NBA Game Notes (Nov. 21, 2022)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on November 21, 2022.
Giannis Powers Bucks
The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a 121-110 win over the Trail Blazers. He made 16 of his 24 shots from the field (66.7%), but struggled once again from the free throw line (5-12, 41.7%).
It’s the 107th time Antetokounmpo has recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a game, the fifth-most such games among active players:
374 — LeBron James
199 — James Harden
173 — Russell Westbrook
144 — Kevin Durant
107 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo has shot at least 60% from the field in 57 of those games, the fourth-most such games since the ABA-NBA merger:
110 — LeBron James
62 — Larry Bird
61 — Karl Malone
57 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
54 — Charles Barkley
Antetokounmpo has shot less than 50% on at least 10 free throw attempts in each of his last three games. That’s the longest such streak of his career, the longest such streak in franchise history, and the longest such streak in the NBA since Andre Drummond in 2015-16 (four in a row).
Pacers Bench Keys Win
The Pacers beat the Magic 123-102 for their fifth consecutive victory. T.J. McConnell came off the bench to produce 19 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and three steals, while fellow reserve Bennedict Mathurin scored a game-high 22 points.
McConnell missed just one shot from the field (7-8) and posted a Game Score of 24.3, tied for the fourth-highest such figure by a bench player this season:
32.6 — Terrence Davis (Nov. 15, 2022)
27.1 — Kevin Love (Nov. 4, 2022)
25.3 — Love (Oct. 30, 2022)
24.3 — T.J. McConnell (Nov. 21, 2022)
24.3 — Norman Powell (Nov. 21, 2022)
Mathurin has recorded seven 20-point games coming off the bench, the most such games in the NBA this season. He tied the NBA record for fewest games needed to reach 40 career 3-pointers made (16), and he’s the first player in NBA history to make at least 40 3-pointers and 80 free throws through the first 16 games of his career.
Mathurin is just the sixth player in NBA history to score at least 300 points with a true shooting percentage of 60% through the first 16 games of his career:
George Gervin, 1976-77
Bill Cartwright, 1979-80
Magic Johnson, 1979-80
David Robinson, 1989-90
Zion Williamson, 2019-20
Bennedict Mathurin, 2022-23
Gervin had previous professional experience (he was a three-time ABA All-Star); the others were rookies.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points and dished out 14 assists. It was his 10th points-assists double-double this season, the most such games in the NBA. No one in franchise history has recorded 10 such double-doubles in fewer games (ABA seasons included).
Pelicans Rout Warriors
The Pelicans rolled to a 128-83 win over the undermanned Warriors, the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history:
48 — Nov. 14, 2014
45 — Nov. 21, 2022
41 — Jan. 21, 2022
37 — Nov. 16, 2013
36 — Feb. 13, 2013
The Warriors sat four starters — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins — and their fifth starter, Kevon Looney, played just five minutes.
Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 34 points to lead the winners, shooting 12-19 from the field (63.2%) and hitting all seven of his free throws. Ingram’s Game Score* was 30.4, the second-highest such figure by a Pelican this season.
* John Hollinger’s estimate of a player’s total production in a game.
The Warriors had 27 turnovers, the most by any team in a game this season and tied for the second-most ever committed by a Pelicans opponent. It also matches the most turnovers the Warriors have committed in any game over the last 20 seasons.
The Warriors fell to 1-9 on the road this season. They are the first defending champion in NBA history to lose nine of their first 10 road games. The previous mark of eight losses was shared by the 1969-70 Celtics (missed playoffs) and 2002-03 Lakers (lost in conference semifinals).
Milestone for Vucevic
The Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic had 12 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in a 121-107 win over the Celtics, snapping the Celtics’ nine-game winning streak. He missed just one of his seven shots from the field.
Vucevic grabbed his 6,000th career defensive rebound in the third quarter, becoming the sixth active player to reach that mark:
8,679 — LeBron James
7,204 — DeAndre Jordan
6,692 — Kevin Love
6,330 — Andre Drummond
6,093 — Kevin Durant
6,001 — Nikola Vucevic
He now has 428 career double-doubles, sixth among active players:
532 — LeBron James
508 — Chris Paul
484 — Russell Westbrook
459 — Kevin Love
456 — Andre Drummond
428 — Nikola Vucevic
The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum tallied 28 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in the loss. He surpassed 500 points for the season, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach that mark (17 games). The previous record of 18 games was held by John Havlicek (1970-71).
