Thursday Feb. 13, 2020 Briefs

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS-BOSTON CELTICS

Jayson Tatum scored 39 points which was two off his career-high. It was his third career game of at least 35 points and each one has been achieved at home.

More notable is that Tatum’s 39 points are the most by any Celtic against the Clippers. The previous record was 38 set by John Havlicek on Nov. 30, 1970.

It was the 165th game of at least 39 points by a Celtic. Add in the nine rebounds Tatum grabbed, it was the 68th instance in team history of at least 39 points and nine rebounds and third instance this season.

Marcus Smart scored 31 points and that was his second-highest point total. His career-high was 37 against Phoenix on Jan. 18.

Are you wondering how many times Gordan Hayward had at least 13 rebounds? It was his fifth career game with at least 13 boards and second against the Clippers, whom he also got 13 boards against on April 8, 2016.

Lou Williams scored 35 points which his 15th career game of at least 35 points as a reserve. It was the 11th time a reserve player scored at least 35 points on the Celtics. It was the first instance since Jamal Crawford scored 37 for the Knicks in a 122-118 loss on Nov. 18, 2006, in a game I still recall taking forever because of an insanely high total of free throws.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER-NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

A week ago, Danilo Gallinari was nearly dealt to the Miami Heat in a complex transaction and Thursday he scored 29, a figure that is his second-most points against New Orleans. His highest total was 32 for the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 17, 2015.

Gallinari made 12 field goals and that gives him six career games of at least 29 points on 12 field goals. The previous five instances came when he played for Denver.

Chris Paul scored 14 points and handed out 12 assists. It was his 277^th career game of at least 12 assists and his 76th game of 12 assists with less than 15 points.

Now that we’ve got your attention with some esoteric Thunder items, let’s get to Zion Williamson. Williamson who scored 32 points. 

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the seventh top overall pick with at least eight career games of at least 20 points within their first 10 games.

Williamson’s 32 points match Darren Collison for the fifth-most by a Pelicans rookie. Collison scored 32 points at San Antonio on March 5, 2010. 

It was the 26th game of at least 32 points against the Thunder (including the time in Seattle which many would like to exclude). If you include only the time in Oklahoma City, it is the fourth-highest total.

Eric Gordon’s 41 points for the Clippers on Jan. 23, 2009 stand as the record if you only include the years in Oklahoma City (2008-09).