Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Luka Doncic poured in a game-high 45 points as the Los Angeles Lakers outscored the Toronto Raptors 131-125. Doncic shot 12-23 from the field (8-12 on threes) and a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line. He added a game-high 15 rebounds (tied with Walker Kessler), a team-high six assists, a game-high five steals, and one block in 35 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Yaxel Lendeborg scored a game-high 37 points to lead the shorthanded Golden State Warriors to a 124-112 victory over the LA Clippers. Lendeborg went 13-19 from the floor (6-11 on threes) and 5-6 from the charity stripe. He also contributed six assists, four rebounds, and one steal in 34 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Jayson Tatum tallied a game-high 32 points in the Boston Celtics’ 108-97 win over the Orlando Magic. Tatum shot just 8-19 from the field, but made 15 of his 17 free throw attempts. He also recorded seven assists, four rebounds, and a game-high two blocks (tied with two others) in 34 minutes played.
Milestones
Doncic is just the second player to record at least 45 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a game since the NBA began tracking steals in 1973-74. Anthony Davis was the first player to achieve the feat on Oct. 26, 2016.
Doncic recorded his 24th career 45-point game, tying George Gervin for the 10th-most such games in NBA history.
The Magic’s Desmond Bane made his 1,000th career 3-pointer. He reached that mark in 401 games, the 13th-fastest player in NBA history to do so.
The Raptors went 17-54 from beyond the arc, tying the franchise record for most 3-pointers missed in a game with 37. They previously missed 37 triples in a game on Jan. 4, 2023.
Streaking
Doncic has produced at least 35 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of his last four games. The only players since the ABA-NBA merger to record a longer such streak are Damian Lillard (five games) and Doncic himself (five, twice).
Doncic has made at least six 3-pointers in four consecutive games, tied for the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history. The record of six such games in a row is shared by Lillard and Stephen Curry.
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: LA Clippers (five).
Miscellany
Doncic tied his personal record for most steals in a game with five, a figure he’s recorded four other times. He also tied his personal record for most free throws made in a game without a miss with 13, a feat he first achieved on Oct. 19, 2022.
Lendeborg’s 37 points are the most in a game by a Golden State Warriors rookie since Stephen Curry scored 42 points on April 14, 2010.
The Lakers’ Walker Kessler had 16 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 6-6 from the floor. The last Laker to record at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in a game without missing a shot from the field was Mitch Kupchak on Nov. 20, 1981.
The Brooklyn Nets picked up their first win of the season, beating the Indiana Pacers 98-90. The only winless team remaining in the NBA is the Sacramento Kings (0-6).