Lakers Outlast Warriors
LeBron James recorded the first 20-rebound game of his 21-season career as the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Golden State Warriors 145-144 in double overtime. The win improved the Lakers’ record to 24-23, the first time they’ve been above .500 this month.
James finished with team highs of 36 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists, the latter two figures also game highs. It’s the 155th game in which James has been his team’s outright leader in all three categories, the most such games in NBA history.
James became the 13th different player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game. At 39 years and 28 days old, James is the oldest player to accomplish the feat by almost six years (Elgin Baylor is the second oldest at 33 years and 185 days).
James also became the fifth player in NBA history to reach 110 career triple-doubles, joining Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Nikola Jokic. He has 38 career 30-point triple-doubles, tied with Luka Doncic for third place on the NBA’s all-time list.
James’ 22 triple-doubles since turning 35 years old are by far the most in NBA history, 14 more than the next-closest player (Jason Kidd with eight). He has seven 30-point triple-doubles over that span. Only two other players in NBA history have recorded a 30-point triple-double after their 35th birthday: Larry Bird and Kobe Bryant, each with one.
The second member of the Lakers’ dynamic duo, Anthony Davis, tallied 29 points, 13 rebounds, and a game-high four blocks. It’s the 14th time James and Davis have each recorded a 25-point double-double in the same game, the sixth-most such games by a duo since the ABA-NBA merger.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell chipped in with 28 points and five assists, shooting 5-8 from 3-point range and hitting all seven of his free throws. In his eight games since being reinstated as a starter on January 13, Russell is averaging 27.5 PPG and 6.4 APG with 52/54/92 shooting splits.
The Warriors’ Stephen Curry scored a game-high 46 points on 17-35 shooting from the floor, sinking nine of his 21 tries from 3-point range. It’s the 40th time Curry has made at least nine 3-pointers in a game, one more such game than the next four closest players combined.
Curry now has 31 career 45-point games, tying Rick Barry for seventh place on the NBA’s all-time list. He also dished out seven assists, giving him 20 career 45-point, 5-assist games, second among active players to James (21).
Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson scored 24 points, but shot just 9-24 from the field (including 6-17 on 3-pointers). Curry and Thompson have each scored at least 20 points in the same game 222 times, tying Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant for the fifth-most such games in NBA history by a duo.
Jonathan Kuminga (22 points, nine rebounds) and Andrew Wiggins (22 points, 8-12 field goals) also had 20-point outings for the Warriors, while Draymond Green recorded team highs of 14 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, and two blocks. It’s the 17th time Green has recorded a double-double despite scoring fewer than 10 points. He and Jason Kidd (25) are the only players since the ABA-NBA merger to record at least 10 such games.
Kings Hold Off Mavericks
The Sacramento Kings built up a 19-point lead through three quarters, then held off a fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 120-115. The Kings improved to 26-18 on the season, good for fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox led all players with 34 points, adding five assists, two steals, and two blocks. Fox shot 13-24 from the field and made seven of his eight free throws.
Teammate Domantas Sabonis extended his career-long double-double streak to 27 games, scoring 17 points (7-10 field goals) and corralling a game-high 11 rebounds. Sabonis is averaging 20.6 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 8.6 APG over those 27 games, with a field goal percentage of 62.8%.
Luka Doncic compiled team highs of 28 points, 17 assists, and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks. He became the first player in NBA history to record at least 100 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists over a two-game span (101 points, 20 rebounds, and 24 assists, to be exact).
Doncic now has 65 career triple-doubles, becoming the ninth player in NBA history to reach that mark. He’s the second-youngest (24 years, 333 days) and third-fastest (369 games) player to attain that milestone.
It wasn’t all good for Doncic, as he misfired on 17 of his 26 shots from the floor (including eight of his nine 3-point attempts). That matches the second-most field goals Doncic has missed in a game this season, and it’s his second-worst effective field goal percentage (36.5%) of the campaign.
Mavericks forward Grant Williams scored in double figures for just the second time this month, bagging 27 points to go with eight rebounds and a game-high three steals. Williams shot 9-16 from the field, making seven of his 10 attempts from 3-point range.
Quick Hitters
Additional tidbits on yesterday’s action:
In a matchup between the teams with the two worst records in the NBA, the Washington Wizards pulled away in the fourth quarter of a 118-104 win over the Detroit Pistons. It’s the first time in NBA history two teams with a winning percentage less than 19% have met this late into a season (each had played 44 games). Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points — tying the Pistons’ Bojan Bogdanovic for game-high honors — while center Daniel Gafford had 15 points (7-10 field goals) and a game-high 13 rebounds. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham made his return after missing eight games with a knee injury, scoring 20 points and dishing out a game-high 12 assists. On the downside, Cunningham committed a game-high seven turnovers and missed 10 of his 17 shots from the floor. Teammate Jalen Duren recorded a double-double, scoring 10 points (5-6 field goals) and hauling in a game-high 18 rebounds. The Pistons fell to 5-40 with the loss. Only five teams in NBA history have reached 40 losses in fewer games.
