NBA Game Notes (Jan. 15, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on January 15, 2024.
Embiid Leads Sixers
Making just his third appearance in the last 10 games, Joel Embiid tallied game highs of 41 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 124-115 win over the Houston Rockets. The Sixers improved to 22-6 when Embiid plays this season versus 3-7 when he sits out.
Embiid has produced at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in each of his last 16 games, tying Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history:
65 — Wilt Chamberlain (Nov. 4, 1961–Feb. 22, 1962)
31 — Chamberlain (Feb. 25–Dec. 8, 1962)
25 — Chamberlain (Nov. 11–Dec. 27, 1960)
20 — Chamberlain (Ja. 30–March 1, 1964)
16 — Chamberlain (Jan. 7-31, 1960)
16 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Feb. 2–March 1, 1972)
16 — Joel Embiid (Nov. 19, 2023–Jan. 15, 2024)
Embiid has recorded 17 straight 30-point games, the seventh-longest such streak in league history:
65 — Wilt Chamberlain (Nov. 4, 1961–Feb. 22, 1962)
32 — James Harden (Dec. 13, 2018–Feb. 21, 2019)
31 — Chamberlain (Feb. 25–Dec. 8, 1962)
25 — Chamberlain (Nov. 11–Dec. 27, 1960)
20 — Chamberlain (Ja. 30–March 1, 1964)
18 — Elgin Baylor (Dec. 20, 1961–Oct. 23, 1962)
17 — Joel Embiid (Nov. 17, 2023–Jan. 15, 2024)
It’s the 42nd time Embiid has recorded at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a game, the seventh-most such games in NBA history:
271 — Wilt Chamberlain
81 — Elgin Baylor
65 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
55 — Bob McAdoo
45 — Bob Pettit
43 — Shaquille O’Neal
42 — Joel Embiid
Embiid shot 12-21 from the field and made 16 of his 17 free throws. Embiid has 37 career games in which he’s made at least 15 free throws, breaking a tie with Dolph Schayes and Allen Iverson for the ninth-most such games in NBA history.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points and dished out a game-high seven assists, making six of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. It’s the 17th time Embiid and Maxey have each scored at least 25 points in the same game this season, four more such games than any other duo. The only duos in franchise history to record more such games in a single season are Chamberlain & Hal Greer (29, 1965-66) and Greer & Billy Cunningham (18, 1968-69).
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 20 points, while Alperen Sengun scored 19 points to go with team highs of nine rebounds and six assists. Sengun has scored at least 19 points in 14 consecutive games, averaging 25.1 PPG and 9.0 RPG with a field goal percentage of 55.4% over that span.
Trae Reaches Milestone
Trae Young produced game highs of 36 points and 13 assists in the Atlanta Hawks’ 109-99 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Young became the ninth player in franchise history to reach 10,000 points. He’s both the youngest (25 years, 118 days) and the fastest (390 games) player in franchise history to attain that milestone.
Young now has 73 career 30-point, 10-assist games, tying Jerry West for the sixth-most such games in NBA history:
230 — Oscar Robertson
101 — James Harden
97 — LeBron James
84 — Russell Westbrook
76 — Nate Archibald
73 — Jerry West
73 — Trae Young
Young shot 11-24 from the field — including 6-11 from 3-point range — and made eight of his nine free throws. It’s the 32nd time Young has recorded at least 10 assists and five 3-pointers made in a game, the fourth-most such games in NBA history:
65 — James Harden
45 — Stephen Curry
33 — Damian Lillard
32 — Trae Young
24 — Luka Doncic
Young’s backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, was held to 13 points on 6-15 shooting from the field, but snagged a season-high 13 rebounds. All 13 of Murray’s rebounds came on the defensive end, matching his career high.
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson compiled 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and six steals, while center Clint Capela tallied 13 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks. Johnson is the first Hawk to record at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a game since Paul Millsap on Nov. 5, 2016.
Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama scored a team-high 26 points (all in the second half), matched Murray’s game-high 13 rebounds, and blocked a game-high five shots in just 27 minutes played. Wembanyama made 12 of his 18 shots from the floor (66.7%), the highest field goal percentage he’s ever recorded in a game with at least 10 attempts.
It’s the second time Wembanyama has recorded at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a game. The only other rookie over the last 30 seasons to produce multiple such games is Tim Duncan in 1997-98 (six). The last rookie to record such a game while playing less than 30 minutes is John Salley on April 5, 1987.
Teammate Jeremy Sochan scored 23 points and dished out eight assists. He went 8-16 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line.
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Quick Hitters
Others notes from a busy MLK Day:
The Dallas Mavericks’ starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving (42 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (41) combined for 83 points in a 125-120 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. They are the 20th duo in NBA history to each score at least 40 points in the same game, and just the fourth to do so with 10 or more free throws made apiece (Irving went 13-15 from the free throw line, Hardaway Jr. 10-10). Hardaway Jr. fell one short of the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a game, sinking nine of his 15 attempts. Zion Williamson scored a team-high 30 points for the Pelicans, shooting 12-17 from the field.
