NBA Game Notes (Nov. 13, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Nov. 13, 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 ⭐️
Giannis Antetokounmpo exploded for a game-high 59 points as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied to defeat the Detroit Pistons 127-120 in overtime. Antetokounmpo singlehandedly outscored the Pistons 11-9 in the extra period, hitting all five of his field goal attempts. For the game, he went 21-34 from the floor and 16-17 from the free throw line. Antetokounmpo also contributed a game-high 14 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and two steals in 44 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 50 points in the San Antonio Spurs’ 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards. Wembanyama shot 18-29 from the field, sinking a career-high eight of his 16 attempts from 3-point range. He added six rebounds and a game-high three blocks in 32 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Karl-Anthony Towns poured in a game-high 46 points, but it wasn’t enough as the New York Knicks fell to the Chicago Bulls 124-123. Towns went 18-30 from the floor, including a 6-12 effort from 3-point range. He also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and swiped a game-high three steals (tied with Cameron Payne) in 39 minutes of playing time.
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Milestones
Antetokounmpo recorded his ninth career 50-point, 10-rebound game, breaking a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, James Harden, and Joel Embiid for the third-most such games in NBA history. The two players ahead of him are Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain (118) and Elgin Baylor (16).
Antetokounmpo has made at least 20 field goals in a game eight times, tying Bob McAdoo and Kobe Bryant for the seventh-most such games in NBA history.
Antetokounmpo made at least 20 field goals and 15 free throws in a game for the third time, breaking a tie with Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, and Luka Doncic for the third-most such games in NBA history. He trails Chamberlain (16) and Jordan (four) on the all-time list.
Antetokounmpo became the first Buck to reach 1,000 career blocks (blocks have been tracked since the 1973-74 season).
Wembanyama is just the fifth player in NBA history to record a 50-point game before his 21st birthday. The others are LeBron James (twice), Brandon Jennings, Devin Booker, and Kevin Porter Jr. At 20 years and 314 days old, Wembanyama is the youngest center to achieve the feat.
Wembanyama tied the Spurs’ franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a game with 16. He matched Jaren Jackson (Nov. 20, 1999) and Devonte’ Graham (Feb. 10, 2023).
Wembanyama has blocked 28 shots and made 25 threes over his last six games. He’s the first player in NBA history to record at least 25 blocks and 25 3-pointers made over a six-game span.
Towns hit his first 3-point attempt of the game, giving him 1,000 makes for his career. He’s the fourth listed 7-footer in NBA history to reach that mark, joining Dirk Nowitzki, Channing Frye, and Lauri Markkanen.
LeBron James recorded his third straight triple-double, compiling 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 128-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He became the fourth player in NBA history to reach 40 career 30-point triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson (106), Russell Westbrook (48), and Luka Doncic (46).
The Lakers’ Anthony Davis tallied 21 points, 14 rebounds, and three block, surpassing 18,000 career points (18,019 and counting). He became the 80th player in NBA history to reach that mark.
Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama are the 24th duo in NBA history to each record a 50-point game on the same day.
Antetokounmpo, Wembanyama, and Towns are just the seventh trio in NBA history to each score at least 45 points in a game on the same day. It’s the second time Towns has been involved, the first coming on March 14, 2022 (with Stephen Curry and Trae Young).
Streaking
Antetokounmpo has scored at least 20 points with 50% shooting from the field in each of his 11 games this season. The only other player in NBA history to start a season with 11 such games in a row is Karl Malone in 1989-90. Malone’s streak was snapped after 13 games.
Wembanyama has blocked at least one shot in each of his last 51 games, the longest active streak in the NBA. Since the league began tracking blocks in 1973-74, no other player has recorded such a streak longer than 33 games before their 21st birthday.
At 39 years and 319 days old, James became the oldest player in NBA history to record three triple-doubles in a row. The previous mark of 34 years and 310 days was set by James (of course) on Nov. 5, 2019.
Davis is the first Laker to open a season with 10 straight 20-point games since Shaquille O’Neal in 2001-02. Davis has a streak of 12 straight 20-point games dating back to last season.
Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 24 points in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 106-98 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Edwards has scored at least 20 points in each of his 12 games this season, breaking a tie with Kevin Garnett (2000-01) for the longest such streak to open a season in franchise history. It wasn’t all good for Edwards, who misfired on each of his nine attempts from 3-point range.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 to remain unbeaten on the season. They are the sixth team in NBA history to start a campaign 13-0, joining the 1948-49 Washington Capitols, the 1957-58 Boston Celtics, the 1993-94 Houston Rockets, the 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks, and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors. The 1993-94 Rockets are the only team in that group to win a championship.
The Cavaliers’ 13-game winning streak matches the longest in franchise history. They also won 13 consecutive games in the 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2017-18 seasons.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Cleveland Cavaliers (13).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: New Orleans Pelicans (six) and Washington Wizards (six).
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Miscellany
Antetokounmpo was the night’s leading scorer, bagging 59 points. He was followed by Wembanyama (career-high 50), Towns (46), the Wizards’ Jordan Poole (42), the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (36), the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (35), James (35), the Sixers’ Jared McCain (career-high 34), the Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe (career-high 33), the Bulls’ Zach LaVine (31), and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jalen Williams (31).
Antetokounmpo and Davis were the top board men, snagging 14 rebounds apiece last night. Also collecting at least a dozen boards were the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (career-high-tying 13), the Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas (13), the Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen (12), the Orlando Magic’s Goga Bitadze (12), the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (12), the Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan (career-high 12), James (12), and the Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin (12).
James led all playmakers last night with 14 assists. Cunningham (11), the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton (11), the Spurs’ Chris Paul (11), the Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox (10), McCain (career-high 10), and Tatum (10) also delivered double-digit dimes.
Clingan blocked eight shots, the most by a Trail Blazers rookie since Kelvin Cato had eight blocks on Dec. 5, 1997. The only Portland rookie to record more blocks in a game is Bill Walton with nine on Oct. 22, 1974.