Mar 02, 2026
3 min read
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On this date in 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA record for scoring 100 points in a game.He also set records for field goals made (36), field goals attempted (63), free throws (28), field goals in a half (22), field goal attempts in a half (37), field goal attempts in a quarter (21) and points in a half (59).Wilt also broke his own record for field goal attempts in a game, which was 62. In that game of 62 attempts, he scored just 78 points.Adrian Dantley tied Wilt's record for free throws in a game, and Nikola Jokić tied his record for field goal attempts in a quarter.
Speaking of Jokic…
Yes, Lou Dirt is a dirty game
The viral moment from the Thunder's 127-121 overtime win over the Nuggets on Friday night had nothing to do with the on-court performance of MVP candidates Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.It had to do with Lou Dort checking Jokic's hip and what happened next.
First of all, I don't want to be careful about the words used here.I've seen push notifications from other places and carefully compiled social media headlines that say something like, "Dort looks like he's cheating on Jokić."Well... that's one way of putting it.Personally, I use the words: "Dort looks like he is trying to re-injure the left knee that killed Jokić 16 straight games earlier this season."this." That's why everyone outside of OKC is watching him.
However, you do not have to be honest.You can check out the game yourself from the remaining eight minutes of the fourth quarter.The upper part of Jokić's knee, Dort's hip check shows it well and you can tell if you think this seems intentional.
Durrett is one of the best defenders in the league.He is a very smart player with a physical style of play.He almost sets the tone for this great Thunder defense.Meanwhile, when you type his name into the YouTube search bar, the first options that come up are about dirty games.The process you see is correct.
This angered Jokic, who also had a reputation.Aside from his dominant play over the last few years, Jokic has no problem getting in opponents' faces when he's angry.He invaded their space as he shouted and continued to support them.Few players stepped on it and were not forced to retreat immediately.And, of course, his brothers are always hiding.He decided and became more physical.
As you can see, Jokic didn't like it!He starts to grab Williams' hair before swinging his arms to get rid of the OKC big man's attempt to push Jokic away from Durrett.This led to Jokic's viral appearance where he went from a big honey to a real wild one.
Nuggets coach David Adelman didn't let it go and called Dort's game "bad."When you see the angle from the basic camera, as we've shown above, it's hard to look at it any other way.The game, along with this event, made everyone want to sign up for a seven game series between Denver and OKC sometime in May.
Last 24
🏀 Who is number one?Sam Vesey has the NBA's latest mock draft.There is still debate at the top, and this class has the potential to be unreasonably deep.
☀️ Enjoying the sun.Phoenix is one of the most surprising teams in the NBA.The relationship between Dylan Brooks and Devin Booker is the biggest issue, Jason Quick said.
🐺 Howling.The Wolves came to Denver on Sunday and defeated the Nuggets.They are part of the conversation in the West, writes Sam Amick.
🏀 It ends here.The Clippers traded James Harden for Darius Garland at the deadline.Garland will make his Clippers debut tonight.
🎩 Magical Tribute The Hawks are planning a magical night on the town and it makes sense.
Stream NBA games on Fubo (try it for free!) and watch games not in the League Pass market.
NBA Stock Report
Spurs, Bulls lanes cut
Every Monday we get into the heart of NBA trends.We stand at center court, look at large screens with lots of numbers in green or red fonts, and then evaluate whether teams are moving up or down.Let's dive into the NBA stock market:
📈 Spurs (43-17).Their 11-game winning streak was snapped by the Knicks on Sunday, but that doesn't change how good the Spurs have been over the past month.They haven't lost a game in February.And their success continues to be fueled by their ridiculous defense, which ranks fourth in the NBA over the past 12 games and is led by Victor Wembanyama's incredible rim protection.He has 42 blocked shots in the last 12 games.
San Antonio is shooting 49.5 percent from the field, and its top six shooters over the last 12 games are a combined 50.5 percent.
📉 Bulls (25-36).It looked like the Bulls were headed for their 12th straight loss before Sunday's 27-0 run against Milwaukee.Even with an incredible run, the Bulls have been rough.(27).They don't grab a defensive rebound (23rd).
📈 Hawks (31-31).Since the All-Star break, the Hawks have been on fire.They have won five of their last six games to hit .500.The brightest spot in that department might be Jonathan Cominga.You may remember him as one of Steve Kerr's bench players.But in his three games with the Hawks, he is averaging 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists.scores and 1.7 steals.He's also making 67.7 percent of his shots.The Hawks may have gotten a steal at the trade deadline.
📉 Trail Blazers (29-33).The Blazers are 2-4 after returning from the break, but their play on both ends of the court is much worse than that record suggests.Their offensive rating is a putrid 102.9, and their defensive rating of 117.0 in those six games is almost as bad as Washington's.The Blazers scored just 3 points in those six games.29.3 percent.The only 3-point shooters he can count on right now are Jeremy Grant and Donovan Klingan.
📈 Rockets (37-22).Things have been hectic for the Rockets lately, but their offense and defense have stabilized since the All-Star break.In their last six games, they are 4-2 and ranked 9th in defense.Offensively, the Rockets continue to struggle for the ball (26th), but they make up for it with the second-best scoring and true shooting percentage.Because without Stephen Adams, it's harder to dominate the offensive boards.
📉 the sun of offense.Without Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, Phoenix's offense crumbled.Talk about a bowl-level Gotham City football stadium.Before the All-Star break, they were 14th in the league with an offensive rating of 114.5.Since then they have an unfavorable rating of 100.6.This is the worst in the NBA.To put this in context, the 76ers' Trust Process averaged a 98.75 rating from 2013 to 2017.
(Check out the full NBA rankings here, and read an expanded version of the NBA Stock Report every Monday in my NBA Rewind.)
Can Vinyl make a season 2 champion?
The Incomparable League's second season concludes with tonight's semifinals and Wednesday's championship game.Despite being without league co-founder Napheese Collier (after she tore three ligaments in her ankle in September), we saw an incredible second season.The 3-on-3 league set a record for the largest attendance at a professional women's basketball game with 21,490 on Jan. 31 in Philadelphia.We saw Vinyl (5-9) and Breeze (6-8) sneak into these semis.
Here's what you need to know for tonight's do-or-die games:
Vinyl vs.Phantom, 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT in Brooklyn
Vinyl won its first championship last year with Derricka Hamby and Rain Howard, but it's the Phantoms who are the threat in this league.They have won seven games in a row to become the top team.Kelsey Plum and Aaliyah Boston lead the way with plenty of support for Tiffany Hayes' outdoor shooting.Vinyl comes into the game by beating the Lasers on Saturday.
Season matchup: The Phantoms are 2-0 against Vinyl this year.The second win saw Plum and Boston both score 30 points in the same game.They were the first team in league history to do so.
The star that will carry them: Hamby's draw with Boston will likely determine this.
Breeze vs.fog, 8:45 p.m.ET on TNT in Brooklyn
The Fog have the highest point differential in their 10-4 season at a ridiculous +109.That was a game the Breezes trailed by 19 points.It's no surprise that Allisha Gray and Breanna Stewart lead the Mist.Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga lead the Breeze this season as part of the new team.They defeated Rose and reached the semifinals.
Game on the season: 1-1 against each other, both with double-digit wins.
Star who brought it: I'm looking for a scoring party between the Bakers and Stewie
