton became the first player in franchise history to record a 30-point, 15-rebound game with a field goal percentage of at least 85%. Since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78, he’s the only player to record such a game without committing a turnover.
The Oklahoma City Thunder shot down the Houston Rockets 153-121, the most points the franchise has scored in a game since moving to Oklahoma City. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 42 points, shooting 14-23 from the field and making 14 of his 15 free throws. It’s the 14th time Gilgeous-Alexander has made at least 10 field goals and 10 free throws in a game this season, tying Joel Embiid for the most such games in the NBA.