NBA Game Notes (Jan. 12, 2024)
NBA Game Notes (Jan. 12, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on January 12, 2024.
Balanced Pacers Beat Hawks
Led by a balanced scoring attack that saw eight players score between 10 and 18 points, the Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-108. Indiana has won nine of its last 10 games to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
The eight Pacers to score in double figures were:
Obi Toppin (18 points, 7-7 field goals)
Buddy Hield (18 points, 7-11 field goals)
Bennedict Mathurin (15 points, 6-9 field goals)
Aaron Nesmith (13 points, 5-6 field goals)
Isaiah Jackson (12 points, 6-7 field goals)
Myles Turner (12, points, 5-9 field goals)
Bruce Brown (12 points, 5-9 field goals)
Andrew Nembhard (10 points, 4-6 field goals)
It’s just the fifth time in the last 30 seasons a team had had eight players score at least 10 points on 55% shooting from the field in a game:
Phoenix Suns (Nov. 23, 1994)
Memphis Grizzlies (April 2, 2008)
Sacramento Kings (March 27, 2016)
Memphis Grizzlies (Dec. 2, 2021)
Indiana Pacers (Jan. 12, 2024)
Overall, the Pacers made 53 of their 79 attempts from the floor, a field goal percentage of 67.1%. That’s the highest such figure in a game in franchise history, surpassing the previous mark of 66.7% established on Oct. 24, 2017.
Although he didn’t score in double figures, the Pacers’ T.J. McConnell came off the bench to record a game-high 14 assists and three steals in just 25 minutes played. McConnell now has 22 career games in which he’s come off the bench to hand out double-digit assists, the most such games among active players.
The Pacers were credited with 41 assists, the third time in the last eight games they’ve recorded at least 40 assists. The last team to produce three such games in an eight-game span was the Cleveland Cavaliers in March 1993.
The Hawks’ Dejounte Murray scored a game-high 29 points, going 13-18 from the field. Backcourt mate Trae Young was held to 13 points, making just four of his 17 attempts from the floor.
Both Young and teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic reached 1,000 career 3-pointers made in this game. They became the seventh-fastest (388 games) and ninth-fastest (405 games) players in NBA history, respectively, to attain that milestone.
Nuggets Cool Off Pelicans
The Denver Nuggets cooled off the New Orleans Pelicans, pulling out a 125-113 victory. The Pelicans came into the game having won six of their last seven contests, four by 20 or more points. The Nuggets, meanwhile, have won 13 of their last 17 games, six by a dozen or more points.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic recorded his league-leading 12th triple-double of the season, compiling 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. Jokic now has 117 career triple-doubles, the fourth-highest total in NBA history behind Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181), and Magic Johnson (138).
Jokic sank 11 of his 17 attempts from the field. Over his last eight games, Jokic has made 73 of his 92 shots from the floor, a field goal percentage of 79.3%. The only player in NBA history to record a higher such figure over an eight-game span with at least 80 attempts is Wilt Chamberlain.
Jokic also delivered this ridiculous no-look overhead pass to Aaron Gordon for an easy dunk:
Teammates Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray scored 20 points apiece, shooting 8-12 and 8-15 from the field, respectively. Porter Jr. also snagged 10 rebounds, while Murray handed out nine assists.
Zion Williamson scored a game-high 30 points for the Pelicans, hitting 13 of his 22 field goal attempts. Williamson also recorded six rebounds and five assists, and committed just one turnover in 35 minutes played.
