KD keeps getting buckets.
Orlando keeps stacking wins.
And one Pat Bev fan keeps buying jerseys.
THE LINEUP 🏀
December 2, 2023 | 6-min read
- Must-see from Friday
- KD 10th all-time in scoring
- Magic match best-ever streak
- Roundup: C’s stay atop East
- Behind SGA’s red-hot start
📺 Nuggets at Kings: 10 ET, NBA TV
📲 11 more games on the NBA App
🏆 Knockouts: Bracket & schedule
1. SATURDAY MORNING MUST-SEE
- KD Enters Top 10: With a driving layup late in the first half of Phoenix’s loss to Denver, Kevin Durant passed Moses Malone for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. See it from inside the building
- “It’s amazing to be amongst the greats.” Durant reflected on his journey to the top 10 after the game. More on KD’s accomplishment in Section 2 ⬇️
- Two-way player: Best known for his scoring, KD also flexed his defensive talents on Friday with this rejection of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- Magic match record streak: With their ninth straight win, the Magic matched the longest win streak in franchise history. More on how they did it in Section 3 ⬇️
- Pat Bev’s night: Patrick Beverley met his most die-hard fan pregame (and signed every jersey he was wearing) before matching his career-high with 26 points in Philly’s loss to Boston
- Truth Photography: Paul Pierce has had plenty of his own highlights captured on film inside TD Garden. He turned the tables and went behind the lens on Friday
- Welcome Back: Trey Murphy III impressed in his season debut, knocking down four 3s and this monster jam
2. DURANT BECOMES 10TH ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER
⚒️ Nuggets 119, Suns 111
🏀 Recap | DEN 14-6, PHX 11-8
Kevin Durant entered Friday’s game needing 17 points to pass Moses Malone for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
He wasted little time in getting it done.
- How it happened: Durant scored 10 of Phoenix’s first 17 points and finished with 12 in the first quarter. He tied Moses with a signature pull-up jumper, then passed the Hall of Famer with a driving layup through contact in the final minute of the first half
- Not enough for the win: KD finished with 30 for the game and 27,423 for his career. The shorthanded Suns (no Booker, no Beal) rallied in the second half, but Nikola Jokic (21 pts, 16 ast) and the Nuggets held on
It took Durant only 404 days to climb from 20th to 10th on the all-time scoring list. Take a look at this list of Hall of Famers (VC eligible in 2024) he passed in the past 13 months.
- 20th: Alex English on Oct. 24, 2022
- 19th: Vince Carter on Oct. 31, 2022
- 18th: Kevin Garnett on Nov 23, 2022
- 17th/16th: John Havlicek and Paul Pierce on Dec 18, 2022
- 15th: Tim Duncan on Dec. 26, 2022
- 14th: Dominique Wilkins on Jan. 8, 2023
- 13th: Oscar Robertson on Mar. 3, 2023
- 12th: Hakeem Olajuwon on Oct. 26, 2023
- 11th: Elvin Hayes on Nov. 21, 2023
- 10th: Moses Malone on Dec. 1, 2023
Who’s Next? Durant is on pace to reach eighth place this season, if he were to maintain his current scoring average across the rest of the year (31.2 ppg).
- Carmelo Anthony (9th – 28,289 points): KD needs 867 points to pass Melo, which would take 28 games based on his average
- Shaquille O’Neal (8th – 28,596 points): KD needs 1174 to pass Shaq, which would take 38 games using that same math
3. ORLANDO’S MAGIC-AL RUN CONTINUES
🔮 Magic 130, Wizards 125
🏀 Recap | ORL 14-5, WAS 3-16
The Magic matched their franchise record with nine consecutive wins after defeating the Wizards for the second time in three days.
- How it happened: Franz Wagner (31) posted his third straight 30+ point game, while Paolo Banchero added 28 points, 13 boards and seven dimes in the win
- “We’ve been here for 3 years working on this”: Moritz Wagner discussed the Magic’s journey to this point since head coach Jamahl Mosley came on in 2021-22
- “The work’s not done”: Paolo channels Kobe saying the team is not satisfied with just tying the record
This is the fourth time in franchise history that Orlando has won nine in a row and the first time in over a decade.
- Nov. 15, 2023 – Present
- Dec. 23, 2010 – Jan. 8, 2011
- Jan. 30 – Feb. 18, 2001
- Nov. 12 – Dec. 2, 1994
Not only is this Orlando’s longest win streak since 2010-11, the Magic are off to their best start (14-5) through 19 games since that same season (15-4).
