Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Devin Booker scored a game-high 30 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 117-104 victory over the Orlando Magic. Booker shot 11-22 from the field, hitting four of his eight attempts from 3-point range. He also recorded team highs of eight assists and three steals (tied with Collin Gillespie) in 34 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Stephen Curry tallied a game-high 29 points as the Golden State Warriors routed the Miami Heat 120-100 to pick up their sixth straight win. Curry went 9-19 from the floor (6-12 on threes) and 5-5 from the charity stripe. He also contributed four assists and one steal in 28 turnover-free minutes.
Third ⭐️
Wendell Carter Jr. scored a team-high 27 points, but it wasn’t enough in the Magic’s loss to the Suns. Carter Jr. was very efficient, going 10-12 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. He added a game-high 13 rebounds, one steal, and one block in 34 minutes of action.
Milestones
Curry raised his career point total to 26,737 points, passing Oscar Robertson to take over 17th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He’s scored at least 20 points in a game 755 times, breaking a tie with Robertson for the 13th-most such games in league history.
Streaking
Curry has made at least one 3-pointer in 99 straight games, tying Jordan Clarkson for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA history. He’s hit multiple triples in 38 consecutive games, tying Fred VanVleet for sixth place on the league’s all-time list.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Golden State Warriors (six).
Miscellany
The Warriors’ Draymond Green dished out 11 assists, the 130th time he’s recorded double-digit dimes in a game. The only frontcourt players in NBA history with more such games are LeBron James (361 times) and Nikola Jokic (265).
The Magic’s Franz Wagner had 15 points and a career-high 15 assists, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to record a 15-point, 15-assist game. He joins Scott Skiles (13 times), Sam Vincent (twice), Anfernee Hardaway (twice), and Darrell Armstrong.
The Golden State Warriors are just the fifth team in NBA history to win six straight games after starting a season 0-3. The others are the 1950-51 Boston Celtics, 2004-05 Cleveland Cavaliers, 2005-06 Philadelphia 76ers, and 2023-24 Houston Rockets.