Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Luka Doncic recorded his 10th career 50-point game, pouring in a game-high 52 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 132-123. Doncic shot 17-30 from the field (8-18 on threes) and 10-11 from the free throw line. He also contributed a game-high 10 assists (tied with Keyonte George), a team-high eight rebounds, and two steals in 38 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Ty Jerome scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 123-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Jerome went 8-17 from the floor and a perfect 14-14 from the charity stripe. He added a team-high six assists, four rebounds, and one steal, committing just one turnover and one personal foul in 32 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Tyrese Haliburton produced game highs of 24 points and 10 assists as the Indiana Pacers routed the Brooklyn Nets 136-109. Haliburton shot 8-13 from the field, hitting four of his seven attempts from 3-point range. He also recorded four rebounds, a team-high two steals, and zero personal fouls in 31 minutes played.
Milestones
As noted above, Doncic recorded his 10th career 50-point game, becoming the 12th player in NBA history to reach that mark. At 27 years and 239 days old, he’s the fifth-youngest player to achieve the feat.
Doncic has recorded at least 50 points and 10 assists in a game four times, breaking a tie with Nate Archibald, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, and Nikola Jokic for the second-most such games in NBA history.
Doncic is just the second player in NBA history to record a 50-point, 10-assist game for multiple franchises, having previously done so with the Dallas Mavericks. Wilt Chamberlain also performed the feat for the San Francisco Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Streaking
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 34 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 108-101 win over the LA Clippers, the 153rd consecutive game in which he’s scored at least 15 points. That breaks a tie with James Harden for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA history.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Detroit Pistons (six), Los Angeles Lakers (six), and Minnesota Timberwolves (five).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Brooklyn Nets (six).
Miscellany
The New York Knicks fell to 0-3 with a 111-102 loss to the Orlando Magic. They are just the third defending champion in NBA history to open a season with three straight losses, joining the 1969-70 Boston Celtics and the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.