Thursday was a very light night in the NBA, as only three games made up the schedule.
Joakim Noah made league history in Chicago against the 76ers, the Lakers continued their dominance over the Timberwolves as they push towards the playoffs and the Clippers accomplished something they had never done before since moving to Los Angeles.
Here is another thought-provoking issue of Five Fast Facts.
- Joakim Noah accomplished a feat no other NBA player in league history had done on Thursday when he became the first player to score 20 points (23) grab 20 rebounds (21) and block 10 shots (11) while shooting at least 65 percent from the field (8-12 FG). Noah became the first player since Shawn Bradley on April 7, 1998 to record a 20-20-10 game, as the Bulls defeated the 76ers 93-82. The 76ers have now lost seven straight games. Noah joined an elite list of just six players to record a 20-20-10 game since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74. Of those six players, only Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar accomplished the feat twice. The other players to do so along with Shawn Bradley are Shaquille O’Neal and Elvin Hayes. Read why Doug Collins time as head coach of the 76ers is not turning out as he planned.
- The Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 116-94 on Thursday night, winning their 21st consecutive game against Minnesota. Their 21 straight wins against the Timberwolves is tied for the fifth longest win streak in NBA history. Here are the top-four win streaks against one team in NBA history: SuperSonics 26-game win streak over the Timberwolves, Suns 25-game win streak over the Timberwolves, the Lakers 24-game win streak over the Kings and the Celtics 22-game win streak over the Buffalo Braves.
- Kobe Bryant scored 33 points against Minnesota on Thursday, recording his 24th game this season of at least 30 points (tied with Kevin Durant for most in NBA). With his two steals, Bryant became the 15th player in NBA history to record 1,800 career steals. Since starting the season 16-15, the Timberwolves have now lost 20 of their last 24 games.
- Blake Griffin scored 18 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field, in the Clippers’ 99–91 win at Indiana. Griffin made 11 of 14 (79%) of his shots from the floor in his previous game, a win over the Bobcats on Wednesday night. It’s the second time in his career that Griffin has shot 70% or better in at least two consecutive games. (He had a three-game streak last April.) All other players in franchise history have combined for only two such streaks (minimum: 10 FGA in each game): Mike Taylor in March 2009 and DeAndre Jordan in November 2012.
- The Clippers won their 42nd game on Thursday night, clinching a winning season for the second consecutive season. This is the first time since the Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984-85 that they have recorded back-to-back winning seasons. They have won seven of their last eight games overall, and their 42-18 record through 60 games is their best in franchise history.
Stat Mann is the nom de guerre of our research statistician, who spends a lot of time watching basketball in central Connecticut. Someone would be angry if they discovered he was moonlighting here.