Starting 5, Nov. 17: De’Aaron Fox’s Record-Breaking Performances, Jayson Tatum Clutches the Win

As Celtics PA announcer Eddie Palladino would say … “JT for GAME.”

THE LINEUP

Nov. 15, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?

Fox Stays Sizzling: 109 points in two days, a mark only two other NBA players have ever met

Cool In The Clutch: Jayson Tatum calls game and the King comes through in two thrillers

Saturday Roundup: Another nail-biter that came down to the final shot, plus a Texas tango

Ant vs. Book: In a 2024 Playoff rematch, two friends will take the court as foes

History Brewing? Sunday’s slate could potentially deliver a pair of milestone moments

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Get your game on…

Ten Matchups On Another NBA ID Member Day: Sunday marks the second leg of back-to-back NBA ID Member Days, in which NBA ID members can stream League Pass on us.

Sunday’s slate opens with a 2024 Playoff rematch between the Suns and Wolves (3:30 ET) and continues throughout the night, including another West showdown between the Thunder and Mavs (7:00 ET).

The Creator Cup Is Back: It’s almost time for the third NBA Creator Cup game, featuring your favorite social media hoopers, including Lethal Shooter, Tristan Jass and JDub. Can the stars show out on the hardwood? Find out on Sunday, Dec. 15 (4:30 ET, YouTube / NBA App).

1. BACK-TO-BACK BUCKET-GETTER: FOX GOES FOR A HISTORIC 49

On Friday, De’Aaron Fox dropped a career-high 60 points. But the Kings fell to Minnesota in overtime.

On Saturday, Fox picked up right where he left off — completing a two-day scoring stretch that has only been topped once in the last 50 years — while leading Sacramento to a win.

Kings 121, Jazz 117: In another dazzling display, Fox erupted for 49 points while shooting 16-of-30 from the floor and scoring seven of the Kings’ last 10 points, including a pair of game-sealing free throws in the final seconds to stamp his historic night with a W. | Recap

Simply, Special: Fox’s 109 points over Friday and Saturday are the second-most over two consecutive days in the last 50 seasons, trailing only Kobe Bryant’s 110 points in back-to-back days of March 2007Fox, Kobe, Wilt: Along with Bryant (1x), Fox joins Wilt Chamberlain (15x) as the only players to total 109+ points over a two-day span in NBA historyMore Royalty: His 109 points are also the most points over any two-game span in Kings franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins’ previous mark of 104 in 2016In Another Zone: Fox went 3-of-4 from deep and added nine assists and two steals, including this swipe while putting his shoe on mid-play before going coast-to-coast for a bucket (yes, you read that correctly)Fox: “That was like the first thing going through my head: get this shoe back on and try to make a play.”

After Fox poured in 26 points in the 1st half to help the Kings go up by as many as 12, Lauri Markkanen (25 pts) and the Jazz rallied to take control and led 112-111 with 3:15 remaining.

The Closing Run: Fox gave Sacramento the lead on a floater with 2:46 left and then buried another a minute later before hitting a free throw to put the Kings up three with 39 seconds to playThe Dagger: After Jordan Clarkson’s free throw cut Utah’s deficit to two, Fox went back to the stripe with 1.8 seconds left for points No. 48 and 49 — and a Kings winCoach Mike Brown On Fox:

“Back to back, the overtime game, him playing 75 minutes [on Friday] … I can’t be more proud of him … Wilt, Kobe, Foxy!”

2. TATUM CALLS GAME, THE KING COMES UP CLUTCH

Celtics 126, Raptors 123 (OT): In an epic affair featuring 12 ties and 27 lead changes, RJ Barrett’s first career triple-double (25 pts, 10 reb, 15 ast) and Jakob Pöltl’s career-high 35 points helped take the C’s into OT, where Barrett’s driving layup tied the game at 123 with 55.1 seconds left.

