Dame Acclaim
Damian Lillard recorded just his second career triple-double, compiling 33 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers edged the Golden State Warriors 125-122. It’s the 44th time Lillard has recorded at 30-point, 10-assist game, one more such game than all other players in franchise history combined.
Lillard shot just 8-21 from the field (38.1%), but made all 16 of his free throws. It’s the 11th time Lillard has made at least 15 free throws in a game without a miss. The only player in NBA history with more such games is James Harden (14).
Lillard has scored at least 24 points in each of his last 17 games, averaging 36.7 PPG and 7.5 APG with shooting percentages of 50.6% from the field, 37.1% from 3-point range, and 95.0% from the free throw line over that span.
The Warriors’ Klay Thomspon scored 31 points, but did not make a trip to the free throw line for the second straight game. He’s scored a total of 73 points in those games, the most in NBA history over a two-game span in which a player did not attempt a free throw:
73 — Klay Thompson (Feb. 6 & 8, 2023)
71 — D’Angelo Russell (Jan. 18 & 21, 2019)
64 — JR Smith (April 4 & 6, 2014)
Thompson is the fourth player in NBA history to record back-to-back 30 point games without attempting a free throw, joining Russell, Smith, and Ryan Anderson (Nov. 18 & 20, 2015).
Jordan Poole scored a game-high 38 points and dished out seven assists for the Warriors. Poole shot 13-25 from the field — including 7-12 from 3-point range — and made all five of his free throws.
It’s Not Easy Being Green
Jalen Green scored a game-high 41 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Houston Rockets fell to the Sacramento Kings 130-128. It’s Green’s fourth career 40-point game. Only two players in NBA history have recorded more such games before their 21st birthday*:
8 — LeBron James
5 — Anthony Edwards
4 — Jalen Green
4 — Luka Doncic
4 — Kevin Durant
* Green turns 21 years old today, February 9, 2023.
Green shot 14-22 from the field — including 6-9 from 3-point range — and made seven of his nine free throws. It’s the third time he’s scored at least 40 points on 60% shooting from the field, tying James for the most such games in NBA history by a player age 20 years or younger.
The Kings’ DeAaron Fox recorded team highs of 31 points and 11 assists. Fox hit three clutch free throws with less than one second remaining in the game to turn a one-point deficit into a two-point advantage.
The Kings have scored at least 130 points 13 times this season, three more such games than any other team. It’s the most such games in a season by the franchise since 1967-68, when they were known as the Cincinnati Royals.
Shorthanded Celts Beat Sixers
Despite the absence of usual starters Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Robert Williams III, the Boston Celtics ground out a 106-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics played the second half without a fourth starter, as All-Star Jaylen Brown left the game in the second quarter with what was later diagnosed as a facial fracture.
Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon led a balanced Celtics attack with 19 points apiece. All-Star Jayson Tatum scored just 12 points on 5-15 shooting from the field, but recorded team highs of nine assists and eight rebounds (tied).
The Sixers’ James Harden scored 26 points and dished out a game-high 11 assists. It’s the 15th time Harden has recorded at least 20 points and 10 assists in a game this season, the fourth-most such games in the NBA.
Teammate Joel Embiid scored a game-high 28 points on 11-21 shooting from the field, his 14th straight 25-point game. That matches the second-longest such streak of his career, trailing only a 23-game streak he posted last season.
Heat Down Struggling Pacers
Bam Adebayo matched his season high with 38 points as the Miami Heat downed the struggling Indiana Pacers 116-111. The Pacers have lost 13 of their last 15 games, falling from sixth place to 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings over that span.
Adebayo made 12 of his 16 shots from the field (75.0%) and all 14 of his free throws. He’s just the second player in franchise history to make at least 10 field goals and 10 free throws in a game with shooting percentage of 75% and 100%, respectively. He joins LeBron James, who achieved the feat on Nov. 25, 2013.
The Heat’s Jimmy Butler chipped in with 25 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Butler shot 9-18 from the field and made seven of his eight free throws.
Buddy Hield scored a team-high 29 points on 10-18 shooting from the field (including six 3-pointers made) for the Pacers. Hield has made at least five 3-pointers in a game 23 times this season, the most such games in the NBA. It’s also 11 more such games than any other Pacer has recorded in a single season (Reggie Miller had 12 in 1996-97).
Teammate Tyrese Haliburton had 11 points and 10 assists for his 25th points-assists double-double of the season. He’s the first player in franchise history to record 25 such games in a season.
Quick Hitters
Some other notes from around the NBA:
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen scored 20 points and snagged 16 rebounds in a 113-85 rout of the Detroit Pistons. Allen, who shot 9-13 from the field, has scored at least 10 points on 60% shooting from the field in each of his last 10 games, the longest such streak in franchise history by four games. He’s averaging 17.1 PPG and 10.4 RPG with a field goal percentage of 70.5% over that span. The Cavaliers have won 25 games by double-figures this season, four more such wins than any other team.
Kristaps Porzingis scored a game-high 36 points and matched his career high with eight 3-pointers made as the Washington Wizards took care of the Charlotte Hornets 118-104. Porzingis has recorded three 30-point games in his last four outings. Porzingis has shot better than 50% from the field in each of his last five games, the longest such streak of his career.
Pascal Siakam produced 37 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists as the Toronto Raptors handled the San Antonio Spurs 112-98, the Spurs’ 10th straight loss. Siakam has 12 career 30-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist games, the most such games in franchise history. He shot 15-21 from the field (71.4%) and 4-5 from the free throw line.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ starting backcourt of Anthony Edwards and Jalyen Nowell combined for 61 points in a 143-118 blowout win over the Utah Jazz. Edwards scored a game-high 31 points with eight assists and seven rebounds, while Nowell scored a career-high 30 points. Luka Garza came off the bench for the Timberwolves to score 25 points on 9-13 shooting from the field.