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Sixers center Joel Embiid named NBA Eastern Conference Player of Month for Dec. 2022

The NBA announced today that Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December. This represents Embiid’s fifth career Player of the Month award, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Allen Iverson for the most such honors in 76ers franchise history.

Embiid led the 76ers to a 9-4 record (.692) in the month, including a season-long eight-game win streak from Dec. 9-25. Philadelphia’s .692 winning percentage ranked third in the NBA throughout the month.

Embiid earned the honor after leading all NBA players in scoring at 35.4 points per contest on .545 shooting from the floor and .417 from three-point range. He and Western Conference Player of the Month Luka Dončić were the only NBA players to post such numbers in December.

His totals in points (460), rebounds (129) and blocks (23) make him one of four players in league history with such numbers over 13 outings, joining himself (earlier this season), and Hall of Famers Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo and Shaquille O’Neal.

Embiid posted at least 30 points in 10 games, joining Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Iverson as the only 76ers to have double-digit 30-point outings in the month of December. Embiid (twice), Iverson (seven) and Chamberlain (five) are the only 76ers ever to post at least 10 30-point games in any month in franchise history.

Highlighting the month was Embiid’s second 50-plus point game of the season on Dec. 11 against Charlotte. In the win, Embiid posted 53 points on a career-high 20 made field goals, adding 12 rebounds. He’s one of five players in NBA history to post at least four career games of 50 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting at least 60-percent from the field.

Embiid is the first center with multiple 50-point games in a single season since Hall of Famer David Robinson in 1993-94. He is also the first 76er with multiple games of 50-plus points since Iverson had three such contests during the 2004-05 season.

The Cameroon native went on to round out the month with his fifth career triple-double against the Oklahoma City Thunder, making him the eighth 76er to produce five triple-doubles with the team.

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic named NBA Western Conference Player of Month for Dec. 2022

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić has been named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in December, marking the third time in his career he has received the honor (November 2019, February 2022). Dirk Nowitzki (6) is the only other Maverick to win the award multiple times.

Dončić (6-7, 230) averaged 35.1 points (.519 FG%, .424 3FG%), 8.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 36.3 minutes in 15 games in December. It marked the highest-scoring month in franchise history (min. 10 games played) and the Mavericks went 11-4 in his 15 appearances during the month (11-6 overall).

The reigning two-time Western Conference Player of the Week scored 30-plus points in 12 of his 15 games in December, including 50-plus points on three occasions. Dončić also notched three of his eight triple-doubles during the month.

The three-time All-Star registered a game-high 50 points (17-30 FG, 6-12 3FG, 10-12 FT) to go along with a team-high eight rebounds, a game-high 10 assists and a game-high-tying three steals in 42 minutes in Dallas’ 112-106 win at Houston on Dec. 23. Dončić became the fourth player in NBA history (since steals were first recorded in 1973-74) to total at least 50 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in a game, joining James Harden (twice), LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.

Dončić tallied a career-high 60 points (21-31 FG, 2-6 3FG, 16-22 FT) to go along with a career-high 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and one block in a career-high 47 minutes in Dallas’ 126-121 come-from-behind win over New York on Dec. 27. Dončić became the first player in NBA history to record a 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double and the second player to post a 60-point triple-double of any kind (Harden, 60 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, vs. Orlando, Jan. 30, 2018). His 60 points also set a new franchise record (previous: 53, Dirk Nowitzki, vs. Houston, Dec. 2, 2004, OT).

The 23-year-old closed out the 2022 calendar year by tallying a game-high 51 points (18-29 FG, 6-10 3FG), including 30 in the first half (22 in the first quarter), to go along with six rebounds, a game-high nine assists, a season-high-tying four steals and one block in 37 minutes in the Mavericks’ 126-125 victory at San Antonio on Dec. 31. He had 42 points through three quarters, breaking a tie with Mark Aguirre (22) for the most 40-point games in franchise history.

Dončić netted 50-plus points three times over his final five games in December, totaling 228 points, 56 boards and 51 assists over that five-game stretch (Dec. 23 to 31). He became the first player in NBA history to total 225-plus points, 50-plus rebounds and 50-plus assists over any five-game run. Dončić also became the first player to record three 50-point games over a five-game span since Harden in January 2019.

For the season, Dončić is averaging a league-high 34.3 points, 8.8 rebounds (22nd in the NBA), 8.9 assists (4th in the NBA) and 1.7 steals (6th in the NBA) in 35 games (all starts).

