Jan 7, 2008 -- STATS goes inside the numbers and provides a weekly look at the most noteworthy boxscore happenings in the NBA. This is the ninth installment of the season, covering games from Dec. 24-30.

Kobe Bryant scored in double-figures in the first quarters of the Lakers’ wins over Phoenix and Utah last week. For the season, Bryant has scored at least 10 points in the opening quarter 15 times, five more than any other player, and his 9.1 scoring average in the first leads the league.

Allen Iverson (39) and Carmelo Anthony (30) both reached 30 points in the Nuggets’ 124-120 win at Golden State on Friday. It was the third time this season that the duo had scored 30 points in the same game. Only two other pairs of teammates have done so once this season -- Mike Miller and Rudy Gay of the Grizzlies (12/03/07 vs. Portland) and Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis of the Warriors (11/26/07 vs. Phoenix).

Marcus Camby had a big night against the Bucks last Wednesday (10 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks and 5 assists). He became the first player to have at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 blocks and five assists in a game since Hakeem Olajuwon (31 points, 13 rebounds, 10 blocks, 6 assists) did so against the Mavericks on April 13, 1996.

Chris Paul will enter the 2008 calendar year with season averages of 21.4 points, 10.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game. Since the NBA began tracking steals in 1973-74, no player in the league has averaged at least 20 points, 10 assists and three steals per game in a single season.

Dating back to last season’s All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns have won 42 straight games in which they held a double-digit lead at some point in the contest. That is the longest such streak since the Sacramento Kings won 59 straight games in which they held a double-digit lead from December 16, 2001 to December 25, 2002.

With a win over the Bucks this Monday, the Pistons will close out the calendar year with a 24-7 mark. That would be the team’s second best record through the end of December in franchise history, trailing only their 24-4 mark in 2005-06.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, just 4-25 on the season, have scored at least 100 points in all four of their victories in 2007-08. They have lost 26 straight games in which they failed to reach 100 points, the longest active streak in the league. The Clippers, with six straight losses in games scoring 99 points or less, have the NBA’s next longest current streak.

The Orlando Magic have made at least five three-pointers in 33 straight games dating back to 2006-07. They are the only team in the league with at least five threes in each of their contests this season.