NBA Game Notes (Jan. 10, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Jan. 10, 2025.

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 ⭐️

Nikola Jokic recorded his 145th career triple-double, racking up game highs of 35 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and four steals in the Denver Nuggets’ 124-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Jokic shot 14-21 from the field and made six of his eight free throw attempts. He committed just one turnover and one personal foul in 38 minutes of playing time.

Second ⭐️

Giannis Antetokounmpo produced game highs of 41 points and 14 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Orlando Magic 109-106. Antetokounmpo went 19-29 from the floor, but made just three of his 10 free throw attempts. He added four assists, a game-high three steals (tied with Damian Lillard), and two blocks in 37 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 39 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 126-101 blowout win over the New York Knicks. Gilgeous-Alexander made 15 of his 21 field goal attempts and shot a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. He also recorded a team-high two steals (tied with two others) and one block, posting a rating of plus-18 points in 29 minutes played.

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Milestones

• Jokic and teammate Russell Westbrook (25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists) became the first duo in NBA history to each record a 25-point triple-double in the same game. They are also the first duo in league history to each record a triple-double in the same game twice in the same season.

• Jokic recorded his 15th triple-double of the season, the fifth time he’s reached that mark. That ties Oscar Robertson and Westbrook for the most such seasons in NBA history.

• Jokic reached 1,000 points for the season in 32 games, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to attain that milestone. The previous mark of 33 games was shared by Carmelo Anthony (2006-07) and Ralph Simpson (1971-72, ABA).

• Domantas Sabonis led the Sacramento Kings to their sixth straight win, scoring 23 points and hauling in a career-high 28 rebounds in a 114-97 victory over the Boston Celtics. Sabonis pulled down 20 of his boards on the defensive end, matching the franchise single-game record he already shared with DeMarcus Cousins (defensive rebounds have been tracked since the 1973-74 season).

• Sabonis’ 28 rebounds are the most by a King since the franchise relocated to Sacramento in 1985. The last player to record at least 28 rebounds in a game for the franchise was Connie Dierking on March 19, 1969, when the team was known as the Cincinnati Royals.

• Sabonis’ teammate, DeMar DeRozan, scored a team-high 24 points, making nine field goals and four free throws to move up the career leaderboards in both categories. DeRozan’s 8,698 field goals made rank 26th all time (passing Elgin Baylor) and his 6,321 free throws made rank 17th all time (passing Carmelo Anthony).

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Streaking

• Antetokounmpo has scored in double figures with 50% shooting from the field in each of his last 32 regular season games, breaking a tie with Dwight Howard for the second-longest such streak in NBA history. The record of 44 such games in a row is held by Jokic.

• Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 33 games, averaging 32.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 2.0 SPG with 54.0/37.3/89.2 shooting splits over that span.

• Zach LaVine scored a game-high 33 points on 14-21 shooting from the field as the Chicago Bulls destroyed the Washington Wizards 138-105. LaVine has produced five straight 30-point games, the longest such streak of his career.

• Sabonis has recorded 15 consecutive double-doubles. He’s averaging 20.2 PPG, 16.3 RPG, and 6.1 APG over that stretch, shooting 56.1% from the field and 52.9% from 3-point range.

• Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Sacramento Kings (six) and Indiana Pacers (five).

• Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Washington Wizards (five).

• The Chicago Bulls went 23-49 from long range, the 38th consecutive game in which they’ve made 10 or more 3-pointers. It’s the longest such streak in franchise history (by a whopping 21 games) and the 10th-longest such streak in NBA history.

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Miscellany

• Antetokounmpo was the night’s leading scorer, netting 41 points. Gilgeous-Alexander (39), the New Orleans Pelicans’ CJ McCollum (38), Jokic (35), the Magic’s Paolo Banchero (34), LaVine (34), the Thunder’s Isaiah Joe (season-high 31), and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey (30) also produced 30-point efforts.

• Sabonis was the top board man last night, grabbing a career-high 28 rebounds. Also collecting at least a dozen boards were Antetokounmpo (14); the Bulls’ Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic (13 apiece); the Knicks’ Josh Hart (13); Jokic (12); and the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (12).

• Jokic led all playmakers, handing out 15 assists last night. Maxey was next in line with 12 dimes, followed by the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and Westbrook with 10 each.