The 2013-14 NBA regular season is just over one month in, and the record books are already being re-written. Wednesday, December 4, 2013 was a continuation of that, as a number of different players improved upon their long-term reputations with differing feats of remarkable consistency.
Here’s everything you need to know about what transpired on December 4.
1. Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks made a 3-point field goal for the 89th consecutive game. In turn, Korver moved into a tie with Dana Barros for the longest streak in league history.
Korver matched the record in style, scoring 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 from distance. He’s made 16 more 3-pointers than Barros during their respective 89-game streaks.
2. The Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs were set to play the first ever NBA regular season game in Mexico. Before the action could begin, however, smoke poured into the arena and the game was postponed.
The NBA’s global expansion will have to wait.
3. Andre Drummond was dominant again, putting up 24 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks and two steals to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 105-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Drummond has at least 18 rebounds in three consecutive games. He’s the first Pistons player to achieve that feat since four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace in March of 2003.
More impressively, he’s the first player age 20 or younger to post at least 18 rebounds in three straight games since Shaquille O’Neal.
4. Drummond wasn’t alone in his dominance for Detroit. Greg Monroe posted 18 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 31 minutes. Drummond and Monroe are the first Pistons teammates to register at least 17 rebounds in the same game since Bill Laimbeer had 20 and Dennis Rodman had 17 on February 13, 1990.
5. The Indiana Pacers bounced back from a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers by defeating the Utah Jazz 95-86. Indiana improved to 17-2 overall and 8-2 on the road. Both of those marks are the best in the NBA.
6. Tristan Thompson took over with 17 points, a career-high 21 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Denver Nuggets 98-88. Thompson entered the game with averages of 10.8 points and 9.5 rebounds, and tallied 14 points and 14 rebounds in his previous outing.
No. 1 overall draft choice Anthony Bennett, meanwhile, scored five points in 11 minutes.
7. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points and Monta Ellis dished out 10 assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 100-97 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Jrue Holiday finished with 26 points and nine assists for the Pelicans, but the star of the day was the forgotten Al-Farouq Aminu.
Aminu had 16 points, a career-high 21 rebounds and three steals.
8. The Trail Blazers continued to erase the fluke label last night. Portland earned a 111-104 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder
to reach 16-3 overall and 8-1 at home. LaMarcus Aldridge put up a season-high 38 points and 13 rebounds, and all five of Portland’s starters were in double-figures.
Portland owns the best record in the Western Conference.
9. Paul Millsap finished with 25 points and nine rebounds, and Al Horford had 21 and nine to lead the Hawks past the Los Angeles Clippers 107-97. It was just the fourth time this season that Millsap and Horford have scored 20 points in the same game.
10. Chris Paul finished with 19 points, 11 assists and three steals in 37 minutes as the Clippers fell 107-97 to the Hawks. Paul leads all players with 16 games in which he’s posted at least 10 points and 10 assists, with the second-most belonging to John Wall of the Washington Wizards.
Wall has seven. That’s nine less than CP3. That’s perspective.
Bonus Fact: Denver’s loss snapped a seven-game winning streak.