Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 32 points (tied with Donovan Mitchell) as the Philadelphia 76ers stormed back from a 29-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106. Maxey shot 12-23 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. He also contributed a game-high six assists (tied with VJ Edgecombe), three rebounds, and two steals in 42 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 32 points (tied with Maxey), but it wasn’t enough in the Cavaliers’ stunning loss to the Sixers. Mitchell went 11-19 from the floor and 8-11 from the charity stripe. He also recorded a game-high 10 rebounds (tied with LeBron James), three assists, a team-high two steals (tied with two others), and one block in 35 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Chet Holmgren produced a double-double, scoring 12 points and snagging a game-high 17 rebounds in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 96-84 win over the Denver Nuggets. Holmgren made five of his nine attempts from the field. He also blocked a game-high four shots and swiped one steal in 28 minutes played.
Milestones
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost despite leading by 24 points at halftime, matching the largest second-half collapse in franchise history. They also lost a game on Dec. 17, 1972 in which they held a 24-point halftime lead over the Houston Rockets.
Streaking
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 17 points on 6-19 shooting from the field, bringing his NBA-record streak of 141 consecutive 20-point games to an end. He did, however, extend his streak of 15-point games to 152, tying James Harden for the seventh-longest such streak in league history.
Miscellany
The Denver Nuggets scored only 84 points, their lowest total in a regular season game since Jan. 25, 2024. They shot just 31-82 from the field (37.8%) and committed 22 turnovers.