But after trading scoreless possessions, the defending champs gave the rock to Jayson Tatum, who called game with a 28-foot stepback 3 at the buzzer to send TD Garden into a frenzy. | Recap | Dramatic OT Finish

JT & JB: Tatum (24 pts, 11 reb, 9 ast) combined for 51 points with Jaylen Brown (27 pts, 7 ast), and the pair scored all 12 of Boston’s points in OT with six apieceBoston 3 Party: Led by Tatum (5) and Al Horford (5), the Celtics hit 21 3s, marking the fourth time they’ve hit 20+ triples this season — tied with Golden State for the most in the NBARJ’s Career Day:

Despite the loss, Barrett became the first player in Raptors history to record 25+ points, 15+ assists and 10+ rebounds in a game, and his 15 dimes were a career-high

While Tatum’s shot electrified TD Garden and his teammates, it’s nothing new for the five-time All-Star.

JT The Closer: Since the 2019-20 season, Tatum has hit seven game-winning shots in the last five seconds of a game (regular season and Playoffs)His seven game-winners in the final five seconds are the most by any NBA player in that span, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (6), Luka Dončić (5) and Ja Morant (5)But Saturday Was Special: Despite his long track record of ‘calling game,’ this was just Tatum’s second game-winner at the buzzer, with his first coming in the 2022 Playoffs against the NetsTatum With The Game In His Hands:

“I had to make a play.”

LeBron James’ streak of four straight triple-doubles came to an end Saturday. But the King came up clutch to keep the streak that really matters alive.

Lakers 104, Pelicans 99: After trailing by 10 at the half, the Lakers outscored New Orleans 29-15 in the 3rd quarter to take control, only to find themselves down two with 2:09 left in the 4th.

But then James took over, splashing back-to-back triples, capped by a massive hit with 36.9 seconds left to put Los Angeles up four before he and Dalton Knecht added late free throws to seal the Lakers’ fifth straight win. | Recap | Catch The Must-See Ending

AD & The Rook Cook: Anthony Davis posted 31 points and 14 boards, while Knecht notched a career-high 27 points and 5 3s for Los Angeles, which improved to 9-4 with the winThe King In The Clutch: LeBron scored 11 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter and finished with seven boards and five assistsAnother LeBron Milestone: It was James’ 1,505th career game, moving him past John Stockton for fifth on the all-time games played listBI Leads NOLA:

Brandon Ingram scored a game-high 32 points for New Orleans, which fell to 4-10 with the loss

3. SATURDAY ROUNDUP: ANOTHER NAIL-BITER & TEXAS TANGO

Hornets 115, Bucks 114: In a game that never saw a lead greater than eight, LaMelo Ball scored 15 of his 26 points in the 4th, including the eventual game-winning free throws with 7.3 seconds left to lift the Hornets over the Bucks, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s triple-double (22 pts, 15 reb, 12 ast). | Recap | Watch The Final 3:17

Ballin’ In The 4th: Ball added nine boards and six assists, and he leads the league in 4th-quarter scoring with 11.5 ppgBusy Bees: Miles Bridges chipped in 19 points for Charlotte, which had six players finish in double figuresGreek Freak:

It was the first triple-double of the season for Giannis, whose foul line jumper at the buzzer rimmed out

Mavericks 110, Spurs 93: Entering Saturday on a four-game skid, the Mavs picked up a timely win as Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford turned in 22 points apiece to help Dallas balloon a four-point halftime lead into a 17-point dub over Zach Collins (20 pts) and the Spurs, who were without Victor Wembanyama. | Recap

Dallas Depth: Luka Dončić added 16 points, six boards and six dimes in a season-low 28 minutes, as Dallas got a season-best 54 points from its bench

4. A PLAYOFF REMATCH & A FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN FOES

The last time the Wolves and Suns met was Game 4 of the first round of the 2024 Playoffs, when Anthony Edwards dropped 31 of his 40 points in the 2nd half to lead the Wolves to a 4-0 series win.

