Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Paul George set a franchise record for most points scored by a player in his Boston Celtics debut with 38, but it wasn’t enough in a 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons. George shot 12-21 from the field (7-12 on threes) and 7-8 from the free throw line. He also recorded a game-high five steals, five rebounds, and three assists in 31 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 116-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs, extending his NBA-record streak of 20-point games to 141. Gilgeous-Alexander went 13-27 from the floor, hitting three of his seven 3-point attempts. He added six rebounds, four assists, a game-high three steals, and three blocks in 36 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 28 points as the new-look Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 106-100. Maxey shot 9-19 from the field and 8-9 from the charity stripe. He also contributed five assists, four rebounds, a game-high three steals, and a game-high three blocks (tied with Joel Embiid) in 40 minutes played.
Milestones
As noted above, George broke the franchise record for most points scored by a player in his Celtics debut with 38. The previous mark of 30 points was set by Kristaps Porzingis on Oct. 25, 2023.
George tied seven other players for most 3-pointers made by a player in his debut with a new team with seven. He increased his career total to 2,456 triples, passing Kyle Korver to take over eighth place on the NBA’s all-time list.
Streaking
As mentioned earlier, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 141 regular season games, the longest such streak in NBA history by 15 games. The last time Gilgeous-Alexander was held to fewer than 20 points in a regular season game was Oct. 30, 2024.
Miscellany
George’s 38 points are the second most in Boston Celtics history by a player in a season opener. Jaylen Brown scored 46 points to open the 2021-22 campaign.
At 36 years and 171 days old, George is the second-oldest player to record at least 35 points and five steals in a game since the NBA began tracking the latter statistic in 1973-74. Stephen Curry was 37 years and 18 days old when he accomplished the feat on April 1, 2025.
The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama shot just 1-13 from the field, the second-worst shooting performance in a season opener in franchise history by a player who attempted at least 10 field goals. Tony Parker went 0-10 from the floor in the 2002-03 season opener.