NBA Game Notes (Nov. 18, 2023)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on November 18, 2023.
Chet, SGA Lead Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Golden State Warriors 130-123 in overtime, dealing the reeling Warriors their six straight loss. The Thunder needed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from rookie Chet Holmgren to tie the game at the end of regulation before outscoring the Warriors 13-6 in the extra period.
Holmgren recorded the first 30-point game of his career, scoring 36 points on 14-22 shooting from the field. He also tallied 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks. Holmgren is just the second rookie in franchise history to produce at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game, joining Kevin Durant (April 16, 2008).
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 40 points, making 18 of his 29 attempts from the floor. Gilgeous-Alexander also contributed seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Since the NBA began tracking steals and blocks in 1973-74, Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander are the only duo to each record at least 35 points, five rebounds, and five assists with multiple steals and blocks in the same game.
Andrew Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points to pace the Warriors. Wiggins shot 12-19 from the field, making five of his eight 3-point attempts. Entering the game, Wiggins had made a total of five 3-pointers for the season.
Stephen Curry returned from a two-game absence (knee) to score 25 points, hitting five of his 11 attempts from 3-point range. Dating back to last season, Curry has made at least four 3-pointers in 13 consecutive games, tying James Harden (Dec. 17, 2018–Jan. 11, 2019) and himself (Jan. 20–Feb. 11, 2021) for the longest such streak in NBA history.
Huge Game for Giannis
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a huge game, compiling 40 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 132-125. The Bucks trailed by nine points entering the fourth quarter, but outscored the Mavericks 43-27 in the final period.
It’s the eighth time Antetokounmpo has recorded at least 40 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a game, three more such games than any other player since the ABA-NBA merger:
8 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
5 — Russell Westbrook
5 — Joel Embiid
4 — Larry Brd
4 — Nikola Jokic
4 — Luka Doncic
Antetokounmpo made 18 of his 26 attempts from the field (69.2%). It’s the 24th time he’s scored at least 40 points on 65% shooting from the field, the sixth-most such games in NBA history:
39 — Wilt Chamberlain
35 — Michael Jordan
32 — Adrian Dantley
29 — Shaquille O’Neal
25 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
24 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
Teammate Damian Lillard scored 27 points and dished out a game-high 12 assists. After a slow start to the season, Lillard has scored at least 27 points in each of his last three games, averaging 30.0 PPG and 10.0 APG over that span.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 39 points, making 16 of his 29 field goal attempts. Teammate Luka Doncic produced 35 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, shooting 15-26 from the floor.
The Mavericks are averaging 123.5 PPG this season, the highest scoring average through 13 games since the 1990-91 Denver Nuggets (129.6). They have scored at least 110 points in each of their first 13 games. The last teams to open a season with 13 such games in a row were the 1985-86 Houston Rockets and 1985-86 Los Angeles Lakers.
Quick Hitters
A few more notes on last night’s action:
The New York Knicks won their third straight game, this one a 122-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 32 points and handed out seven assists, while backcourt mate Donte DiVincenzo scored a season-high 25 points, making seven of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. LaMelo Ball scored a game-high 34 points for the Hornets, adding nine assists and five rebounds. Ball has recorded at least 25 points and five assists. in each of his last seven games. the longest such streak in franchise history. Hornets rookie Brandon Miller scored a career-high 29 points, shooting 10-15 from the field (including 5-7 on 3-pointers).
Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points, nine assists, and six rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves used a fourth-quarter rally to knock off the New Orleans Pelicans 121-120. Towns missed just one of his 11 attempts from the field. The Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram scored a game-high 30 points, but shot just 11-24 from the field (1-6 on 3-pointers). Teammate Jonas Valanciunas scored 26 points on 10-15 shooting from the floor, adding game highs of 11 rebounds (tied) and three blocks.
Down 22-1 midway through the first quarter, the Chicago Bulls rallied to stun the Miami Heat 102-97, snapping the Heat’s seven-game winning streak. All five Bulls starters scored in double figures, led by DeMar DeRozan’s 23 points. Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 25 points for the Heat, while teammate Bam Adebayo chipped in with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
The Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 120-108, handing the Spurs their eighth consecutive loss. The Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. led all players with 27 points, followed by teammate Desmond Bane with 26. Rookie Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points and produced game highs of 13 rebounds and eight blocks for the Spurs. The last rookie to block at least eight shots in a game was Mitchell Robinson on Nov. 11, 2018.