The New York Knicks won their sixth straight game, beating the Miami Heat 125-109. The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson recorded game highs of 32 points and eight assists, shooting 12-22 from the field in 38 turnover-free minutes. Julius Randle and OG Anunoby added 19 points apiece, with Randle also grabbing nine rebounds to surpass 6,000 for his career. Miami’s Jimmy Butler tallied a team-high 28 points (11-20 field goals), eight rebounds, and three steals, and was not charged with a turnover in 36 minutes played. Teammate Bam Adebayo posted a double-double, scoring 12 points (6-10 field goals) and hauling in a game-high 13 rebounds. The Heat have dropped six straight games, matching their longest losing streak in the last 16 seasons.
The showdown between MVP winners Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid never materialized, as Embiid was a late scratch in the Denver Nuggets’ 111-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jokic recorded team highs of 26 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists (tied with Jamal Murray). It’s the 160th game in which Jokic has been his team’s leader — either outright or tied — in all three categories, the second-most such games in NBA history behind LeBron James (232). Murray scored 23 points to go with his seven assists, making six of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. The Sixers’ Paul Reed scored a career-high 30 points (14-21 field goals) and secured a team-high 13 rebounds. Reed received help from Kelly Oubre Jr. (25 points, 9-17 field goals) and Patrick Beverley (17 points, game-high 11 assists).
The Brooklyn Nets held off a second-half rally to defeat the Houston Rockets 106-104. The Rockets trailed by as many as 28 points in the second quarter, but got to within one point with just 2.4 seconds remaining in the final period. The Nets’ Cam Thomas led all players with 37 points, going 11-19 from the field and 12-15 from the free throw line. Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith added 19 points apiece for the Nets, while Nic Claxton had 10 points (5-7 field goals) and a game-high 13 rebounds. Houston’s scoring attack was led by Jalen Green (19 points, 10 rebounds), Cam Whitmore (19 points, nine rebounds) and Dillon Brooks (19 points).
The Utah Jazz easily handled the Charlotte Hornets 134-122, handing the Hornets their 21st loss in the last 24 games. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen produced team highs of 33 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 12-18 from the field with seven 3-pointers made. He was one of three Jazz players to record a 20-point double-double, the others being Collin Sexton (24 points, career-high 13 assists) and John Collins (20 points, 10 rebounds, 9-13 field goals). It’s the first time Utah has had three such players in a game since March 27, 2010, when Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer, and Deron Williams accomplished the feat. P.J. Washington matched his career high with 43 points to lead the Hornets, hitting 17 of his 22 shots from the floor (including seven 3-pointers made). Washington became the first bench player in franchise history to record a 40-point game. Charlotte’s Nick Richards scored 26 points to go with game highs of 13 rebounds and four blocks, missing just one of his 11 field goal attempts.
The LA Clippers improved to 22-4 in the months of December and January, routing the Boston Celtics 115-96. It’s just the second home loss of the season for the Celtics. Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 26 points for the Clippers, sinking 10 of his 15 shots from the field. Frontcourt mate Daniel Theis added 18 points, missing just one of his nine tries from the floor. The Clippers’ James Harden recorded team highs of eight rebonds and seven assists, but was held to just nine points (2-11 field goals, 0-6 on 3-pointers). Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 21 points, also corralling a game-high 11 rebounds. Teammate Jaylen Brown was held to a season-low eight points (3-13 field goals), snapping a streak of 61 straight games with double-digit scoring.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded game highs of 30 points (11-16 field goals) and 12 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks raced past the New Orleans Pelicans 141-117. It’s the eighth time the Bucks have scored at least 140 points in a game this season, the most such games in franchise history and tied with the Indiana Pacers for the league lead this season. Antetokounmpo received help from Damian Lillard (26 points, nine assists, six rebounds), Brook Lopez (24 points, 6-9 on 3-pointers), and Bobby Portis (20 points, seven rebound, 9-15 field goals). The Pelicans’ scoring attack was led by Brandon Ingram (26 points, 9-18 field goals) and Zion Williamson (23 points, 8-14 field goals, 7-7 free throws), while Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points and team highs of 10 rebounds and six assists in just 24 minutes of action. Fifteen of the Pelicans’ 46 games have been decided by 20 or more points this season (10 wins, five losses), four more such games than any other team.
The San Antonio Spurs rallied in the fourth quarter to stun the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-112, outscoring Minnesota 33-22 in the final period. Devin Vassell scored a team-high 25 points to lead the Spurs, making 11 of his 17 shots from the field. Spurs center Victor Wembanyama contributed 23 points (9-17 field goals), a game-high 10 rebounds, and six assists. He became the second-youngest player in NBA history to record three straight 20-point, 10-rebound games, trailing only Jabari Smith Jr. Wembanyama has scored at least 20 points in 13 of his last 14 games, averaging 24.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.3 BPG with 52/35/84 shooting splits over that span. The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 32 points and distributed a career-high 12 assists, making 12 of his 18 attempts from the floor (including six of his eight 3-pointers).