Here are the top performers on January 9 and the stats to highlight their impact:
BEST PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Cooper Flagg DAL SF 26 PTS | 10 REB | 8 AST | 59.0 FPS
The star rookie delivered an elite all-around performance. This marked his 17th 20-point outing of the season and his seventh with 25 or more. He also recorded his 17th five-assist game, added his fourth 10-plus rebound performance, and tied his career high with three steals—becoming just the third rookie in franchise history to post those numbers.
BREAKOUT:
TJ McConnell IND PG 23 PTS | 8 AST | 4 STL | 47.8 FPS (vs. CHA)
McConnell was instrumental in the second half, pouring in 15 points to finish with his best scoring game of the season. He also excelled in other areas, putting up a season-high in steals while also tying his best playmaking output this year for the fifth time.
SLEEPER:
De’Andre Hunter CLE SF 14 PTS | 7 REB | 2 STL | 32.4 FPS (vs. MIN)
Over his last five games, Hunter has been a consistent contributor, averaging 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds. But he’s capable of much more as a scorer, notching seven 20-point outings already this season.
ELITE ASSET:
Donovan Mitchell CLE SG 30 PTS | 7 REB | 8 AST | 49.4 FPS (vs. MIN)
Mitchell missed their last game, but he stayed hot in his return, racking up his fourth consecutive 30-point game and his 21st of the season. He was also effective in running the offense, posting his 27th five-assist game and now ranking 25th in the league in total assists.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Walter Clayton Jr. UTA PG 12 PTS | 3 AST | 2 STL | 22.5 FPS (vs. DAL)
The rookie guard has seen over 20 minutes in each of his last two games and responded with double-digit scoring, four threes per outing and positive playmaking output.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Sam Merrill CLE SG 22 PTS | 2 REB | 3 AST | 31.9 FPS (vs. MIN)
The sharpshooter has been a reliable scoring presence this season, and he was at it again today, posting his fourth 20-point outing while knocking down five or more threes for the seventh time this year. He has been even more impressive over his last four games, averaging 18 points with 5 threes on 54% shooting.
STREAMER:
Johnny Furphy IND SG 7 PTS | 6 REB | 1 BLK | 22.2 FPS (vs. CHA)
The second-year guard has taken on a much larger role over his last two games and has delivered positive contributions across the board. With Mathurin’s status uncertain, he should continue seeing expanded minutes and maintain this level of production.
FLOPPER:
Brandon Miller CHA SF 6 PTS | 4 REB | 2 BLK | 18.3 FPS (vs. IND)
Miller has been on a roll, averaging 26.6 points over his last five games, but he was ineffective today before getting ejected in the third quarter. It was only the third time this season that he scored fewer than 10 points.
