Curry Cooks, Clippers Win
The LA Clippers withstood a 50-point performance from Stephen Curry to defeat the Golden State Warriors 134-126. The Clippers have won four consecutive games to take over sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference standings, just a half-game behind the fourth-place Phoenix Suns.
Curry is the sixth player in NBA history to record a 50-point game after his 35th birthday (a total of seven instances):
LeBron James (2 times)
Jamal Crawford
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Alex English
Stephen Curry
It was Curry’s 12th career 50-point game, breaking a tie with Allen Iverson for the ninth-most such games in NBA history. Rick Barry and LeBron James are directly above Curry on the all-time list, each with 14 such games.
Curry shot 20-28 from the field with eight 3-pointers made, an effective field goal percentage of 85.7%. It’s the ninth time Curry has scored at least 50 points with an effective field goal percentage of 75%, snapping a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for the most such games in NBA history.
Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points to lead the Clippers, adding eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Leonard shot 10-19 from the field and made all seven of his free throws. Since scoring a season-low six points on January 5, Leonard has averaged 28.6 PPG on 53/50/91 shooting over his last 25 games.
Leonard was one of six Clippers to score at least 15 points:
30 — Kawhi Leonard
24 — Paul George
19 — Ivica Zubac
17 — Terance Mann
16 — Eric Gordon
15 — Russell Westbrook
That matches the most such players in a single game in franchise history (11 previous instances).
The Warriors dropped their ninth consecutive road game, falling to 7-27 away from home this season. The Warriors — who are 29-7 at Chase Center — have more home wins than the team with the NBA’s best overall record (Milwaukee Bucks) and as many road losses as the team with the NBA’s worst overall record (Detroit Pistons).
Embiid Delivers Yet Again
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid delivered another dominating performance, producing game highs of 36 points, 18 rebounds, and four blocks in a 118-109 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sixers have won six consecutive games and are just a game behind the second-place Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings.
Embiid has recorded at least 30 points and three blocks in each of his last four games, the longest such streak in franchise history. The last player to record at least four such games in a row was Shaquille O’Neal in November 1999 (six straight).
Embiid shot 12-19 from the field and made all 10 of his free throws. It’s the 20th time he’s made at least 10 field goals and 10 free throws in a game this season, the most such games in the NBA. The only other player in franchise history to record at least 20 such games in a season is Allen Iverson (26, 2005-06).
Embiid has scored at least 25 points on 50% shooting from the field in nine straight games, matching the longest such streak in franchise history held by Wilt Chamberlain (Feb. 7-19, 1966).
Teammate James Harden scored 28 points and dished out a game-high 12 assists. Harden now has 32 points-assists double-doubles this season, breaking the franchise record for most such games in a season he shared with Wilt Chamberlain (1967-68) and Maurice Cheeks (1985-86).
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points, shooting 8-14 from the field with five 3-pointers made. Embiid, Harden, and Maxey have each scored at least 20 points in the same game nine times this season, the most such games by a Sixers trio since Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Andrew Toney recorded 15 such games in 1983-84.
Kings Outfox Bulls
De’Aaron Fox hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining as the Sacramento Kings upended the Chicago Bulls 117-114. The Kings improved to 9-2 since the All-Star break, averaging 130.2 PPG over that span.
Fox finished with a game-high 32 points, shooting 12-17 from the field with four 3-pointers made. Fox is averaging 30.3 PPG on 53.5% shooting from the field over his last 17 games.
Teammate Domantas Sabonis recorded his fourth triple-double in his last five games, compiling 14 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. The last King (nee Royal) to record at least four triple-doubles in a five-game span was Oscar Robertson in January 1966.
Sabonis has produced 11 triple-doubles this season, second in the NBA to Nikola Jokic (27). He leads the league with 55 double-doubles, five more than any other player (Jokic, 55).
The Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 33 points in the loss, shooting 10-20 from the field and 9-11 from the free throw line. Teammates Zach LaVine (25 points) and Nikola Vucevic (20) also recorded 20-point games.
It’s the 10th time DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic have each scored at least 20 points in the same game this season, the second consecutive season they’ve reached that mark. They are the first trio in franchise history to produce two such seasons.
Quick Hitters
Some other notes from around the NBA:
The Dallas Mavericks rallied to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 137-128 in overtime. Dallas was led by Christian Wood, who recorded game highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds (tied). Wood was one of five Mavericks to score at least 20 points, the most such players in a single game in franchise history. It’s just the fourth time in the last 30 seasons a team has had five 20-point scorers in a game.
Bam Adebayo scored a game-high 26 points on 10-15 shooting from the field as the Miami Heat routed the Memphis Grizzlies 138-119. Adebayo also produced team highs of eight rebounds (tied) and three blocks.
Jaylen Brown poured in a game-high 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Boston Celtics edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-102. Teammate Jayson Tatum tallied 22 points and 12 rebounds, although he shot just 4-16 from the field, missing all eight of his 3-point attempts. Brown and Tatum have each scored at least 20 points in the same game 40 times this season, 10 more such games than any other duo.