This season, Domantas Sabonis has been the definition of consistency; he has put up strong performances every night, scoring double figures in both points and rebounds. With 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists against the 76ers on Monday, Sabonis demonstrated his versatility and surpassed Kevin Love for the longest streak since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976–77 with his 54th consecutive double-double.
Wilt Chamberlain is notable for having set the record with an incredible 227 double-doubles. Sabonis’s outstanding accomplishment confirms his status as one of the NBA’s best players and emphasizes his lasting influence on the court.
“Everyone’s been talking about it for the past few weeks, and all I was trying to do was play my game and help this team win.” nbcsports quoted Sabonis as saying.
Sabonis – historic record
After recording his 25th triple-double of the year, Sabonis joins the ranks of basketball greats such as Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Nikola Jokic, and Russell Westbrook.
Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox each scored 23 points apiece to help the Kings win 108-96 in a pivotal game against the 76ers. This victory is significant because it keeps Sacramento and the Mavericks in a tie for the sixth or seventh spot in the hotly contested Western Conference.
The Kings have a 2-0 season series lead over Dallas and are presently holding the tiebreaker, so the stakes are very high with two more games remaining. There will be a lot riding on Sacramento’s performance tonight against the Mavericks; a double-double from Sabonis in particular will be crucial if they hope to make the playoffs.
With a 30-point lead at the half of the second quarter, the Boston Celtics were ready to raise their record to an NBA-best and extend their winning run to ten games. However, the Atlanta Hawks stepped up and controlled the game.
With little over four minutes remaining before halftime, the Hawks trailed 68-38. However, they overcame the 30-point deficit to defeat the Celtics shockingly with a score of 120-118.
The NBA claims that this was the biggest comeback in this year’s season and the biggest turnaround of Hawks since the 1997-98.
In the closing seconds of the game, Hawks player De’Andre Hunter received the ball outside the three-point line after Clint Capela had successfully grabbed the offensive rebound, giving Atlanta supporters something to celebrate.
Atlanta Hawks – Uleashing power
With just 11 seconds remaining with Atlanta up by one point, Hunter ought to have clung to the ball. To the delight of both his teammates and Hawks supporters, Hunter instead unleashed his shooting from three-point range and scored to secure the victory.
In a post-game conference, Hawks coach Quin Snyder stated: “Any time you’re down that much, you have to have something out of the ordinary to get back in the game.. And when you have a group of people you know who are behind you, thick or thin, rain or shine – and there was a lot of rain early – they were a big part of helping the sun come out tonight.”
While Atlanta celebrated their victory with smiles on their faces, Boston was embarrassed by the game, losing to a team that is currently nine slots behind the Celtics in the Eastern Conference rankings as the regular season draws to an end.
The Celtics finish the regular season with a 57-15 record, but they still have the best record in the league going into the postseason.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been on a roll ever since Harden took off and ran to the team he so desperately wanted to join during the off-season, the LA Clippers. And in the wake of his absence, Tyrese Maxey took on his role and was next up in line after Ben Simmons and James Harden failed to be Joel Embiid’s co-star players on court.
So was the blockbuster trade a good call? For the Sixers, the answer is definitely yes. Maxey took to the court and showed just how great he can be, and the most important part is that he can thrive without sacrificing or hurting the performances of his teammates; in fact, he elevates them.
And if his latest performance doesn’t tell people how good of a player he is, then what will? On Monday, Maxey, in the words of the Gen-Z kids, “ate” as he recorded a jaw-dropping, career-high of 50 points in the Sixers’ game against the Indiana Pacers. He also posted seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks throughout the match.
His feat is perhaps the most celebrated one so far this week. And he deserves it; he deserves all the recognition he’s getting. Joel Embiid even went so far as to call Maxey “the franchise.”
But, Maxey, being the humble person that he is, said that his brilliant performance had nothing to do with him and that it was all thanks to Kelly Oubre Jr.
“Man, this had nothing to do with me. This is all Kelly Oubre, man. We praying for him man, love my dawg. I just met him, but I love him. I hope he gets well soon.”
