Quick Hitters
I was a little short on time this morning, so here’s a quick recap of last night’s 14-game(!!!) slate.
The Indiana Pacers set a franchise single-game record with 50 assists, extending their winning streak to six games with a 150-116 demolition of the Atlanta Hawks. It’s the third time the Pacers have scored at least 150 points in a game this season, one shy of the NBA record of four such games shared by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers and 1978-79 San Antonio Spurs. The Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton dished out a game-high 18 assists in just 25 minutes played, his 11th straight game with double-digit assists. Teammate Myles Turner led eight Pacers in double figures with 27 points, sinking 10 of his 14 tries from the field. The Hawks’ Dejounte Murray scored a game-high 30 points on 13-19 shooting from the floor.
Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 30 points in just 25 minutes played as the Boston Celtics routed the Utah Jazz 126-97. Tatum also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and dished out five assists, going 5-8 from 3-point range and 13-14 from the free throw line. The Celtics have won 15 of their last 18 games and lead the NBA with a record of 27-7.
Josh Hart recorded a plus-minus of +46 in just 30 minutes played as the New York Knicks blew out the Philadelphia 76ers 128-92. Hart scored 10 points, hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds, and dished out six assists. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, shooting 11-20 from the field with four 3-pointers made. The Sixers’ Joel Embiid recorded his 15th straight 30-point, 10-rebound game, scoring a game-high 30 points to go with 10 rebounds and three blocks. It’s the longest such streak in the NBA since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 16 such games in a row in 1972.
The Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Washington Wizards 114-90, their seventh win in the last 10 games. The Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell led all players with 26 points, going 8-15 from the floor with five 3-pointers made. Teammate Jarrett Allen recorded his sixth straight double-double, producing 12 points (5-7 field goals) and a game-high 12 rebounds. He’s averaging 19.7 PPG and 15.7 RPG with a field goal percentage of 66.2% over that span.
The Brooklyn Nets snapped a five-game losing skid, upsetting the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115. Nic Claxton and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 23 points apiece to lead the Nets, with Claxton also snagging a game-high 13 rebounds. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 34 points on 11-19 shooting from the floor. He’s scored at least 24 points in each of his last 15 games, averaging 33.4 PPG with shooting percentages of 55.7% from the field and 85.1% from the free throw line over that span.
The red-hot LA Clippers won for the 14th time in 16 games, knocking off the New Orleans Pelicans 111-95. Paul George led the Clippers with 24 points, going 9-15 from the field with six 3-pointers made. Teammate James Harden distributed a game-high 13 assists and committed just one turnover in 29 minutes of action.
The Minnesota Timberwolves returned to their winning ways, routing the Houston Rockets 122-95. Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 24 points for the Timberwolves, with Karl-Anthony Towns adding 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert had a double-double, posting 13 points (6-7 field goals) and a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls’ Coby White produced team highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds (tied) to go with six assists in a 104-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Bulls center Andre Drummond matched White’s 10 rebounds (in just 23 minutes) for his sixth straight 10-rebound game. Miles Bridges scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Hornets, hitting 12 of his 18 field goal attempts.
Despite the absence of MVP candidate Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks pounded the Portland Trail Blazers 139-103. Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 24 points on 10-18 shooting from the floor, adding nine rebounds and five assists. The Mavericks also played without the services of usual starters Dereck Lively II, Grant Williams, and Dante Exum. Rookie Scoot Henderson scored 17 points and handed out a game-high 10 assists for the Trail Blazers, who have lost 13 of their last 16 games.
The Phoenix Suns’ Grayson Allen tied the franchise single-game record with nine 3-pointers made in an easy 113-97 win over the Miami Heat. Allen finished with a game-high 31 points, going 11-19 from the field. Suns guard Bradley Beal had 25 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while backcourt mate Devin Booker chipped in with 20 points, a game-high 10 assists, and five rebounds. The Heat’s Bam Adebayo scored a team-high 28 points (11-19 field goals) and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Paolo Banchero recorded his first career triple-double, compiling 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Orlando Magic rallied to defeat the Denver Nuggets 122-120. The Magic outscored the Nuggets 68-53 in the second half to overcome a 13-point halftime deficit. The Magic’s Jalen Suggs scored 27 points, sinking seven of his nine attempts from 3-point range. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 29 points, making 13 of his 19 shots from the floor. Jokic has gone 52-63 from the field over his last five games (82.5%), the highest field goal percentage over a five-game span with at least 50 makes since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray scored 20 points to go with a team-high nine assists and seven rebounds.
The Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis became the 12th player in NBA history to reach 40 career triple-doubles, tallying game highs of 24 points (tied), 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 135-130 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Sabonis has recorded 17 consecutive double-doubles, the second-longest such streak of his career. He ranks second in the NBA in both double-doubles (30) and triple-doubles (eight) this season. Teammate De’Aaron Fox matched Sabonis’ 24 points, hitting 10 of his 20 attempts from the field.
The slumping Los Angeles Lakers lost for the ninth time in their last 11 games, falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 127-113. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a team-high 31 points and snagged nine rebounds for the Grizzlies, making 11 of his 14 attempts from the field. Jackson Jr. received help from Desmond Bane (24 points, career-high 13 assists), Marcus Smart (season-high 29 points, 8-14 on 3-pointers), and Ja Morant (21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists). The Lakers’ LeBron James scored a game-high 32 points, adding seven assists, five rebounds, and five steals. Teammate Anthony Davis contributed 31 points on 13-22 shooting from the floor, while Austin Reaves had 19 points, a career-high 12 assists, and seven rebounds.
The Detroit Pistons have lost 31 of their last 32 games, the latest setback a 113-109 defeat courtesy of the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry scored a team-high 26 points for the Warriors, although he shot just 7-19 from the field. The Pistons’ Cade Cunningham scored a game-high 30 points, hitting 13 of his 22 field goal attempts. Cunningham has scored at least 22 points in nine of his last 10 games, averaging 28.7 PPG and 8.1 APG with 53/37/85 shooting splits over that span. Teammate Jalen Duren recorded his ninth straight double-double, scoring 13 points (6-6 field goals) and collecting a game-high 12 rebounds. During his streak, Duren is averaging 14.6 PPG and 12.9 RPG with a field goal percentage of 73.7%.