On This Day (Nov. 7)
On This Day (Nov. 7)
Notable events from NBA history that occurred on November 7.
Lucky 13 for Curry
On this day in 2016, Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 13 3-pointers in a game, leading his Golden State Warriors to a 116-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry scored 46 points in just 36 minutes, hitting 13 of his 17 shots from long range. Since then, two more players have matched or exceeded Curry’s total: teammate Klay Thompson (14) and Zach LaVine (13). Curry and LaVine share the NBA record for highest 3-point percentage in a game by a player with at least 15 attempts (13-17, 76.5%).
Barkley’s Sunrise
On this day in 1992, Charles Barkley made his debut with the Phoenix Suns. He made quite a splash, recording 37 points, 21 rebounds, and eight assists in a 111-105 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Barkley became the first — and still only — player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists in his first game with a new team. It was the fourth and last time Barkley reached those marks in a game, the most such games by any player since the ABA-NBA merger.
Scottie Pippen’s Debut
On this day in 1987, Scottie Pippen made his NBA debut with the Chicago Bulls, tallying 10 points, four assists, and two steals in a 104-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
A jack of all trades, Pippen currently ranks in the top 25 on the NBA’s postseason career lists for:
Points (17th)
Rebounds (14th)
Assists (10th)
Steals (2nd)
Blocks (24th)
The only other player to rank in the top 25 in all five categories is LeBron James. James actually ranks in the top 10 in all five categories.
Magic Does It All
On this day in 1980, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Magic Johnson had one of the best all-around games of his career in a 126-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks:
32 PTS
9 REB
7 AST
8 STL
12-16 FG
7-7 FT
Johnson did all of that in just 31 minutes of playing time. His Game Score* was 40.6, the fourth-highest such figure of his career:
44.7 — Dec. 21, 1986
41.2 — March 9, 1990
41.0 — Nov. 17, 1989
40.6 — Nov. 7, 1980
40.2 — Jan. 18, 1988
* John Hollinger's estimate of a player's total production in a game.