It was a busy Saturday at the Association, and the games and players completely took center stage on this day as records were set and milestones were met.
Nikola Jokic Joins Wilt Chamberlain in Elite Company in Jamal Murray’s Return
The Denver Nuggets are rolling as they beat the Miami Heat, 135-122, at the Ball Arena in Colorado. Leading the way once more was three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who tallied 30 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds on 11-for-13 from the field for an 84% clip.
With his monster game, Jokic joined NBA great Wilt Chamberlain as one of only two men to record at least 30 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds while shooting at least 80% from the field.
The Nuggets also welcomed back their starting point guard, Jamal Murray, who missed a couple of games after being placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol. He added 28 points and 6 dimes for the 6-3 Nuggets.
Cleveland Cavaliers Continue Hot Start, Set Franchise Record
The Cavs turned their marquee matchup with the red-hot Golden State Warriors into a laugher right in the very first half, outscoring the Dubs 83-42 en route to a 136-117 blowout at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
With the dominant win, the Cavs set the franchise record for the best start ever to a season at 10-0. They are the 15th team in the NBA to start with 10 consecutive wins, only the fourth to do it since 2000, and the first after the Warriors did so in 2015–16. Impressively, they are the only team to go 10-0 in a season while scoring at least 110 points a game.
Suns Survive Mavs in Thriller
In arguably Saturday’s best game, the Phoenix Suns notched their eighth win of the 2024–25 NBA Season with a thrilling 114-113 victory at American Airlines Center.
The back-and-forth between the two star-studded teams literally went down to the final two shots of the game, with Suns big man Jusuf Nurkic hitting the game-winning free throw and Mavs All-Star Luka Doncic missing a desperation heave with 0.8 on the clock.
Nurkic was one of six Suns to notch double figures with 15, while Kevin Durant led the way with 26. Doncic paced the Mavs with 30, with Kyrie Irving chipping in 29.
The Suns are now 8-1 in the season, while the Mavs dropped to 5-4.
The Pippens Make History
The Memphis Grizzlies notched their sixth win of the season on Saturday, blowing out the Washington Wizards, 128-104, at the FedEx Forum. The Grizz won despite missing All-Star Ja Morant, who is out with a hip injury.
It did not matter as the Grizzlies used a balanced attack led by Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 39 points. Chipping in as well was Scotty Pippen Jr., who finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists for his first career triple-double.
This personal milestone is especially sweet for the one-time Laker, as it made history. With this triple-double, Pippen Jr. and his great namesake, Scottie Pippen, became the first father-son duo in NBA history to record triple-doubles.