Oubre was involved in a vehicular accident recently and is, fortunately, now in a stable condition.
Maxey’s 50 points and Joel Embiid’s 37 points led the team to win against the Indiana Pacers 137-126, bringing their record to 8-1. The team currently sits at No. 1 in the Eastern Conference rankings, edging past the Celtics, with a record of 7-2, and the Pacers, with a record of 6-4.
It’s no secret that Luka Doncic creates court magic practically every time he steps onto the court. Touted as one of the league’s most excellent and versatile players, the 24-year old Slovenian sensation is a force to be reckoned with on the court, even rivaling four-time NBA Champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
This time, however, he went one step further, setting a new NBA record just one week into the season. He achieved remarkable results in the Mavs’ opening three games, achieving a record-breaking three-consecutive 30 point-triple-doubles, making him only the third player in NBA history to accomplish this feat.
The ESPN Stats and Info also broke the news on X, writing, “Luka Doncic is the 3rd player in NBA history with multiple 30-point triple-doubles through the first 3 games of a season. He joins Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 (3) & Russell Westbrook in 2016-17 (2).”
Luka Doncic is the 3rd player in NBA history with multiple 30-point triple-doubles through the first 3 games of a season.
When asked about the reason for his strong play, Doncic said, “I don’t know. I think it’s just pushing the pace.”
“I think I’ve been better, participating much better on the defensive end. Outside of this game, getting my low turnovers. Today, I had like three in a row in the third quarter. That’s unacceptable. Those are two things I know I need to get better at,” Doncic said, according to Forbes.
He further suggested that the improvement in his shooting performance this season may have been attributed to his legs, saying, “Just my legs, you know. Just getting lower in the shot, letting it go. Just trying to make the shot.”
To top it off, Doncic also currently holds the lead in the NBA in points per game (PPG), averaging 39.
NBA Twitter reacts to Doncic’s achievement
Under NBA Central’s post, numerous basketball fans expressed their delight at Doncic’s success, claiming that he is definitely off to a blazing start this season.
One fan wrote, “wow! Luka doncic is on fire this season! it’s amazing watching players like him turn the game into an art form. 🏀.”
While another fan added, “spectacular performance! luka doncic’s skills on the court always leave us on the edge of our seats. Keep lighting up the scoreboard, champ!”
One fan also noted that his recent spectacular performance could be because of Kyrie Irving’s veteran leadership.
Kyrie really helping him elevate his game. He was missing that veteran leadership
Overall, Doncic’s supporters were ecstatic to witness him in peak form at the beginning of the season and hope that he continues this level of play all the way through.
Even without all the research, it’s common knowledge that as athletes age, their performance gradually declines. The NBA player’s once bright, burning flame eventually flickers over time and, in a few years, eventually goes out. It’s where everyone is headed, some speeding ahead owing to their season-ending injuries or lackluster performances. But some, and not very often, are slower and more gradual.
One outstanding example is Stephen Curry, who’s shown us this season that despite being 35 years old, he still has a lot of juice left in his tank, ready to step up to the plate with his elite ball movement and deadly three-point shooting.
According to SportsCenter on X, the point guard “has led the Warriors in scoring in all eight games this season, the longest streak to begin a season by a player age 35 or older in NBA history.”
Curry’s points over the last eight games, as per ESPN:
Golden State vs. Phoenix: 27 points
Warriors vs. Sacramento: 41 points
Warriors vs. Houston: 24 points
Warriors vs. New Orleans: 42 points
Warriors vs. Sacramento: 21 points
Warriors vs. Oklahoma City: 30 points
Warriors vs. Cleveland: 28 points
Warriors vs. Detroit: 34 points
Curry also broke a record on Tuesday by becoming the first player in NBA history to make four or more 3-pointers in each of his first eight games of the season.
With all the accolades and championships that he’s won so far in his career, it seems that Curry still shows no signs of stopping, hungry and forging ahead on a path that appears to be lined with lush greenery.
What fans have to say
Under Sportscenter’s post, NBA fans took to the comments section to express their awe at Curry’s recent jaw-dropping performances.