In a matchup between the teams with the two worst records in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons halted their seven-game losing skid with a 129-117 win over the Washington Wizards. The Pistons’ Alec Burks came off the bench to tie his career high with 34 points, going 11-17 from the floor with eight 3-pointers made. Teammate Jalen Duren scored 20 points — hitting all eight of his shots from the field — and hauled in a game-high 19 rebounds, while Jaden Ivey chipped in with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. Wizards guard Tyus Jones scored a team-high 22 points, dished out a game-high seven assists, and did not commit a turnover or personal foul in 31 minutes played. It’s the 55th time Jones has recorded at least five assists in a game with zero turnover and zero personal fouls, a whopping 29 more such games than any other player since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78.
In just the eighth game this season in which neither team reached the century mark, the Orlando Magic rallied to beat the New York Knicks 98-94. The Magic’s Paolo Banchero and Miles McBride shared game-high scoring honors with 20 points apiece. It was the first 20-point game for McBride, who’s playing his third NBA season. The Magic committed just eight turnovers, their second-lowest total of the season.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ Vince Williams Jr. scored a career-high 24 points as the Memphis Grizzlies rallied for a 116-107 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Williams Jr. also established new career highs for free throws made (nine) and attempted (10). Grizzlies reserve GG Jackson also set a new career high for points with 23, making five of his eight 3-point attempts. At 19 years and 29 days old, Jackson became the second-youngest player in NBA history to record back-to-back 20-point games, trailing only LeBron James. Jaren Jackson Jr. compiled 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four blocks for Memphis, but shot just 4-20 from the field (including 3-14 on 3-pointers). The Warriors’ Stephen Curry recorded game highs of 26 points and eight assists, while Jonathan Kuminga contributed 20 points and game-high 11 rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have won five consecutive games, the latest a 109-91 defeat of the Chicago Bulls. The Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell had game highs of 34 points and seven assists (tied), going 11-21 from the floor and 8-8 from the free throw line. Center Jarrett Allen extended his career-long double-double streak to nine games, scoring 10 points and hauling in a game-high 14 rebounds. He’s averaging 18.8 PPG and 15.1 RPG over that span, shooting 65.0% from the field and 86.7% from the free throw line.
The Boston Celtics improved to an NBA-best 31-9 on the season, knocking off the Toronto Raptors 105-96. Starting guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White scored 22 points apiece to pace the Celtics, with Holiday also distributing a game-high seven assists (tied with Thaddeus Young). Teammate Jayson Tatum recorded a double-double, posting 19 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, and six assists. The Raptors’ RJ Barrett scored a game-high 24 points and snagged nine rebounds, while Toronto’s other recent acquisition from the New York Knicks, Immanuel Quickley, scored 21 points and grabbed six boards in 37 turnover-free minutes.
Remember what I said about there being eight games this season in which both teams scored fewer than 100 points? Scratch that, make it nine games, as the Miami Heat edged the Brooklyn Nets 96-95 in overtime. It’s the first overtime game in which neither team cracked 100 points since Jan. 30, 2019, when the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies 99-97. The Heat’s Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 31 points on just 12 shots from the field (he made eight of them). Butler scored 15 points from the free throw line, where he missed just one of his attempts. Teammate Tyler Herro scored 29 points to go with a season-high 11 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo scored 11 points and hauled in a season-high 20 boards. Mikal Bridges led the Nets with 26 points, but shot just 10-24 from the field (including 2-10 on 3-pointers). Brooklyn’s Can Thomas scored 23 points but made just seven of his 20 shots from the field, also going 2-10 from 3-point range. The Nets have lost eight of their last nine games, falling to 16-23 on the season.
The red-got Utah Jazz continued their winning ways, routing the Indiana Pacers 132-105 for their sixth straight victory and 15th in the last 19 games. Utah has won each of its nine homes games over that span, with an average margin of victory of 16.8 PPG. Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen led the way, recording team highs of 32 points and 10 rebounds. Markkanen went 10-15 from the field and hit all 10 of his free throws. Teammate Collin Sexton scored 30 points in just 24 minutes of action, connecting on 11 of his 17 field goal attempts. Sexton has scored 140 points in 139 minutes over his last six games, shooting 60.5% from the field, 56.0% from 3-point range, and 93.3% from the free throw line.
Anthony Davis (27 points) and LeBron James (25) combined for 52 points as the Los Angeles Lakers downed the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-105. Davis also had a game-high 15 rebounds and five assists, shooting 9-17 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line. James added seven rebounds and six assists, going 12-20 from the floor. The Thunder’s Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 and 24 points, respectively, each dishing out a team-high six assists. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 24 points in each of his last 20 games, averaging 32.7 PPG and 6.4 APG with a field goal percentage of 57.1% over that span.
Marc Stein, “Recommended by Marc Stein”