NBA Game Notes (Nov. 26, 2023)
NBA Game Notes (Nov. 26, 2023)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on November 26, 2023.
Joker Outduels Wemby
Nikola Jokic scored a season-high 39 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out nine assists as the Denver Nuggets topped the San Antonio Spurs 132-120. The Nuggets improved to 8-0 at home this season, while the Spurs dropped their 12th consecutive game, the third-longest losing streak in franchise history.
It’s the ninth time Jokic has been his team’s outright leader (i.e., no ties) in points, rebounds, and assists this season, the most such games in the NBA. He’s done so 114 times in his career, the second-most such games in NBA history behind LeBron James (154).
Jokic shot 17-29 from the field and made all five of his free throws. Jokic has taken 60 shots from the floor over his last two games, the most field goals he’s ever attempted over a two-game span.
The Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points and snagged seven rebounds, making eight of his 14 attempts from the field. Point guard Reggie Jackson scored 20 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor, adding seven rebounds and six assists.
The Spurs were led by rookie Victor Wembanyama, who compiled 22 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, and four blocks in just 25 minutes of action. At 19 years and 326 days old, he’s the first teenager to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals in a game since the NBA began tracking steals in 1973-74. Webanyama is also the first rookie to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 steals plus blocks in a game since Shaquille O’Neal on Feb. 14, 1993.
Over the last 40 seasons, Wembanyama is the only player — rookie or otherwise — to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals in a game while playing 25 or fewer minutes.
It wasn’t all good for Wembanyama, who made just seven of his 17 shots from the field. It’s the seventh time he’s attempted at least 15 shots and recorded a field goal percentage less than 45% in a game this season, one more such game than all other rookies combined. In fact, no other rookie has recorded more than two such games this season.
Quick Hitters
Additional notes on yesterday’s slate of games:
Giannis Antetokounmpo compiled 33 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 26-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 108-102. It’s the 107th time Antetokounmpo has recorded at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game, breaking a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most such games in franchise history. Bucks guard Damian Lillard scored 31 points in his first game against his former team, shooting just 7-21 from the field but making 13 of his 14 free throws. The Trail Blazers’ Malcolm Brogdon tallied 18 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, but misfired on 16 of his 23 field goal attempts.
Anthony Edwards had 24 points, seven assists, and five rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the Memphis Grizzlies 119-97. Teammate Mike Conley scored 18 points and dished out a game-high 10 assists, making six of his nine 3-point attempts. The Timberwolves improved to 12-4 on the season, the best 16-game start in franchise history.
Cole Anthony came off the bench to produce 30 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists as the Orlando Magic cruised past the Charlotte Hornets 130-117. The Magic have won each of their last seven games, the franchise’s longest winning streak since the 2010-11 season. Franz Wagner matched Anthony’s game-high 30 points, sinking 11 of his 15 shots from the floor, while frontcourt mate Paolo Banchero scored 23 points with eight assists and seven rebounds. Miles Bridges posted team highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets.
Devin Booker hit a game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as the Phoenix Suns edged the New York Knicks 106-103, picking up their seventh consecutive win. Booker led the Suns with 28 points, also distributing a game-high 11 assists. Backcourt mate Eric Gordon scored a season-high 25 points, shooting 9-13 from the floor with six 3-pointers made. The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 35 points on 15-25 shooting from the field, adding eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
The Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 113-103 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Celtics guard Derrick White scored 15 points and recorded game highs of 11 assists and three steals, while center Al Horford corralled a season-high 15 rebounds. Trae Young had 33 points, seven assists, and five rebounds for the Hawks, shooting 12-27 from the field (6-16 from 3-point range).
The Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Toronto Raptors 105-102. Darius Garland recorded game highs of 24 points and eight assists for the Cavaliers, while Max Strus chipped in with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. The Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell made just four of his 17 shots from the field, just one day after a 4-18 effort versus the Los Angeles Lakers. Raptors center Jakob Poeltl tied for team scoring honors with 18 points, missing just one of his nine shots from the floor. Poeltl also hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls have lost seven of their last eight games, the latest a 118-109 setback at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points to lead the Nets, also handing out a game-high seven assists. Teammate Lonnie Walker IV came off the bench to score 20 points in 25 minutes, hitting six of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. The Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 27 points on 11-22 shooting from the field, adding six rebounds and six assists.