Gervin Makes ABA Debut
On this day in 1973, George Gervin made his ABA debut with the Virginia Squires, scoring 20 points in a loss to the Utah Stars. Gervin earned the first of his three ABA All-Star Game selections the next season, finishing in the top 10 in the ABA in scoring each of those seasons.
Gervin moved to the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs in 1976. He would go on to win four NBA scoring titles, tied for third on the all-time list behind Michael Jordan (10) and Wilt Chamberlain (7).
Gervin has career scoring averages of 21.9 PPG in the ABA (seventh) and 26.2 PPG in the NBA (ninth). He’s the only player to rank in the top 10 on both all-time lists. Gervin’s combined scoring average of 25.1 PPG ranks 10th in ABA/NBA history.
Lillard Matches Baylor
On this day in 2020, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard tallied 50 points, 13 assists, and six rebounds in a 139-129 win over the Indiana Pacers. It was Lillard's third straight game with at least 45 points, five rebounds, and five assists:
Jan. 20, 2020 — 61 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST
Jan. 23, 2020 — 47 PTS, 6 REB, 8 AST
Jan. 26, 2020 — 50 PTS, 6 REB, 13 AST
The only other player in NBA history to record at least three consecutive 45-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist games is Elgin Baylor, who had a streak of four such games in a row in December 1961.
Over those three game, Lillard totaled 158 points, 22 rebounds, and 28 assists. The only other players in NBA history to accumulate at least 150 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists over a three-game span are Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and James Harden.
Vince Carter’s Birthday
On this day in 1977, Vince Carter was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. An eight-time All-Star and the 1998-99 NBA Rookie of the Year, Carter averaged 16.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 1,541 career games.
Carter is one of only four players in NBA history to score at least 25,000 points with 2,000 3-pointers made:
Reggie Miller
Paul Pierce
Vince Carter
LeBron James
Carter’s 22 seasons played are the most in NBA history, and he’s the only player to appear in at least one game in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s).
Sweet Lou
On this day in 2018, the LA Clippers’ Lou Williams came off the bench to score 40 points and dish out 10 assists in a 109-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Williams became just the third reserve to record a 40-point, 10-assist game since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71:
Pete Maravich (Nov. 28, 1973)
Brian Winters (Jan. 22, 1982)
Lou Williams (Jan. 26, 2018)
Over that span, Williams leads all NBA players in games coming off the bench with at least 40 points (five), 30 points (32), 20 points (213), and 10 points (657).
Career High for Crawford
On this day in 2007, the New York Knicks’ Jamal Crawford scored a career-high 52 points in a 116-96 win over the Miami Heat. It was the second of four career 50-point games for Crawford, each with a different franchise:
April 11, 2004 — Chicago Bulls (50 PTS)
Jan. 26, 2007 — New York Knicks (52 PTS)
Dec. 20, 2008 — Golden State Warriors (50 PTS)
April 9, 2019 — Phoenix Suns (51 PTS)
No other player in NBA history has recorded a 50-point game with four different franchises.