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 ⭐️
Austin Reaves recorded his second career triple-double, compiling 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-124 in double overtime. He had 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in the fourth quarter and two overtime periods as the Lakers climbed out of a 19-point hole with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation.
Reaves shot 10-20 from the floor (4-11 on 3-pointers) and 5-6 from the free throw line, tying his career high for field goals made and establishing a new career high for field goals attempted. He also matched his career high with two blocks.
Second ⭐️
Anthony Davis produced game highs of 34 points, 23 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals (tied with two others) in the Lakers’ comeback win. It was the ninth 30-point, 20-rebound game of Davis’ career, the most such games among active players.
Davis went just 12-31 from the field, but tied his season high with three 3-pointers made and was a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. He played a career-high 52 minutes, committing just one personal foul.
Third ⭐️
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 28 points as the Dallas Mavericks blew out the Sacramento Kings 132-96. Dallas has won nine of its last 10 games to move into sixth place in the Western Conference standings, just a game behind the fifth-place New Orleans Pelicans.
Doncic added 11 rebounds, six assists, and two steals, shooting 10-18 from the floor with four 3-pointers made. It’s the 63rd consecutive game in which he’s scored at least 15 points with one 3-pointer made, tying James Harden for the longest such streak in NBA history.
Milestones
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his 44th career triple-double, tallying 29 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Bucks’ stunning loss to the Lakers. Antetokounmpo broke a tie with Fat Lever and took sole possession of 12th place on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list.
Antetokounmpo’s teammate, Damian Lillard, scored 27 points to increase his career total to 21,015. He became the 41st player in NBA history to reach the 21,000-point milestone.
Lillard made six free throws, raising his career total to 4,855. He passed Vince Carter (4,852) and moved into 41st place on the NBA’s all-time list.
Yet another Buck, Malik Beasley, reached a milestone, sinking his 200th 3-pointer of the season. He’s the third player in franchise history to make at least 200 3-pointers in a season, joining Ray Allen (twice) and Lillard (this season).
Davis’ four blocks gave him 1,691 for his career, enough to pass Hall of Famer Kevin McHale and take over 30th place on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard (blocks have been tracked since the 1973-74 season).
Streaking
Kings center Domantas Sabonis had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in a loss to the Mavericks, his 55th consecutive double-double. That ties Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas for the longest such streak in franchise history. Leaguewide, it’s the longest double-double streak since Elvin Hayes recorded 55 in a row in the 1973-74 season.
Antetokounmpo has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 16 games. He’s averaging 30.3 PPG, 12.1 RPG, and 6.9 APG with a field goal percentage of 63.4% over that span.
Lillard made three 3-pointers last night, the 145th consecutive regular season game in which he’s made at least one long-range shot. That’s the third-longest such streak in NBA history, trailing only 268-game and 157-game runs by Stephen Curry.
Davis has recorded at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in four straight games, the longest such streak in the NBA this season. Davis’ 73 rebounds over that span match the highest total of his career over any four-game stretch.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Dallas Mavericks (five).
Miscellany
Davis was the night’s top scorer with 34 points. Nine more players had 25-point outings: Antetokounmpo (29), Reaves (29), the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell (29), the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (29), Doncic (28), the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (28), Lillard (27), the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jalen Williams (26), and the Thunder’s Josh Giddey (season-high 25).
Davis led eight double-digit rebounders with his 23 boards last night. He was followed by Antetokounmpo (season-high 21), the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura (career-high 14), Reaves (season-high 14), the Bucks’ Bobby Portis (13), the Mavericks’ P.J. Washington (season-high 13), Doncic (11), and Sabonis (11).
Russell led all playmakers last night, dishing out 12 assists. Antetokounmpo (11), Reaves (10), and Williamson (10) also recorded double-digit dimes.
Three Los Angeles Lakers recorded a 25-point double-double last night: Davis (34 points, 23 rebounds), Reaves (29 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists), and Russell (29 points, 12 assists). The last time the Lakers had three such players in a game was Jan. 9, 1982, when Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Norm Nixon achieved the feat.
A fourth Laker, Hachimura (16 points, 14 rebounds), also recorded a double-double. It’s the first time since April 2, 2013 the Lakers have fielded four such players in a game (Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Earl Clark, and Pau Gasol).
Davis and Russell each recorded a 25-point double-double despite shooting less than 40% from the field (38.7% and 31.8%, respectively). The last duo to do this was the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker on Dec. 1, 2001.
Davis and Reaves became the first teammates to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game and a triple-double, respectively, in the same game since the Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal and Scott Skiles did so on Nov. 12, 1992.
Davis and Antetokounmpo became the first opposing players to each record at least 25 points and 20 rebounds in the same game since the Houston Rockets’ Hakeem Olajuwon and the Charlotte Hornets’ Armen Gilliam accomplished the feat on Dec. 6, 1990.
Lillard shot just 9-29 from the floor, the most attempts he’s ever had in a game in which he failed to make at least 10 field goals. Lillard has 22 games this season in which he’s shot less than 40% from the field on 15 or more attempts, five more such games than any other player.