NBA Game Notes (March 17, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on March 17, 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 ⭐️

Victor Wembanyama compiled 33 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and seven blocks as the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Brooklyn Nets 122-115 in overtime. He led all players on both teams in points, rebounds, and blocks, and was also the game’s leader in field goals made (14) and attempted (26, tying his career high).

Wembanyama is just the second rookie to record at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74, joining David Robinson (Feb. 3, 1990). It’s the fifth time he’s recorded at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game, three more such games than any other rookie over that span.

Second ⭐️

Damian Lillard scored a game-high 31 points (tied with teammate Bobby Portis) and dished out a career-high-tying 16 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks eclipsed the Phoenix Suns 140-129. The Bucks played without the services of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the game with hamstring soreness.

Lillard became the first player in franchise history to record a 30-point, 15-assist game. He shot 10-19 from the floor (4-8 on 3-pointers) and a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.

Third ⭐️

Sam Hauser scored a career-high 30 points in just 23 minutes played in the Boston Celtics’ 130-104 rout of the Washington Wizards. Hauser made 10 of his 13 attempts from the field, all 3-pointers. He’s just the third player in franchise history to make 10 or more 3-pointers in a game, joining Marcus Smart (11) and Jaylen Brown (10).

Hauser set an NBA record for fewest minutes played in a game with 10 or more 3-pointers made (22:49, to be exact). The previous mark of 23:56 was set by Luke Kennard nearly one year ago (March 24, 2023).

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Milestones

• The Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson scored a season-high 30 points with seven 3-pointers made in a 104-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Robinson’s first make from 3-point range was the 1,000th of his career. He became the fastest player in NBA history to reach that mark (343 games), surpassing Buddy Hield (350).

• Luka Doncic scored a game-high 37 points as the Dallas Mavericks edged the Denver Nuggets 107-105, surpassing 2,000 points for the second consecutive season. He’s the third player in franchise history to record back-to-back 2,000-point seasons, joining Dirk Nowitzki (twice) and Mark Aguirre.

• Wembanyama has recorded at least five points, five rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game six times this season. That breaks a tie with Bill Walton (1974-75) for the most such games by a rookie since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74. The last player to record at least six such games in a season was Andrei Kirilenko in 2005-06 (nine).

• James Harden scored just nine points in the LA Clippers’ 110-93 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, but it was good enough to pass Vince Carter (25,728) and move into 20th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Harden now has 25,730 career points.

• Harden’s teammate, Paul George, scored 26 points with four 3-pointers made. George has made 201 3-pointers this season, tying the franchise single-season record held by JJ Redick (2016-17).

• Lillard pushed his career point total to 20,915, passing Pau Gasol (20,894) and taking over 42nd place on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard.

• The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum scored 30 points in a win over the Wizards, making six of his 12 attempts from 3-point range. Tatum reached 200 3-pointers made in a season for the third time, breaking a tie with Antoine Walker for the most such seasons in franchise history.

• The Washington Wizards surrendered at least 130 points for the 27th time this season, tying the franchise record for most such games in a single season (1966-67). Only four teams in NBA history have allowed more 130-point games: the 1990-91 Denver Nuggets (37), the 1967-68 Seattle SuperSonics (31), the 1981-82 Nuggets (31), and the 1983-84 Nuggets (29).

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Streaking

• Doncic has recorded 17 straight 20-point games and 59 straight 15-point games. He’s averaging 34.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 10.5 APG with 51/39/81 shooting splits over the former span.

• Wembanyama has recorded at least 10 points and one block in each of his last 28 games. That ties Hakeem Olajuwon (1984-85) and Patrick Ewing (1985-86) for the second-longest such streak by a rookie since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74. The rookie record of 41 such games in a row is held by David Robinson (1989-90).

• Lillard has made at least one 3-pointer in each of his last 141 regular season games, the third-longest such streak in NBA history. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in each of his 63 games with the Bucks, the longest 3-point streak in franchise history by 16 games.

• The Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic hit three shots from 3-point range in a win over the Clippers, the 75th consecutive game in which he’s made at least one 3-pointer. It’s the second-longest such streak in franchise history (Kyle Korver, 127) and tied for the 17th-longest such streak in NBA history.

• Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Boston Celtics (five).

• Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Toronto Raptors (seven).

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Miscellany

• Doncic led all scorers with 37 points yesterday. He was followed by Wembanyama (33), Lillard (31), the Wizards’ Jordan Poole (31), Portis (31), the Nets’ Cam Thomas (31), Hauser (career-high 30), Robinson (season-high 30), and Tatum (30).

• The Heat’s Bam Adebayo was yesterday’s top glass cleaner with 17 rebounds. Nine more players recorded double-digit boards: Wembanyama (15); the Nets’ Nic Claxton (14); the Hawks’ Clint Capela (13) and Jalen Johnson (12); the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (11); the Mavericks’ P.J. Washington (11) and Doncic (10); the Pistons’ Jalen Duren (10); and Portis (10).

• Lillard was the day’s leading playmaker with 16 assists, matching his career high. The Celtics’ Payton Pritchard (career-high 13) and the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray (10) also delivered double-digit dimes.

• The Milwaukee Bucks made 18 3-pointers in the first half of their win over the Suns, tying the NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a half. They share the mark with the Utah Jazz (April 3, 2021), the Phoenix Suns (April 12, 2021), and the Indiana Pacers (Nov. 4, 2023).

• The Bucks had both a starter (Lillard) and a reserve (Portis) record a 30-point double-double, the first time in franchise history that’s occurred. Leaguewide, the last duo to accomplish the feat was the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal and Moritz Wagner on Nov. 15, 2019.