Warriors Road Woes
The Golden State Warriors fell to 7-25 on the road this season, bowing to the Oklahoma City Thunder 137-128. The only teams with a worse winning percentage in road games this season are the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Detroit Pistons, the three worst teams in the NBA.
The Thunder’s Josh Giddey recorded his seventh career triple-double, compiling 17 points, 17 assists, and 11 rebounds. Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 15-assist triple-double (age in years-days):
20-148 — Josh Giddey (March 7, 2023)
20-246 — Luka Doncic (Nov. 1, 2019)
20-248 — Doncic (Nov. 3, 2019)
20-303 — Doncic (Dec. 28, 2019)
20-316 — De’Aaron Fox (Nov. 1, 2018)
Giddey tied Magic Johnson for the second-most triple-doubles in NBA history by a player before his 21st birthday. Luka Doncic is the leader with 21 such games.
Teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 33 points on 14-24 shooting from the field. It’s the 26th time Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points on 50% shooting from the field this season, tying Kevin Durant (2009-10) for the second-most such games in a single season in franchise history. The franchise record of 30 such games was set by Durant in 2013-14.
In just his second game back from an 11-game absence due to injury, the Warriors’ Stephen Curry scored a game-high 40 points with seven assists and six rebounds. Curry shot 14-23 from the field, including 10-16 from 3-point range.
It’s the 23rd time Curry has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game, by far the most such games in NBA history. Curry’s total equals the combined total of the next five closest players:
23 — Stephen Curry
9 — Klay Thompson
5 — Damian Lillard
3 — JR Smith
3 — James Harden
3 — Zach LaVine
Curry’s effective field goal percentage was 82.6%. It’s the 20th time he’s recorded a 40-point game with an effective field goal percentage of at least 80%, double that of any other player in NBA history:
20 — Stephen Curry
10 — Klay Thompson
10 — Kevin Durant
Curry’s last 3-pointer made was his 200th of the season, the 10th time he’s reached that mark. He’s the first player in NBA history to record 10 such seasons.
Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson scored 23 points, shooting 9-17 from the field with five 3-pointers made. Curry and Thompson have each made at least five 3-pointers in the same game 43 times, 23 more such games than any other duo in NBA history (James Harden and Eric Gordon, 20).
Embiid Leads Sixers Rout
Joel Embiid scored a game-high 39 points in just 28 minutes played as the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-94. Embiid has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 25 games, one game shy of matching the longest such streak of his career.
Embiid shot 13-22 from the field — including 4-4 from 3-point range — and made all nine of his free throws. Embiid is a perfect 28-28 from the free throw line over his last two games, the most free throws made without a miss over a two-game span in franchise history. The only other center in NBA history to make at least 28 free throws without a miss over a span of two games is Moses Malone (30, Jan. 10 & 12, 1987).
Embiid has 19 career games in which he’s scored at least 30 points while playing fewer than 30 minutes. The only player since the ABA-NBA merger with more such games is Giannis Antetokounmpo with 21.
Teammate Tyrese Maxey took over point guard duties for the injured James Harden, scoring 27 points and dishing out five assists. Maxey has scored at least 20 points in each of his last six games, the longest such streak of his career.
Maxey shot 9-16 from the field (including four 3-pointers made) and hit all five of his free throws. Maxey has recorded a field goal percentage of at least 50% in each of his last six games. He’s just the third guard in franchise history to score at least 20 points on 50% shooting from the field in six straight games, joining Allen Iverson (eight in a row) and Dana Barros (seven).
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss. Edwards shot 12-24 from the field, including 5-10 from 3-point range. It’s the 32nd time he’s made at least five 3-pointers in a game, breaking a tie with Malik Beasley for the most such games in franchise history.
No Giannis, No Problem
Despite the absence of All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, the Milwaukee Bucks easily handled the Orlando Magic 134-123. The Bucks have won nine consecutive road games — the longest such streak in the NBA this season — and 18 of their last 19 games overall.
Bucks center Brook Lopez scored a game-high 26 points, shooting 9-14 from the field and making eight of his nine free throws. Lopez also contributed six rebounds and three blocks. It’s the 474th time Lopez has recorded multiple blocks in a game, 54 more such games than any other active player (Rudy Gobert, 420).
Teammate Khris Middleton scored 24 points despite taking just nine shots from the field. Middleton made five of his field goal attempts and shot 13-14 from the free throw line. Middleton also dished out a game-high 11 assists, just one shy of his career high.
Jevon Carter did an admirable job filling in for Holiday, scoring 24 points and handing out five assists. Carter shot 9-13 from the field (including 4-5 from 3-point range) and committed just one turnover.
Paolo Banchero scored 20 points for the Magic, his 33rd 20-point game of the season. Banchero has recorded nine more such games than any other rookie this season (Bennedict Mathurin, 24). The only player in franchise history to produce more 20-point games in his rookie season is Shaquille O’Neal (60, 1992-93).
Quick Hitters
Some other notes from around the NBA:
Anthony Davis scored 30 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, both game-high figures, as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzles 112-103. It’s Davis’ eighth career 30-point, 20-rebound game, the most such games among active players.
The New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak came to a crashing halt as the Charlotte Hornets overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to pull out a 112-105 victory. Gordon Hayward tallied 23 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists for the Hornets.
Mikal Bridges recorded his third straight 30-point game, scoring a game-high 30 points as the Brooklyn Nets routed the Houston Rockets 118-96. Bridges is averaging 26.5 PPG with shooting percentages of 52.6% from the field, 48.1% from 3-point range, and 92.2% from the free throw line in his 10 games as a Net. He’s recorded five 30-point games over that span.
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combined for 62 points, 16 rebounds, and 14 assists as the Dallas Mavericks edged the Utah Jazz 120-116. Irving scored a team-high 33 points with eight assists and six rebounds, while Doncic scored 29 points with a team-high 10 rebounds and six assists. It’s the third time in just eight games together that Irving and Doncic have each recorded at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists. No other backcourt duo has produced more than one such game this season. In fact, the only backcourt duo since the ABA-NBA merger to record more such games in a single season is James Harden and Russell Westbrook in 2019-20 (12).
Bradley Beal scored a game-high 32 points on 14-21 shooting from the field, adding seven rebounds and seven assists as the Washington Wizards narrowly escaped with a 119-117 win over the Detroit Pistons. It’s the 51st time Beal has recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a game, the most such games in franchise history. Pistons rookie Jaden Ivery scored 25 points and handed out a game-high 12 assists, the first 20-point, 10-assist game of his career.