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 ⭐️
Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points as the Philadelphia 76ers snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 132-129 upset win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Maxey went 9-18 from the field (4-8 on 3-pointers) and made all seven of his free throw attempts. He also recorded game highs of seven assists and two blocks (tied in both categories) and swiped two steals while logging a game-high 40 minutes.
Second ⭐️
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Memphis Grizzlies to their fifth straight win, bagging a game-high 29 points in a 139-126 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Jackson Jr. shot 10-16 from the floor, hitting five of his nine 3-point attempts. He also dished out a career-high-tying seven assists and grabbed five rebounds in 32 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Donovan Mitchell matched his season high with 37 points, but it wasn’t enough in the Cavaliers’ loss to the Sixers. Mitchell went 12-23 from the field (7-15 on 3-pointers) and 6-8 from the free throw line. He added game highs of seven assists and three steals (tied in both categories) in 33 minutes played.
Milestones
The Cavaliers’ Ty Jerome scored a career-high 33 points, going a perfect 8-8 from 3-point range. He set a franchise record for most threes made in a game without a miss, besting the previous mark of seven shared by Mo Williams, Kyrie Irving, and Cedi Osman.
The Cleveland Cavaliers went 25-52 from beyond the arc, tying the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a game. They also made 25 threes in a game on March 3, 2017 (not to mention a playoff game on May 4, 2016).
Streaking
Maxey has scored at least 25 points in nine consecutive games, the longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 30.4 PPG and 7.3 APG over that span, shooting 45.1% from the field and 91.1% from the free throw line.
Mitchell has made at least one 3-pointer in 66 straight games, the longest such streak in Cleveland Cavaliers history (by 31 games) and the 24th-longest such streak in NBA history.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Memphis Grizzlies (five).
The Cavaliers have made 10 or more 3-pointers in each of their last 49 games, the longest such streak in franchise history (by 23 games) and the sixth-longest such streak in NBA history.
Miscellany
Mitchell led the nightly scoring brigade, netting a season-high-tying 37 points. Teammate Jerome ranked second with a career-high 33 points, while the Sixers’ Paul George placed third with 30.
The Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan shared top rebounding honors with the Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. and Guerschon Yabusele, each snagging 13 boards last night (a career high for Yabusele). Next in line was the Grizzlies’ Zach Edey with 11 rebounds, followed by the Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen and the Charlotte Hornets’ Josh Okogie with 10 apiece.
The Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane was the lone player to deliver double-digit dimes last night, handing out a season-high-tying 14 assists.
The Cavaliers (25 threes) and the Philadelphia 76ers (21) combined to make 46 triples, the second-highest such total in a game in NBA history. The record of 48 was set by the Golden State Warriors (27) and the Dallas Mavericks (21) on Dec. 15, 2024.