NBA Game Notes (March 11, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on March 11, 2024.
Three Stars
The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.
First ⭐️
Nikola Jokic compiled game highs of 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists (tied with teammate Jamal Murray), six steals, and two blocks (tied with two others) in the Denver Nuggets’ 125-119 victory over the Toronto Raptors. He scored 23 of his points in the second half, helping the Nuggets rally from a 21-point third-quarter deficit.
Jokic became just the fourth player to record at least 35 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and five steals in a game since the NBA began tracking steals in 1973-74. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Nov. 2, 1973), George McGinnis (Feb. 8, 1976), and Terry Cummings (Jan. 16, 1987).
Second ⭐️
Kevin Durant scored a game-high 37 points, adding a team-high eight rebounds (tied with Jusuf Nurkic) and six assists as the Phoenix Suns beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-110. Durant made 14 of his 26 shots from the field, including five of 10 attempts from 3-point range.
Durant has scored at least 35 points in each of his last four games. The only other player in NBA history to record at least four straight 35-point games after turning 35 years old is LeBron James (five in a row).
Third ⭐️
Luka Doncic produced game highs of 27 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds in the Dallas Mavericks’ 127-92 rout of the Chicago Bulls. It was Doncic’s seventh straight 25-point triple-double, tying Oscar Robertson (Jan. 1-12, 1961) for the longest such streak in NBA history.
Doncic had 15 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in the first quarter as the Mavericks opened up a 44-16 lead. The 28-point margin matched the largest lead after one quarter in franchise history.
If you are a free subscriber who is enjoying these posts, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This newsletter is produced by a team of one, but provides more “NBA statistical goodness” (Marc Stein) than most, if not all, major media outlets.
Milestones
Doncic has notched 17 triple-doubles this season, tying the Mavericks single-season record he set in 2019-20. He’s the only player in franchise history to record double-digit triple-doubles in a season (five times).
The Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson scored 21 points in a 112-102 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Thompson made four 3-pointers to increase his season total to 203, the ninth time he’s reached 200 3-pointers made in a season. The only player in NBA history with more such seasons is teammate Stephen Curry with 11.
Thompson’s teammate, Chris Paul, tallied 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Paul made nine field goals to give him 7,829 for his career. He passed Joe Johnson (7,823) and moved into 46th place on the NBA’s career leaderboard.
Kyrie Irving made two 3-pointers in the Mavericks’ win over the Bulls, raising his career total to 1,687. He broke a tie with Steve Nash (1,685) to take over sole possession of 33rd place on the NBA’s all-time list.
The Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (game-high 27 points) and Jayson Tatum (26) led the Boston Celtics to a 121-99 blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s the 83rd time Brown and Tatum have each scored at least 25 points in the same game, breaking a tie with the Cincinnati Royals’ Oscar Robertson and Jack Twyman for the sixth-most such games in NBA history by a duo.
The Boston Celtics recorded their league-best 50th win of the season. It’s the 36th time they’ve reached that mark, the most such seasons by a franchise in NBA history. Boston owns the best home record (29-3) and the best road record (21-11) in the NBA this season.
Streaking
Doncic has numerous ongoing scoring streaks: 15 straight 25-point games, 15 straight 20-point games, and 57 straight 15-point games.
Doncic has recorded at least 10 assists in each of his last eight games, tying his head coach, Jason Kidd (April 8-21, 1996), for the longest such streak in Mavericks history.
Doncic became just the second player in NBA history to record 15 consecutive 25-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist games. Robertson did so multiple times, with a high of 30 such games in a row.
Doncic’s teammate, Daniel Gafford, scored 20 points on 9-9 shooting from the field. Gafford has made 28 consecutive field goals over his last four games, the longest such streak in the NBA’s play-by-play era (the NBA record of 35 consecutive field goals made is held by Wilt Chamberlain). Gafford is the first player in NBA history to make at least five field goals in four straight games without missing a shot from the floor.
Durant has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 15 games, breaking a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985-86) for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA history by a player age 35 years or older.
The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks in a loss to the Warriors. Wembanyama has recorded at least 10 points and one block in each of his last 25 games. Since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74, only three other rookies have produced at least 25 such games in a row: David Robinson (41 and 27 games), Hakeem Olajuwon (28), and Patrick Ewing (28).
Do you have a friend or family member who loves the NBA as much as you do? Please consider sharing this free post with them.
Miscellany
Durant led all scorers with 37 points last night. Nine other players had 25-point outings: Jokic (35), the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland (30), the Suns’ Devin Booker (27), Brown (27), Doncic (27), Wembanyama (27), the Toronto Raptors’ RJ Barrett (26), Murray (26), and Tatum (26).
Jokic was the night’s top glass cleaner with 17 rebounds. He was followed by the Trail Blazers’ Deandre Ayton (15), Wembanyama (14), the Charlotte Hornets’ Nick Richards (13), and Doncic (12).
Doncic was the leading playmaker, dishing out 14 assists. Jokic (12), Murray (12), and the Cavaliers’ Caris LeVert (11) also handed out double-digit dimes last night.
Doncic is averaging 35.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 10.6 APG over his last 25 games. He’s just the second player in NBA history to average a 35-point triple-double over a 25-game span, joining Robertson (1960-61).
The Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II (career-high 22 points, 11-12 field goals) and Gafford are the first teammates to each score at least 20 points on 90% shooting from the field in the same game since the New York Knicks’ Wilson Chandler and Nate Robinson on Nov. 12, 2008.
Lively II has scored at least 20 points with a field goal percentage of 85% in four games this season. The last player to produce four such games in their rookie campaign was Buck Williams in 1981-82.
Jokic and Murray became just the third teammates since the ABA-NBA merger to each record at least 25 points and 10 assists in the same regular season game multiple times. They join the Portland Trail Blazers’ Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, each of whom did so twice. Jokic and Murray are the only duo in NBA history to achieve the feat multiple times in the postseason.