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 ⭐️
Jayson Tatum netted a game-high 40 points as the Boston Celtics halted the Los Angeles Lakers’ eight-game winning streak with a 111-101 victory. Tatum shot 12-28 from the field (6-16 on 3-pointers) and 10-12 from the free throw line. He also produced team highs of 12 rebounds and eight assists to go with two steals and one block in 45 minutes of playing time.
Second ⭐️
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded game highs of 37 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Orlando Magic 111-109. Antetokounmpo went 15-23 from the floor and 7-11 from the charity stripe. He added four assists and one steal, committing just one turnover and one personal foul in 35 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Jordan Poole scored a game-high 34 points to lead the Washington Wizards to a 118-117 win over the Toronto Raptors. Poole shot 12-20 from the field, sinking seven of his 12 attempts from 3-point range. He also contributed a team-high five assists, three steals, and one block in 31 minutes played.
Milestones
Stephen Curry (game-high 32 points) became the 26th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career points in the Golden State Warriors’ 115-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons. With a listed height of 6 feet 2 inches, he’s the shortest player to attain that milestone.
Curry is the 10th player in NBA history to score at least 25,000 points for a single franchise.
Streaking
The Lakers’ Luka Doncic (34 points, 5-10 on threes) has scored at least 10 points with one 3-pointer made in each of his last 103 games, the longest such streak in NBA history. Points aside, his 103-game 3-point streak ranks sixth on the all-time list.
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Brooklyn Nets (seven).
Miscellany
Tatum led the nightly scoring brigade, bagging 40 points. He was followed by Antetokounmpo (37), the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young (36), Doncic (34), Poole (34), Curry (32), the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (31), the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (31), and the Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin (30).
The Hawks’ Onyeka Okongwu was the top board man, hauling in 16 rebounds last night. The Chicago Bulls’ Zach Collins and the Charlotte Hornets’ Moussa Diabate tied for second place with 15 boards each.
The Bulls’ Josh Giddey and the Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard were the night’s leading playmakers, handing out 12 assists apiece (a season high for Nembhard). The Rockets’ Amen Thompson also delivered double-digit dimes with 11, matching his career high.
Giddey recorded his 14th career triple-double in the Bulls’ 114-109 win over the Miami Heat, posting game highs of 26 points and 12 assists to go with 10 rebounds.