NBA Starting 5, Dec. 12: Luka sets 3-point mark as buckets rain

Luka Doncic just became the youngest player with 1,000 career treys.

Do you know who he passed into first?

Find your answer in Section 2. Now, get caught up on Monday’s 13 games before Nikola Jokic loses the spin on this ball.

THE LINEUP 🏀

1. 👀 Must-see from Monday
2. ✅ 13 games in 2 minutes
3. 📸 Monday night photo spotlight
4. 🏆 All-Tournament Team announced
5. ☀️ Beal is back for Phoenix

📺 Lakers at Mavs: 7:30 ET, TNT

📺 Warriors at Suns: 10 ET, TNT

📲 3 more games on NBA App

1. TUESDAY MORNING MUST-SEE

3️⃣0️⃣ PIECES

Monday saw 16 players score at least 30 points, the most of any night this season, topping Nov. 22’s previous mark of 14

💥 DIME WATCH

• Tyrese Haliburton got fancy with a spinning, no-look, bounce pass to Bruce Brown for the slam
• Luka Doncic drew four Grizz into the paint and delivered the no-look hook pass to O-Max Prosper for the corner 3
• Trae Young somehow dropped the no-look dime over Jokic’s shoulder to Clint Capela for the dunk
• Nikola Jokic answered by starting this sequence with a no-look to KCP, who found Aaron Gordon with an alley-oop
• Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun with the hot potato back-and-forth under the basket

🌟 WEMBY AND MORE

•  Pick your Victor Wembanyama highlight: his throwdown dunk over Sengun (bonus: in-arena angle), or nearly palming the ball on this rejection
• Malik Monk did not disappoint in transition as the dunker or the passer
  
• Get a first-hand look at Giannis’ and-one layup and staredown celebration
• Shaedon Sharpe got slippery with the crossover, step-back 3

2. 13 GAMES IN 2 MINUTES

🐴 Mavs 120, Grizzlies 113: Doncic scored 35 points with five 3s to lead Dallas past Memphis, despite a season-high 41 points from Jaren Jackson, Jr. Luka (24 years, 286 days) passed Jayson Tatum as the youngest to 1,000 3s, and got there in the second-fewest games (351) — one behind Buddy Hield’s 350

🔔 Sixers 146, Wizards 101: Joel Embiid (34 pts, 11 reb) posted his seventh-straight 30/10 game – the longest streak in the NBA since Shaq in 2001. How about another Inside the NBA connection? Embiid passed Charles Barkley for the most 30/10 games in Sixers history (129)

⚜️ Pelicans 121, Wolves 107: Zion Williamson erupted for a season-high 36 points as New Orleans snapped Minnesota’s six-game win streak. KAT had 17 points and 12 boards for the shorthanded Wolves without Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert

🗽 Knicks 136, Raptors 130: The Knicks got a combined 82 points from Julius Randle (34), RJ Barrett (27) and Jalen Brunson (21), and key bench contributions from Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes to take control of the game late

🦌 Bucks 133, Bulls 129 (OT): DeMar DeRozan (41 pts, 11 ast) joined Michael Jordan as the only Bull with a 40/10 game, and forced OT with a clutch runner. But Giannis (32 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast) and the Bucks prevailed in the extra five minutes.

👑 Kings 131, Nets 118: The Kings made a franchise-record 25 3s as they pulled off the wire-to-wire win behind 29 points and five 3s from De’Aaron Fox and 20+ points and four 3s each from Monk and Keegan Murray

⛈️ Thunder 134, Jazz 120: SGA kept pace with Luka Doncic for the most 30+ point games in the league (15 each), as he led OKC past Utah despite a career-high 30 from Jazz rookie Keyonte George

⛵ Clippers 132, Blazers 127: Kawhi Leonard (34 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl) and the Clippers beat the Blazers in a back-and-forth game. Anfernee Simons scored a game-high 38 in his third game back after missing a month (thumb)

⚒️ Nuggets 129, Hawks 122: Jamal Murray scored a season-high 29 points (12-15 FG) to lead Denver past Atlanta, despite a career-night from Bogdan Bogdanovic, who became the first Hawk ever with 40+ points and 10+ 3s

🚀 Rockets 93, Spurs 82: Tari Eason had a season-high 18 points and career-high 14 boards as Houston won its 10th straight at home. Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 15 points, 18 boards and five blocks

🔮 Magic 104, Cavs 94: Paolo Banchero had his third 20/10 game of the season, while Franz Wagner added 19 points and four assists, including this alley-oop to Goga Bitadze that a mic’d up Jalen Suggs absolutely loved

🔥 Heat 116, Hornets 114: Miami got a combined 67 points from Duncan Robinson (24), Jimmy Butler (23) and Caleb Martin (20) to hold off Charlotte’s comeback attempts in the fourth behind Terry Rozier’s 34 points and eight 3s

🏎️ Pacers 131, Pistons 123: Tyrese Haliburton posted his sixth 15+ assist game this season, tying Jamaal Tinsley (2001-02) for the most games in a Pacers season. Three of those dimes were to Bennedict Mathurin, who had a season-high 30 points

3. MONDAY NIGHT PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

4. L.A. DUO LEADS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Anthony Davis and LeBron James fueled the Lakers’ run to winning the first-ever NBA Cup on Saturday and they were honored on Monday as two of the five players named to the All-Tournament Team for the 2023 In-Season Tournament.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

• Stats: 6 games, 29 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.7 spg, 64.6% FG
• Highlights: Giannis posts huge game (37 pts, 10 reb) in the Semifinals

Anthony Davis, Lakers

• Stats: 7 games, 23.3 ppg, 14.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.9 bpg, 52.5% FG
• Highlights: The best of AD from the In-Season Tournament

Kevin Durant, Suns

• Stats: 4 games, 34.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 6.8 apg, 4.0 3pg, 60.9% FG, 69.6% 3P
• Highlights: Durant (38 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast) with a near-triple-double in Utah

Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers

• Stats: 7 games, 26.7 ppg, 13.3 apg, 4.9 rpg, 4.4 3pg, 1.3 spg, 52.4% FG, 42.5% 3P
• Highlights: Haliburton’s most electric Tournament moments

LeBron James, Lakers

• Stats: 7 games, 26.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 7.4 apg, 2.9 3pg, 1.6 spg, 56.8% FG, 60.6% 3P
• Highlights: LeBron wins first-ever In-Season Tournament MVP

5. BEAL IS BACK FOR PHOENIX

“Available.”

A one-word answer from Suns coach Frank Vogel on the status of Bradley Beal for tonight’s game against the Warriors (10 ET, TNT).

• A word Beal has eagerly awaited to hear as he worked his way back to the court from a back injury that’s limited him to three games this season
• A word Suns fans have eagerly awaited to hear as they anticipate the team’s potential with the big three of Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant sharing the court

That may not happen on Tuesday as KD is listed as questionable (ankle).

• The last time Beal, Book and KD shared the court was Oct. 16 in a preseason win over Portland
• When Beal made his Suns debut in a three-game stretch from Nov. 8-12, Booker was out (calf)

The star trio played only 17 preseason minutes together, posting a promising 129.7 offensive rating in a super-small sample size.

The Suns are 12-10 on the season. In 10 games with Durant and Booker, they are 7-3 and averaging 120 ppg. In 12 other games, they are 5-7 and averaging 111 ppg.

• Adding Beal to that mix will only make the Suns offense more potent and more unpredictable with three elite scorers and playmakers
• Booker on Beal: “That’s the nightmares that all coaches have trying to guard Brad… He’s a problem.”