NBA Game Notes (Jan. 8, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Jan. 8, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
LaMelo Ball came off the bench to score a game-high 33 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Charlotte Hornets were edged out by the Indiana Pacers 114-112. Ball shot 12-24 from the field, hitting seven of his 15 attempts from 3-point range. He also dished out a game-high eight assists (tied with T.J. McConnell) and swiped a team-high three steals in 27 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Cooper Flagg racked up a team-high 26 points, 10 rebounds, and a game-high eight assists in the Dallas Mavericks’ 116-114 loss to the Utah Jazz. Flagg went 10-18 from the floor, making three of his six 3-point attempts. He also contributed a game-high three steals (tied with Keyonte George) and one block in 38 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Julius Randle scored a team-high 28 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 131-122 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Randle shot 10-21 from the field (3-7 on threes) and 5-6 from the free throw line. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists in 35 minutes played.
Milestones
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (25 points) reached 10,000 career points at the age of 24 years and 156 days. He’s the third-youngest player in NBA history to attain that milestone, trailing only LeBron James (23y-59d) and Kevin Durant (24y-33d).
