NBA Game Notes (Feb. 5, 2023)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on February 5, 2023.
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Quick Hitters
It was a bit of a light slate in the NBA yesterday, and to be honest outside of a certain trade not a whole lot that was noteworthy happened. Here are a few items to give you your morning fix, though:
Paolo Banchero did not shoot well from the field (6-20, 30.0%), but compiled 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists as the Orlando Magic beat the Charlotte Hornets 119-113. It’s the fourth time Banchero has recorded at least 20 points, 10 rebound, and five assists in a game this season, breaking a tie with Shaquille O’Neal for the most such games by a rookie in franchise history. Banchero is the only rookie in the NBA this season to produce a 20-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the shorthanded Denver Nuggets 128-98, as the Nuggets sat usual starters Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Anthony Edwards, appearing in his 200th NBA game, led a balanced Timberwolves attack with 20 points. Edwards, Luka Doncic, and Damian Lillard are the only players in NBA history to score at least 4,000 points with 500 3-pointers made through the first 200 games of their career.
Jarrett Allen scored 18 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and made nine of his 11 shots from the field as the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Indiana Pacers 122-103. It’s the 38th time Allen has recorded a double-double with a field goal percentage of at least 80%, the most such games in NBA history by a player before his 25th birthday.
Julius Randle had 24 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists as the New York Knicks rallied from an early 21-point deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-97. Randle is averaging 24.7 PPG and 10.8 RPG this season, both of which would be career bests. The Sixers’ Joel Embiid recorded his sixth straight 25-point, 10-rebound game, tallying game highs of 31 points and 14 rebounds. Embiid shot poorly from the field (6-16, 37.5%), but missed just one of his 19 free throw attempts.
Willy Hernangomez came off the bench to produce 22 points and 16 rebounds in just 28 minutes played as the New Orleans Pelicans wiped out the Sacramento Kings 136-104. Hernangomez is just the second bench player in franchise history to record a 20-point, 15-rebound game, joining Josh Hart (Feb. 9, 2021). No other player in franchise history has recorded at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a game while playing fewer minutes. Teammate CJ McCollum scored a game-high 24 points on 9-11 shooting from the field. It’s just the second time McCollum has scored at least 20 points with a field goal percentage of 80%, the first occurrence coming on March 25, 2017.
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Marc Stein, “Recommended by Marc Stein”