Quick Hitters
Miscellaneous notes from last night’s games:
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points apiece in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 124-117 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Edwards added eight assists and five rebounds, while Towns went 10-17 from the field and hit all five of his 3-pointers. Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels scored a season-high 23 points on 8-11 shooting from the floor, while center Rudy Gobert scored 19 points (8-11 field goals) and corralled a game-high 16 rebounds. It’s the 209th time Gobert has recorded a double-double with a field goal percentage of 70% or higher, the most such games in NBA history. Jaden Ivey matched his career high with 32 points to lead the Pistons, shooting 13-22 from the floor with four 3-pointers made. Teammate Jalen Duren recorded his 20th double-double of the season, posting 16 points (8-14 field goals) and a team-high 11 rebounds.
The Toronto Raptors opened up a 41-18 first-quarter lead and never looked back, rolling past the Miami Heat 121-97. The Raptors’ Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 28 points on 10-13 shooting from the field, missing just one of his nine 3-point attempts. Toronto also received solid efforts from RJ Barrett (26 points, eight rebounds, 9-14 field goals), Scottie Barnes (20 points, eight assists, five rebounds, 9-16 field goals), and Immanuel Quickley (17 points, game-high nine assists, eight rebounds). Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Tyler Herro scored 16 points apiece to lead the Heat. Miami trailed by 35 points at the end of the second quarter, the largest halftime deficit in franchise history.
Julius Randle (31 points) and Jalen Brunson (30) combined for 61 points as the New York Knicks beat the Houston Rockets 109-94. Randle shot 11-19 from the field (4-8 on 3-pointers) and snagged eight rebounds, while Brunson went 11-21 from the floor (4-9 on threes) and dished out a team-high seven assists. Randle and Brunson have each scored at least 20 points in the same game 26 times this season, the most such games by any duo. The Knicks’ Josh Hart came off the bench to score 10 points and grab a game-high 14 rebounds, while teammate Isaiah Hartenstein had 11 rebounds and five assists. Fred VanVleet scored a team-high 24 points for the Rockets, handing out a game-high 12 assists and committing just one turnover in 41 minutes played. Rockets center Alperen Sengun tallied 18 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, five assists, and a game-high four blocks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers earned their sixth consecutive win, routing the Milwaukee Bucks 135-95. Georges Niang came off the bench to score a career-high 33 points in 27 minutes for the Cavaliers, sinking 13 of his 14 field goal attempts. Niang tied the franchise record for highest field goal percentage in a 30-point game (92.9%), a mark previously shared by Elmore Smith (March 13, 1977) and Brad Daugherty (Feb. 21, 1992). Teammate Donovan Mitchell produced 31 points (12-19 field goals), seven assists, and three steals in just 26 minutes of action. Niang and Mitchell are the first duo in franchise history to each score at least 30 points in less than 30 minutes played in the same game. Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen had 21 points (9-15 field goals) and a game-high 13 rebounds. Allen has recorded a double-double in each of his last 10 games, the longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 19.0 PPG and 14.9 RPG over that span, shooting 64.3% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line.
The Boston Celtics improved to 20-0 at home this season, blowing out the San Antonio Spurs 117-98. Dating back to last season, the Celtics have won 27 straight regular season home games, the third-longest such streak in franchise history. Three players scored at least 21 points for the Celtics: Jayson Tatum (24 points, five rebounds), Jrue Holiday (22 points, 6-7 on 3-pointers), and Jaylen Brown (21 points, seven rebounds, five assists). The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama led all scorers with 27 points, hitting 10 of his 19 shots from the field. He became the first rookie in NBA history to produce more points (146) than minutes played (145) over a six-game span with at least 120 minutes played. Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG during that stretch, shooting 54.1% from the field and 88.6% from the free throw line.
Dejounte Murray hit an 18-foot pull-up jumper as time expired to lift the Atlanta Hawks over the Orlando Magic 106-104. Murray finished with a game-high 26 points (tied with Orlando’s Paolo Banchero), five rebounds, and five assists, making 11 of his 18 tries from the floor. Backcourt mate Trae Young added 18 points and a game-high 12 assists, but shot just 5-14 from the field and committed a game-high eight turnovers. Young has struggled mightily with his shooting over the last eight games, going 54-150 from the field (36.0%) and 18-70 from 3-point range (25.7%).
The woeful Charlotte Hornets have lost 17 of their last 18 games, the latest setback a 132-112 defeat courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a game, sinking 25 of their 47 attempts from long range. The Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram recorded his third career triple-double, compiling team highs of 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Ingram matched his career high with seven 3-pointers made in 11 attempts. New Orleans also received 20-point outings from CJ McCollum (22 points, six assists) and rookie Jordan Hawkins (21 points, six rebounds, 6-9 on 3-pointers), while Zion Williamson contributed 13 points, nine assists (tying his career high), five rebounds, and three steals. LaMelo Ball scored a game-high 29 points for the Hornets, adding seven assists and five rebounds. The other member of the Hornets’ starting backcourt, Terry Rozier, scored 25 points on 9-15 shooting from the field (including 7-11 from 3-point range).
The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic tallied game highs of 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in his return from a three-game absence, but it wasn’t nearly enough in a 127-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He now has 37 career 30-point triple-doubles, tying LeBron James for third place on the NBA’s all-time list. Doncic has recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 17 of his last 19 games. He’s the first player in NBA history to produce 17 such games in a 19-game span. Anthony Davis had a big night for the Lakers, delivering 28 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting 12-17 from the floor. Teammates D’Angelo Russell and James chipped in with 29 and 25 points, respectively, with James adding eight rebounds and eight assists. In his three games since being reinstated as a starter, Russell is averaging 27.3 PPG with 53/52/100 shooting splits.
The Brooklyn Nets lost for the ninth time in their last 10 games, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers 105-103. The Trail Blazers’ Jerami Grant scored a game-high 30 points and collected a team-high eight rebounds, making 14 of his 26 field goal attempts. Teammate Anfernee Simons added 20 points in 39 turnover-free minutes, hitting a game-winning floater with less than one second remaining in the fourth quarter. Nets center Nic Claxton recorded a double-double, scoring 12 points (4-5 field goals) to go with game highs of 12 rebounds and three steals, while guard Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 points (5-8 field goals) and handed out a game-high seven assists.