14 games took place N.B.A The program was on Friday, but one of the busiest nights of the season ended somewhat disappointingly from a competitive perspective. Nine of those 14 contests were decided by double digits, including three by more than 30 points and three others by at least 20 points.
Although there wasn’t much drama, there was a lot going on from a statistical and historical perspective. Here’s a look at some of the most interesting notes from Friday’s action.
The Celtics remain undefeated at home
The Jazz were the unlucky team to face the Celtics at TD Garden, just days after the league’s best team’s desperate fourth-quarter comeback attempt failed against the Thunder. Back at home on Friday, the Celtics took out their frustration on the Jazz with a commanding 126-97 win. In the last 42 minutes they were ahead by double digits and even led by 36 points at one point.
With the win, the Celtics improved to 17-0 at the Garden and remained the only team with a perfect home record this season. This is the longest home winning streak to start a season in franchise history. The Celtics are still well below the all-time record set by the 2015-16 Spurs, who won their first 39 home games.
Embiid’s streak continues with the loss
The Sixers endured a rough night, losing by 36 to the new-team Knicks, in part because Joel Embiid couldn’t get his way. New York rushed Embiid, who injured his ankle early, and limited him to 10 of 23 field throws – one of his least efficient efforts all season.
Still, Embiid managed to maintain his historic streak of 30 points and 10 rebounds by hitting two free throws in the fourth quarter and finishing with a score of 30 points and 10 rebounds. He has now achieved these goals in 15 consecutive games, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to achieve the feat. Notably, Chamberlain played 67 consecutive games in the 1961-62 season, which is the all-time record.
Pacers make more offensive history
The last time the Pacers and Hawks played, they combined for an incredible 309 points in regulation. As expected, their clash on Friday was another offensive showcase, although this time the Pacers were the only team participating. They stayed red hot, shooting 63.8% from the field en route to a 150-112 win – their sixth in a row.
They set a new franchise record with 50 assists, which is seventh in a game in NBA history. In fact, this is only the eleventh time a team has reached this mark and only the second time this century. Tyrese Haliburton, who leads the league with 12.8 per game, dished out 18 points in just 25 minutes alone.
The Pacers now have three games on the season in which they scored 150 points. The rest of the league has a total of three such games, all of which were against the Pacers. If you like to attack, tune in when Indiana is in play.
Banchero gets his first triple-double and leads the Magic comeback
Late Friday, the undermanned Magic pulled off an incredible 18-point comeback and overwhelmed the defending champion Nuggets. Paolo Banchero hit two free throws to tie the game with 35 seconds left and another pair with 10 seconds left to secure the win.
Although he didn’t have his best shooting night – 8 of 21 from the field – Banchero finished the game with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, recording the first triple-double of his career. The 11 assists were a career high and he either scored or assisted on 59 of the Magic’s 122 points.
Banchero’s first triple-double came just two nights after he set a new career-high with 43 points in the Magic’s loss to the Kings. The Magic’s comeback ended a three-game losing streak and ended their grueling West Coast road trip in style.