How did this happen?
- An offensive boost: Prior to the streak, the Magic were 5-5 with the 23rd-ranked offense (109.9). During the streak, their offense ranks 9th with an increase of nearly 10 points per 100 possessions (119.3)
- A steady defense: Defense has been the centerpiece for the Magic all season long. Prior to the streak they ranked 5th (108.1). During the streak, they rank 1st (108.4) while holding opponents near the exact same points per 100 possessions
- Winning close and winning big: Four of the nine wins in the streak have come by six points or less, while the other five have come by 12 points or more
How far can the Magic push this streak?
Here are their next five games, culminating with what would be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in the East if played today.
- Dec. 2 at Nets
- Dec. 6 at Cavs
- Dec. 8 vs. Pistons
- Dec. 11 vs. Cavs
- Dec. 15 at Celtics
4. ROUNDUP: CELTICS STAY ATOP EAST
🍀 Celtics 125, Sixers 119
🏀 Recap | BOS 15-4, PHI 12-7
- Celtics Close: With their top two scorers (Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey) out, the Sixers hung with the East-leading Celtics until Boston closed the game on a 10-3 run in the final 2:30. Jayson Tatum (21 before being ejected late in the third), Derrick White and Jaylen Brown combined for 62 points
🗽 Knicks 119, Raptors 106
🏀 Recap | NYK 12-7, TOR 9-11
- Triples 20s: Jalen Brunson (22 pts, 8 ast), Donte DiVincenzo (21 pts on seven 3s) and Julius Randle (20 pts, 10 reb, 9 ast) combined for 63 to lead the Knicks. While he didn’t hit 20, Josh Hart scored 15 straight for NY in the third quarter
⚜️ Pelicans 121, Spurs 106
🏀 Recap | NOP 11-9, SAS 3-16
- Pelicans top Wemby-less Spurs: Jonas Valanciunas (24 pts, 12 reb) posted his third 20-10 game of the season to lead the Pelicans past the Spurs. Trey Murphy III delighted the NOLA fans with 18 points and four 3s in his season debut
🐻 Grizzlies 108, Mavs 94
🏀 Recap | MEM 5-13, DAL 11-7
- First consecutive wins: Desmond Bane posted his seventh 30+ point game of the season (one shy of his total from last season) as the Grizzlies beat the Mavs, who were without Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr.
5. BEHIND SGA’S RED-HOT START
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did something pretty special last year.
Then just 24 years old, the OKC star became the youngest guard in NBA history to average 30 PPG on 50% or better shooting.
This year? He’s off to an even better start.
On both ends of the floor.
The buzz started early this summer. From seemingly all corners. With Chet Holmgren back in the lineup, how good could the Thunder be? After a Play-In Tournament bid last year, could OKC become a contender?
How would Gilgeous-Alexander build on his star leap from 2022?
Before SGA – who’s scored 30+ in five of his last six games, and nine of 12 — and the third-place Thunder take on the Mavericks tonight (9 ET, NBA App), here’s how.
“A big focus for me was to get better on both sides of the floor and become an overall better basketball player,” SGA told Taylor Rooks going into the season. Try to make better decisions. More winning plays.”
- Two-Way Talent: Shai’s Net Rating has shot up to 12.3 this year, from 2.7 last season. That’s second in the NBA among players getting 30+ mins a night, behind only Boston’s Derrick White
- One Reason? His defense. SGA’s 106.6 DefRtg stands 5th among guards (min. 30 mpg). That’s 6.7 points per 100 better than last year, when he ranked 30th
- Say That Another Way: His defense has gone up a big notch – including owning the No. 1 spot in the NBA in steals per game (2.3)
- Another Reason? He’s never shot better. At a career-high 54.1 FG%, he’s the only guard in the Top 10 scoring leaders above 50%. His 64% True Shooting percentage also ranks as a career-best
“When I play against different teams and gameplans and different scouts, I really dissect,” he told Rooks. “And if I have a couple days before we play that team, I try to work on those things before the game to attack the opposing team in that way. It’s almost day to day throughout the season.”
- Read & React: Shai’s been taking what the defense gives him. Gladly. He’s second in the league in points off drives (15.3 per game, at 56.7%) while also shooting 50.6% on pull-ups. That’s tops among players with 11+ ppg
- Consistency The Key: SGA’s 54.1 FG% is the best in the league for players taking 20 shots or more a night. He’s shot under 50 percent just five times in 17 games
Get to know SGA a little better in his Pass the Rock episode last year, when the Toronto native earned his first All-Star bid.
