NBA Game Notes (Jan. 6, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Jan. 6, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
LeBron James scored a team-high 30 points (tied with Luka Doncic) in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. James shot 10-19 from the field (3-5 on threes) and 7-7 from the free throw line. He added eight rebounds, eight assists, a game-high two steals (tied with five others), and one block, committing just one turnover in 33 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Trey Murphy III poured in a career-high 42 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Pelicans fell to the Lakers. Murphy III went 14-26 from the floor (6-17 on threes) and 8-9 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed five rebounds and did not commit a turnover in 39 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Cam Spencer scored five of his team-high 21 points (tied with Jaren Jackson Jr.) in the final 86 seconds as the Memphis Grizzles edged out the San Antonio Spurs 106-105. Spencer shot 8-15 from the field, hitting three of his eight 3-point attempts. He also contributed eight rebounds, a game-high eight assists (tied with De’Aaron Fox), and one steal in 30 turnover-free minutes.
Milestones
Tyler Herro (1-4 on threes) made his 1,000th career 3-pointer in the Miami Heat’s 122-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He reached that mark in 368 games, becoming the sixth-fastest player in NBA history to do so.
Murphy III tied the Pelicans’ franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a game with 17. Lonzo Ball also launched 17 threes in a game on May 1, 2021.
The Sacramento Kings’ DeMar DeRozan (2-2 free throws) moved into 13th place on the NBA’s career leaderboard for free throws made in a 100-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He’s hit 6,713 shots from the charity stripe, one more than Kareem Adbul-Jabbar and Dolph Schayes.
Teammate Russell Westbrook (2-4 free throws) increased his career total to 6,057 free throws made, tying Wilt Chamberlain for 21st place on the NBA’s all-time list. He also tied Terry Porter for 31st place on the career leaderboard for games played with 1,274.
The Minnesota Timberwolves (52 defensive rebounds) set a franchise record for most defensive rebounds in a game. The previous mark of 51 defensive boards had been set on Dec. 26, 2019.
Streaking
Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg (20 points, eight rebounds, six assists) has produced eight straight 10-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist games, snapping a tie with Luka Doncic for the longest such streak in NBA history by a teenager.
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Indiana Pacers (13), New Orleans Pelicans (eight), and Sacramento Kings (six).
The Pacers set a franchise record with their 13th consecutive loss, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-116. They had dropped 12 straight games on four previous occasions.
The Timberwolves (122 points) have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 95 regular season games, breaking a tie with the Atlanta Hawks (Dec. 9, 2022 to Jan. 12, 2024) for the third-longest such streak in NBA history.
Miscellany
Murphy III was the nightly scoring leader, netting a career-high 42 points. He was followed by the Lakers’ Luka Doncic (30), James (30), the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (30), and the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland (29).
The Mavericks’ Anthony Davis and the Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert were the chairmen of the boards, each snagging 16 rebounds last night. The Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford and the Pelicans’ Derik Queen were next in line with 13 boards apiece (a career high for Queen).
The Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard was the night’s top playmaker, handing out 11 assists. Doncic also delivered double-digit dimes with 10.