Quick Hitters
Additional odds and ends from last night’s games:
The Houston Rockets rallied to defeat the Detroit Pistons 112-110, handing the Pistons their seventh straight loss and 35th in the last 36 games. Houston’s Alperen Sengun scored a game-high 29 points on 12-19 shooting from the field, while Fred VanVleet scored 20 points and dished out a game-high 12 assists. Jalen Green added 28 points for the Rockets, but made just nine of his 25 attempts from the floor. Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. recorded his third double-double in the last four games, scoring 19 points to go with a game-high 11 rebounds. Kevin Knox (7-9 field goals) and Alec Burks (5-9 on 3-pointers) scored 19 points apiece to lead the Pistons, with Jaden Ivey adding 18 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
Tobias Harris scored a season-high 37 points (just two shy of his career high) as the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing skid with a 112-93 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Harris added seven rebounds and three steals, going 14-25 from the field and 6-6 from the free throw line. The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis recorded his 21st consecutive double-double, tallying 14 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and five assists.
The San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama produced team highs of 26 points and 11 rebounds despite logging just 19:41 of playing time in a 135-99 rout of the Charlotte Hornets. Wembanyama is just the third player since the ABA-NBA merger to record a 25-point, 10-rebound game in less than 20 minutes played, joining John Drew (Nov. 18, 1981) and Kevin Love (April 10, 2022). The Hornets’ LaMelo Ball made his return after missing 20 games with an ankle injury, scoring a game-high 28 points to go with five assists and five steals. Ball established new career highs for free throws made (15) and attempted (16). Charlotte has dropped 15 of its last 16 games, having been outscored by an average of 16.25 PPG over that span.
The Portland Trail Blazers were blown out for the third straight game, the latest setback a 116-93 loss courtesy of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Portland has been outscored by 113 points over its last three games, the second-highest such figure over a three-game span in NBA history. It’s not a franchise record, though, as the Trail Blazers were outscored by 114 points from April 7-10, 2022. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert posted game highs of 24 points and 17 rebounds, making nine of his 11 tries from the floor. Frontcourt mate Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 23 points and eight rebounds, missing just one of his eight field goal attempts.
The LA Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-119, notching their 17th win in the last 20 games. The Clippers’ Paul George scored a game-high 37 points, shooting 12-18 from the field (including 7-10 on 3-pointers) and 6-6 from the free throw line. Teammate Kawhi Leonard added 22 points and seven rebounds, hitting 10 of his 16 shots from the floor. Grizzlies’ center Xavier Tillman tied his career high with 20 points (8-10 field goals) and snagged a team-high nine rebounds.
Klay Thompson matched his season high with 30 points as the Golden State Warriors outscored the Chicago Bulls 140-131. Thompson shot 7-15 from 3-point range, adding six rebounds and six assists. Fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry scored 27 points and distributed a game-high nine assists, but misfired on 16 of his 24 field goal attempts (although he did hit five 3-pointers). It’s the 51st time Thompson and Curry have each made at least five 3-pointers in the same game, three more such games than the next four closest duos combined. DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 39 points for the Bulls, connecting on 15 of his 21 shots from the floor. Teammates Coby White (9-13 field goals) and Zach LaVine (9-15 field goals) chipped in with 25 points and seven assists apiece, with LaVine also recording a team-high eight rebounds.
The Miami Heat prevailed in the battle of Florida, defeating the Orlando Magic 99-96 in a low-scoring contest. Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 21 points to go with game highs of 11 rebounds and seven assists. Duncan Robinson scored a team-high 23 points for the Heat, with rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. adding 19 points and seven rebounds. The Magic’s Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 25 points, but was held to 10-26 shooting from the field (including 1-7 from 3-point range).
The Utah Jazz destroyed the Toronto Raptors 145-113, earning their 10th win in the last 12 games to improve to 20-20 on the season. Utah has won four straight games by double digits, scoring at least 120 points in each game. It’s the first time in franchise history they’ve achieved this feat. The Jazz had three players score at least 20 points: Lauri Markkanen (22 points, nine rebounds, 7-11 field goals), Jordan Clarkson (21 points, 5-9 on 3-pointers), and Collin Sexton (20 points in 20 minutes). Utah’s Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to produce 11 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, and five assists in just 21 minutes played. Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Raptors, going 8-14 from the field with five 3-pointers made.