NBA Game Notes (Nov. 15, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Nov. 15, 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 ⭐️

De’Aaron Fox scored a franchise-record 60 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Sacramento Kings fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-126 in overtime on the second night of NBA Cup play. Fox shot 22-35 from the field — including 6-10 from 3-point range — and made 10 of his 11 free throw attempts. He also recorded a game-high seven assists (tied with Mike Conley) and a team-high three steals in 44 minutes of playing time.

Second ⭐️

Anthony Davis scored a game-high 40 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 120-115 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Davis went 14-26 from the floor (2-4 on 3-pointers) and 10-12 from the free throw line. He also grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked a game-high two shots (tied with Victor Wembanyama), and committed just one personal foul in 36 minutes played.

Third ⭐️

Bam Adebayo produced game highs of 30 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals as the Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 124-111. Adebayo shot 10-17 from the field (2-3 on 3-pointers) and hit eight of his nine free throw attempts. He also dished out a team-high seven assists and posted a game-high rating of plus-22 points in 39 minutes of action.

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Milestones

• As mentioned above, Fox set a new Sacramento Kings record for most points scored in a game with 60. The previous record of 59 points was held by Jack Twyman, who established the mark way back on Jan. 15, 1960 (when the franchise was known as the Cincinnati Royals).

• James Harden made three 3-pointers in the LA Clippers’ 125-104 loss to the Houston Rockets, raising his career total to 2,973. That ties Ray Allen for second place on the NBA’s all-time list.

• The Spurs’ Chris Paul handed out a team-high 11 assists, surpassing 12,000 for his career (12,008 and counting). Paul is the third player in NBA history to reach that mark, joining John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091).

• The Lakers’ LeBron James appeared in his 1,504th regular season game, tying Stockton for fifth place on the NBA’s career leaderboard. James recorded his fourth straight triple-double, scoring 15 points to go with game highs of 16 rebounds and 12 assists.

• James now has five triple-doubles this season, the 11th time he’s reached that mark. That ties Magic Johnson for the most such seasons in NBA history.

• The Rockets’ Alperen Sengun recorded his fifth career triple-double, tallying 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. At 22 years and 113 days old, he’s the third-youngest center in NBA history to reach that mark, trailing only Alvan Adams (21 years, 188 days) and Nikola Jokic (22 years, 25 days).

• The Brooklyn Nets’ Dennis Schroder scored 14 points in a 124-122 loss to the New York Knicks, surpassing 11,000 for his career (11,003 and counting). He’s the third player from the 2013 NBA Draft class to reach that mark, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo (18,868) and CJ McCollum (14,306).

• The Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Chicago Bulls 144-126 to improve to 14-0 on the season. They erupted for 49 points in the opening period, setting a franchise record for most points scored in a quarter. The previous mark of 47 points was set on March 31, 2023, also in the first quarter.

• The Oklahoma City Thunder knocked off the Phoenix Suns 99-83, their 10th double-digit victory this season. Only two other teams in NBA history have recorded 10 such wins in their first 13 games of a season: the 1984-85 Boston Celtics and the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls.

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Streaking

• Dyson Daniels tallied game highs of 25 points and six steals as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Washington Wizards 129-117. Daniels has recorded at least a half-dozen steals in each of his last four games, the NBA’s longest such streak since Alvin Robertson in November 1986 (six in a row).

• Daniels has produced at least 15 points and five steals in four consecutive games. The last player to record four such games in a row was Michael Jordan in March 1990.

• At 39 years and 321 days old, James became the oldest player in NBA history to record four triple-doubles in a row (it’s also the longest such streak of his illustrious career). The previous mark of 33 years and 49 days was set by Russell Westbrook on Dec. 31, 2021.

• Davis is the first Laker to open a season with 11 straight 20-point games since Shaquille O’Neal in 1998-99. Davis has a streak of 13 straight 20-point games dating back to last season.

• The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 36 points, his 13th consecutive 20-point game. It’s the longest such streak of his career and the longest such streak to open a season in franchise history.

• Spurs center Victor Wembanyama compiled 28 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, the 52nd consecutive game in which he’s blocked at least one shot. It’s the third-longest such streak in franchise history, trailing only runs of 61 and 55 games by David Robinson.

• The Cleveland Cavaliers won their 14th consecutive game, snapping a tie for the longest winning streak in franchise history. They are the sixth team in NBA history to win each of its first 14 games of a season, 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.

• Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Cleveland Cavaliers (14) and Orlando Magic (five).

• Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Washington Wizards (seven) and Toronto Raptors (six).

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Miscellany

• Fox was the night’s leading scorer, pouring in a career-high 60 points. He was followed by the Nets’ Cam Thomas (43), Davis (40), the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson (37), the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (37), Edwards (36), the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. (32), the Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner (31), and Adebayo (30).

• The Toronto Raptors’ Jakob Poltl was the top board man, securing 18 rebounds last night. Also collecting a least a dozen boards were James (16); Wembanyama (14); the Hawks’ Clint Capela, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu (13 apiece); Davis (12), the New Orleans Pelicans’ Yves Missi (career-high 12), and the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis (12).

• James was the leading playmaker last night, handing out 12 assists. Four more players delivered double-digit dimes: Paul (11), the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (10), Sengun (10), and the Rockets’ Fred VanVleet (10).

• Daniels has recorded 25 steals over his last four games. The last player with at least 25 thefts over a four-game span was Kendall Gill in April 1999.