NBA Game Notes (Jan. 23, 2025)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Jan. 23, 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 had a monster night, compiling game highs of 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 17 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 132-123 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Jokic shot 12-19 from the field (2-3 on 3-pointers) and 9-10 from the free throw line. He added two blocks and one steal, committing just one turnover in 37 minutes of court time.
Second ⭐️
Victor Wembanyama put on a show for his compatriots, producing game highs of 30 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks as the San Antonio Spurs routed the Indiana Pacers 140-110 in Paris. Wembanyama went 13-21 from the floor, making four of his 11 attempts from 3-point range. He also dished out six assists and did not commit a personal foul in 30 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Damian Lillard fell one rebound shy of a triple-double, producing game highs of 29 points and 11 assists to go with nine rebounds in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 125-96 rout of the Miami Heat. Lillard shot just 9-21 from the field (5-14 on 3-pointers), but sank all six of his free throw attempts. He also swiped a game-high two steals and was charged with just one turnover and one personal foul in 36 minutes played.
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Milestones
Jokic became just the second player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 20 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game. He joins Wilt Chamberlain, who tallied 35 points, 24 rebounds, and 15 assists on Feb. 14, 1968.
Jokic has 10 career games in which he’s recorded at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. The only other players in NBA history to reach that mark are Chamberlain (40) and Elgin Baylor (10).
Jokic recorded his 150th career triple-double. He’s only the third player in NBA history to reach that mark, joining Russell Westbrook (202) and Oscar Robertson (181).
Jokic has produced a league-leading 20 triple-doubles this season, 11 more than any other player. It’s the third time he’s reached that mark, the third-most such seasons in NBA history behind Robertson (five) and Westbrook (four).
The LA Clippers’ James Harden posted his 79th career triple-double, registering 17 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in a 110-93 win over the Washington Wizards. He now stands alone in eighth place on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list, breaking a tie with Chamberlain.
LeBron James had 20 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, and six assists as the Los Angeles Lakers blew out the Boston Celtics 117-96. James recorded 11 of those boards on the defensive end, raising his career total to 9,720. He passed Hakeem Olajuwon (9,714) to take over seventh place on the NBA’s career leaderboard (defensive rebounds have been tracked since the 1973-74 season).
The Kings’ DeMar DeRozan scored a team-high 24 points, going 9-16 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. He increased his career total to 6,355 free throws made, snapping a tie with Charles Barkley (6,349) for 16th place on the NBA’s all-time list.
Wembanyama has made at least four 3-pointers and blocked at least four shots in a game 11 times, tying Brook Lopez and Kristaps Porzingis for the most such games in NBA history. Eight of those games have come this season, the highest single-season total in league history.
Streaking
Jokic has recorded a triple-double in each of his last five games, matching the longest such streak of his career and the longest such streak in franchise history. He’s produced eight triple-doubles in his last 11 games, missing three others by either a single rebound (once) or a single assist (twice).
Jokic has recorded 11 consecutive double-doubles, averaging 28.7 PPG, 15.5 RPG, 11.5 APG, and 2.4 SPG with 54.6/41.5/86.3 shooting splits over that span.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and dished out seven assists, but the Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Dallas Mavericks 121-115. He’s scored at least 20 points in 39 straight games, the longest such streak of his career and the third-longest such streak in franchise history.
Wembanyama has blocked at least one shot in 76 straight games, tying Josh Smith for the longest such streak in the NBA this century. It’s also the longest such streak in Spurs history by 15 games.
Wembanyama has recorded at least one 3-pointer made and one block in 33 consecutive games, the longest such streak in NBA history by 12 games.
Kings center Domantas Sabonis scored 23 points to go with team highs of 19 rebounds and eight assists. He’s recorded 21 straight double-doubles, averaging 20.9 PPG, 16.1 RPG, and 6.2 APG with a field goal percentage of 58.2% over that span.
The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points and snagged a team-high 12 rebounds for his 14th consecutive double-double. He’s averaging 29.1 PPG, 12.9 RPG, and 5.9 APG with a field goal percentage of 58.9% over that stretch.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Milwaukee Bucks (five).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Washington Wizards (12) and Orlando Magic (five).
The Bucks have scored at least 120 points in each of their last five games, matching the second-longest such streak in franchise history. The franchise record of six 120-point games in a row was set in February 2021.
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Miscellany
Jokic was the night’s leading scorer, netting 35 points. Thunder teammates Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander were next with 33 and 31 points, respectively, while Wembanyama scored 30.
Jokic was the top board man, hauling in a season-high-tying 22 rebounds last night. Sabonis and the Mavericks’ P.J. Washington tied for second place with 19 boards apiece (a career high for Washington), while the Heat’s Bam Adebayo and James each had 14 retrieves.
Jokic was also the leading playmaker last night, handing out a season-high 17 assists. Next in line were Harden and the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young with 13 dimes apiece, followed by Lillard with 11 helpers.
Jokic has compiled 316 points, 171 rebounds, 126 assists, and 26 steals over his last 11 games. Since the NBA began tracking steals in 1973-74, he’s the the only player to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds, 125 assists, and 25 steals over an 11-game span.
Wembanyama has recorded at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game four times, tying Joel Embiid for the most such games among active players.
As noted above, Wembanyama has four career 30-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist, 5-block games. Since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74, no other player has recorded even one such game at a younger age than Wembanyama (who was 21 years and 19 days old yesterday).