One X user wrote, “Steph Curry is the perfect example of aging like fine wine! He’s got that smoothness, that finesse, and the ability to make the competition feel tipsy. Cheers to the MVP who never disappoints! 🍷🏆”
Steph Curry is the perfect example of aging like fine wine! He's got that smoothness, that finesse, and the ability to make the competition feel tipsy. Cheers to the MVP who never disappoints! 🍷🏆
While another one wrote, “No glazing but it’s crazy to see my glorious king thriving in his 15th season. The fact that he can do the things he does while being a smaller player in the league wows me every time. Most skilled player by far, smaller than majority of players, better/greater than majority.”
Moreover, one X user also took the opportunity to answer the ongoing debate of who’s the greatest point guard of all time: “Magic Johnson vs. Stephen Curry”, writing, “There is no chance Magic Johnson is better than this man.”
There is no chance Magic Johnson is better than this man
Joel Embiid scored 59 points to carry the Philadelphia 76ers to a 105-98 victory over Utah on Sunday, just one of two 50-point performances that lit up the NBA night.
Cleveland guard Darius Garland scored 27 of his 51 points in the fourth quarter, but his heroics weren’t enough to prevent the Cavaliers from surrendering their first defeat on their home floor, 129-124 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Joel Embiid’s impressive game
Embiid’s epic, which improved on his prior career best of 50 points, proved to be all the 76ers needed to hold off the tenacious Jazz.
The Cameroonian big man added 11 rebounds and eight assists along with seven blocked shots, all just a day after he scored 42 points in a victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
“I’ve never seen a more dominating performance, when you combine defense and offense,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said after Embiid became the first player in league history with 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in a game since blocks became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season.
With the Jazz pressing late, Embiid scored 26 of Philadelphia’s 27 points in the fourth quarter.
Chants of “M-V-P” were raining down at the Sixers’ Wells Fargo Center as Embiid poured it on.
The teams were tied heading into the final period, and Embiid’s turnaround jump shot with less than six minutes remaining knotted the score at 94-94.
He hit two free throws on Philadelphia’s next possession for a 98-96 Sixers lead. His fadeaway jump shot with a minute remaining put Philadelphia up 103-98 and he closed out the scoring with a pair of free throws.
In Cleveland, Garland barely beat Embiid to the first 50-point performance of the season as he became the fourth Cavaliers player to hit the half-century mark along with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Walt Wesley.
Garland’s 10 three-pointers — six in the fourth quarter — were just the start as Garland dazzled with an array of agile jump shots and bullish drives to the basket.
“Special,” Cavs veteran Kevin Love said of Garland’s performance. “A masterclass by Darius that was just beautiful.”
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell was cheering from the bench as he sat out with a sore ankle, but Garland’s career night wasn’t quite enough.
D’Angelo Russell scored a season-high 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting and handed out 12 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points for the Timberwolves, who led by 24 late in the third quarter.
Thunder silence Knicks
Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into New York and thumped the Knicks 145-135 to the vocal dismay of the Madison Square Garden crowd.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points and Josh Giddey had a triple-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to lead the young Thunder squad.
Australia’s Giddey, 20, joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to post triple-doubles in their first two games at the iconic Manhattan arena.
“We come here once a year, so you’ve got to have fun while we’re here and luckily in my time we’ve had two wins, so it’s been going good so far,” Giddey said in a post-game interview.
Lu Dort also scored 24 points for Oklahoma City, who connected on 62.5% of their shots from the field. That included making 17 of 31 from three-point range.
The Knicks out-scored the Thunder 48-36 in the first quarter, setting a franchise record for points in the first period.
But Oklahoma City buckled down defensively in the second, holding the Knicks to 25 and scoring 43 to lead by six at the break.
They never trailed and led by as many as 19 in the second half.
In Washington, Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and Deni Avdija chipped in 21 to lead the Wizards to a 102-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Washington notched a fourth straight victory despite the continued absence of Bradley Beal. The Grizzlies were short-handed as well, with Ja Morant sidelined by a sore left ankle and Desmond Bane out with a troublesome toe.
