NBA Game Notes (Nov. 7, 2022)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on November 7, 2022.
Duel in DFW
Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant extended their historic scoring streaks as Doncic’s Mavericks beat Durant’s Nets 96-94 in Dallas.
Doncic recorded 36 points, six rebounds, and six assists on the night. He has now scored at least 30 points in each of his nine games this season. The only other player in NBA history to open a season with at least nine straight 30-point games is Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63 (Chamberlain’s streak reached an incredible 23 games).
Doncic has also tallied at least five assists in each of those games. The only other player since the ABA-NBA merger to record at least nine straight 30-point, 5-assist games is James Harden, who had 16 such games in a row from Dec. 13, 2018 to Jan. 13, 2019.
Finally, Doncic improved his season totals to 324 points, 76 rebounds, and 75 assists. He’s the only player in NBA history to record at least 300 points, 75 rebounds, and 75 assists through his first nine games of a season.
Meanwhile, Durant scored a team-high 26 points for the Nets. He’s just the eighth player in NBA history to open a season with 11 straight 25-point games (a total of 10 instances):
Elgin Baylor, 1961-62
Wilt Chamberlain, 1961-62
Chamberlain, 1962-63
Jerry West, 1964-65
Rick Barry, 1966-67
Michael Jordan, 1987-88
Jordan, 1988-89
Allen Iverson, 2005-06
Bradley Beal, 2020-21
Kevin Durant, 2022-23
Durant — who was 34 years and 39 days old yesterday — is easily the oldest player in this group. Iverson was 30 years and 165 days old when he played his 11th game of the 2005-06 season. They are the only players to accomplish this feat after their 28th birthday.
Durant had a chance to tie the game when he was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 5.6 seconds left, but misfired on his second free throw. It was his first miss after 62 consecutive made free throws, the longest such streak of his career.
Chef Curry Cookin’
Stephen Curry had 47 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists to lead the Warriors to a 116-113 win over the Kings.
Curry shot 17-24 from the field — including 7-12 from 3-point range — for an effective field goal percentage of 85.4%. It’s the 19th time Curry has recorded a 40-point game with an effective field goal percentage of at least 80%, 10 more such games than any other player in NBA history (Kevin Durant, 9).
It’s the 109th time Curry has made at least seven 3-pointers in a game, more than double that of the next-closest player:
109 — Stephen Curry
42 — James Harden
37 — Damian Lillard
36 — Klay Thompson
29 — JR Smith
Curry has made at least three 3-pointers in each of his first 10 games this season. He’s the first player in NBA history to open a season with 10 such games in a row.
Curry’s season total improved to 53 3-pointers made. He’s the only player in NBA history to make at least 50 3-pointers through his first 10 games of a season, having done so four times:
59 — 2018-19
53 — 2022-23
52 — 2015-16
52 — 2021-22
Finally, Curry has scored 326 points this season. He’s the oldest player in NBA history to average at least 30 points per game through his first 10 games of a season (34 years and 238 days old yesterday).
Banchero in Rare Air
Paolo Banchero has scored at least 15 points in each of his first 11 NBA games: 27, 20, 23, 21, 29, 21, 18, 15, 22, 33, and 30 points.
The last player to start his NBA career with 11 such games in a row was Michael Jordan in 1984-85. Jordan’s streak was snapped in his 16th game. Banchero has some work to do to match the NBA record, though: Elvin Hayes opened his NBA career with 60 straight 15-point games in 1968-69.
Banchero also became just the fifth teenager in NBA history to record back-to-back 30-point games:
LeBron James (Dec. 19 & 20, 2003)
Devin Booker (March 9 & 10, 2016)
Luka Doncic (Jan. 25 & 27, 2019)
Zion Williamson (Feb. 11 & 13, 2020)
Paolo Banchero (Nov. 5 & 7, 2022)
With 70 free throws made on the season, Banchero is scoring from the charity stripe at a historic rate. The only rookies* since the ABA-NBA merger with more free throws made through their first 11 games are David Robinson (86) and Jordan (72).
* Excludes ABA veterans.
Tatum’s 🔥 Start
Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 39 points to lead the Celtics to a 109-106 road win over the Grizzlies. Tatum has scored 312 points this season, becoming the first player in Celtics history to average at least 30 points per game through his first 10 games of a season.
Tatum has scored at least 20 points in each of his 10 games this season. He’s the fourth player in franchise history to open a season with 10 such games in a row:
Sam Jones, 1965-66
Kevin McHale, 1986-87
Isaiah Thomas, 2016-17
Jayson Tatum, 2022-23
Tatum has made multiple 3-pointers in every game this season. He’s the first player in franchise history to record 10 such games in a row to start a season.
Embiid Pristine From 15
The Sixers’ Joel Embiid made his return after missing three games with the flu, tallying 33 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a 100-88 victory over the Suns. Embiid shot 16-16 from the free throw line, the most free throws he’s ever made in a game without a miss.
It’s the 25th time Embiid has recorded at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game. The only active center with more such games is Nikola Jokic (51).
Embiid now has 91 career games in which he’s recored at least 10 free throws made and 10 rebounds, by far the most such games among active players. Kevin Durant is a distant second with 64.