NBA Game Notes (Jan. 3, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Jan. 3, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Jaylen Brown erupted for a career-high-tying 50 points as the Boston Celtics routed the LA Clippers 146-115. Brown shot 18-26 from the field (6-10 on threes) and 8-10 from the free throw line. He also dished out five assists in 35 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 36 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 130-119 victory over the New York Knicks. Maxey went 14-22 from the floor, hitting six of his nine 3-point attempts. He added eight rebounds, four assists, a game-high two blocks (tied with three others), and one steal in 37 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Deni Avdija recorded his third triple-double of the season, producing game highs of 29 points and 10 assists to go with 11 rebounds in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 115-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Avdija shot 9-23 from the field (3-6 on threes) and 8-11 from the charity stripe. He also blocked one shot in 39 minutes played.
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Milestones
Brown became just the third player in Celtics history to record multiple 50-point games in his career, joining Jayson Tatum (five) and Larry Bird (four).
The following players made moves on the NBA’s career leaderboards: the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Mike Conley (1,623 steals, 31st); the Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic (10,472 rebounds, 37th); and the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (1,584 steals, 39th).
The LA Clippers (146 points against) set a franchise record for most points allowed in a regulation home game. The previous mark was set Dec. 23, 2023 in a 145-108 loss to the Celtics.
Streaking
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (22 points) has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 16 games, the second-longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 30.8 PPG with 49.9/37.1/95.5 shooting splits over that span.
The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson (31 points) has produced 14 straight 20-point games, the third-longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 31.3 PPG and 6.4 APG with 48.4/40.8/82.7 shooting splits over that stretch.
Brown has scored at least 20 points in 12 consecutive games, the third-longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 33.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 5.3 APG over that run, scoring 30 or more points 10 times.
Rookie Cooper Flagg (10 points, seven rebounds, six assists) extended his streak of 10-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist games to seven in the Dallas Mavericks’ 110-104 win over the Houston Rockets. He tied Luka Doncic (Jan. 21 to Feb. 6, 2019) for the longest such streak in NBA history by a teenager.
The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat 125-115, the 93rd straight game in which they’ve scored at least 100 points. It’s the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history, one game shy of tying the Atlanta Hawks (Dec. 9, 2022 to Jan. 12, 2024) for third place.
The Charlotte Hornets (15-41 on threes) broke the franchise record for most consecutive games with 15 or more 3-pointers made in a 112-99 win over the Chicago Bulls. They’ve recorded seven such games in a row, surpassing the previous mark of six set Nov. 26 to Dec. 6, 2021.
Miscellany
Brown was the night’s top bucket getter, matching his career high with 50 points. He was followed by Maxey (36), the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen (35), the Houston Rockets’ Kevin Durant (34), and the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (33).
The Hornets’ Miles Bridges and the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns shared nightly rebounding honors with 14 boards apiece. The Celtics’ Jordan Walsh placed third with a career-high 13 rebounds.
The Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels and the Clippers’ James Harden were the premier playmakers last night, each handing out 12 assists. The only other player to deliver double-digit dimes was Avdija with 10.