The victory marked Minnesota’s first Playoff series win in 20 years, and Phoenix’s earliest end to a season since 2019-20.

Today, the two teams will clash in Minnesota for the first time since their postseason battle, as Devin Booker and the Suns seek payback (3:30 ET).

Rewind: In their first-round matchup, Edwards averaged a series-high 31.0 ppg, while Booker led the Suns with 27.5. But Minnesota (118.3) outscored Phoenix (103.3) by 15 ppgFast Forward: The Wolves are tied for the eighth-best record in the West at 7-6, while Phoenix is tied for third at 9-4, despite being without Kevin Durant (left calf strain) for its last four gamesIn KD’s absence, Booker (21.0) and Bradley Beal (26.0) have combined for 47.0 ppg, although Booker was held to 12 points in Friday’s loss to the ThunderBounce-Back Book:

Last season, Booker was held to 12 or fewer points just four times and responded with 34+ points in each of the following four games, with an average of 35.6 ppg

Booker scored 49 points in Phoenix’s Game 4 loss to Minnesota, and while Edwards has taken all four of their Playoff matchups, Book has an 11-1 record against Ant in the regular season.

After winning a gold medal together with Team USA this summer, Edwards expressed how Durant is his GOAT, but it was Booker’s game that caught his eye in Paris, as the two developed into friends.

Ant: “Steph had great games, [KD] had great games, LeBron had great games, but Book was guarding the best player, turning down shots …“Book goes for 70 [in NBA games]. I’m not gonna lie — I was impressed watching him.”“Ima see you in LA boy!” Booker told Edwards after winning gold, regarding the 2028 Olympics“Me and Book runnin’ the show in LA,”

replied Edwards

For now, the two superstar scorers will begin another chapter as West rivals, with a potential 3-point barrage on the horizon.

Ant & Book From Deep: This season, Edwards leads the NBA with 4.9 triples per game and both he (11.6) and Booker (7.2) are averaging a career-high in 3-point attemptsRace To 15?

Both ranked in the top 10 in 3s per game, Phoenix is 6-2 this season when it knocks down 15+ 3s, while Minnesota is 6-1 when it makes 15+ 3s

5. LEAGUE PASS LINEUP: HISTORY ON NBA ID MEMBER DAY?

Nine more games tip off Sunday on NBA League Pass, which NBA ID Members can access for free as part of NBA ID Member Day. To top it off, Sunday’s slate could potentially deliver a pair of milestone moments.

Hornets at Cavaliers (6 ET): Entering the 2024-25 season, the NBA had only seen five teams begin a season 14-0. Now, the Cavs are the sixth, and a win tonight would make them just the fourth squad to start 15-0, matching the second-best start the league has ever seen. However, they’ll have to do it without their five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell (rest).

Mavericks at Thunder (7 ET): In a heavyweight showdown, the reigning West champs will take on the conference’s top seed as Luka Dončić and the Mavs visit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. OKC is allowing a league-best 102.2 ppg this season. But Dončić averaged 34.0 ppg against them last season, more than any other NBA player.

Nets at Knicks (7 ET): On Friday during the second night of the Emirates NBA Cup, the Nets and Knicks produced an instant classic at MSG, which saw Jalen Brunson splash a game-winning 3 with 6.2 seconds left. Will fans get another thriller at the Garden in the second round of the Battle of the Boroughs?

Jazz at Clippers (9 ET): Entering Sunday tied with Ray Allen (2,973) for second on the all-time NBA 3-point list, James Harden will look to make history against the Jazz at the Intuit Dome, where the Clippers have won three straight games.

Five more games get underway throughout the day, including a rematch between the Heat and Pacers following Miami’s 124-111 win on Friday’s Cup Night.

Heat at Pacers (5 ET)Pistons at Wizards (6 ET)Nuggets at Grizzlies (6 ET)Hawks at Trail Blazers (6 ET)Rockets at Bulls

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