Dončić has totaled 292 points, 77 rebounds and 69 assists during the Mavericks’ current seven-game win streak (41.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 9.0 apg since Dec. 21), which is their longest win streak since their championship season in 2010-11. He is the first player in league history to record 290-plus points, 70-plus rebounds and 60-plus assists over any seven-game stretch.

Magic forward Paolo Banchero named NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of Month for Dec. 2022

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December 2022.

Banchero becomes the ninth player in franchise history to be named the league’s Rookie of the Month, joining Dennis Scott, Shaquille O’Neal (four times), Anfernee Hardaway (twice), Mike Miller (twice), Victor Oladipo (twice), Elfrid Payton, R.J. Hampton and Franz Wagner.

Banchero (6’10”, 255, 11/12/02) played and started in 15 games during December, averaging 19.1 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 4.1 apg. and 1.07 stlpg. in 33.5 minpg. He led all NBA rookies in scoring and minutes played, while ranking second in assists. Banchero scored 20+ points in seven consecutive games from Dec. 5-18, tying the longest streak by a rookie in franchise history (O’Neal, Feb. 11-26, 1993).

Selected in the first round (first overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero has played and started in 30 games this season with Orlando, averaging a team-high 20.9 ppg., 6.7 rpg. and 3.9 apg. in 34.1 minpg. He ranks among all NBA leaders in scoring (33rd) and minutes played (T-36th). Banchero leads all NBA rookies in scoring and minutes played, while also ranking among leaders in rebounding (3rd), assists (2nd), FG percentage (8th, .435), free throw percentage (6th, .755), steals (5th) and blocked shots (6th). He has scored 20+ points 21 times this season, the most of any NBA rookie.

Kings forward Keegan Murray named NBA Western Conference Rookie of Month for Dec. 2022

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has been named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in December, the NBA announced today.

The fourth overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, Murray averaged 12.7 points (46.0 FG%, 46.4 3pt%), 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 28.6 minutes per game in 14 games (14 starts) during the month of December.

Murray began the final month of 2022 with a new career high of 23 points to go with seven rebounds in a win at the LA Clippers on Dec. 3. The Iowa native had 18 points (6-8 3pt) in a win at Cleveland on Dec. 9 and finished with 20 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3pt) in a victory over the Pistons on Dec. 16. Murray followed those outings with a career-high tying 23 points in Sacramento’s win vs. the Lakers on Dec. 21, going 7-for-17 from the floor, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, to become the first Kings rookie with five or more 3s in multiple games during December.

The first-year forward earns his first Rookie of the Month honor after he led all rookies in total 3-pointers made (39), games with multiple 3-point field goals (10) and 3-point field goal percentage. Since the 1979-80 season, Murray is just one of three rookies to connect on 35 or more 3-point attempts in December, joining Kyle Kuzma (2017-18, 38) and Luka Doncic (2018-19, 35) and the first to also shoot 45.0% or better from 3-point distance. His three games with 20+ points were tied for second in the month among rookies and mark the most by a Kings’ first-year player in December since Tyreke Evans (2009-10, 8).

Among all rookies this season, Murray currently ranks fifth in scoring (11.5) and total points (137) and first in 3-point field goals made (73) and 3-point shooting percentage (38.2%).

Murray is the eighth player in franchise history to receive Rookie of the Month honors and the first NBA Rookie of the Month out of Iowa since the award’s inception during the 1981-82 season.

Recent big game might be turning point for Heat guard Victor Oladipo

Via the Miami Herald:

After not completing a dunk in his first 10 games of the season, Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo finally threw one down in his 11th game.

It was worth the wait, as Oladipo used his burst to dribble into the paint before jumping over and through 7-foot Jazz center Walker Kessler for a right-handed slam in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s road win over the Jazz.

“Man, he dunked on that man,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said to reporters afterwards.

It was the highlight of Oladipo’s season-best offensive performance, as he finished Saturday’s victory with a season-high 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, 4-of-9 shooting from three-point range and 5-of-7 shooting from the foul line, five rebounds and five assists. He also played a season-high 35 minutes off the bench.

“Everybody celebrated him in the locker room because only the locker room understands what he’s been going through for the last two years,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Oladipo following Saturday’s game in Salt Lake City. “So much of his journey has been solitary.”

The Heat are 19-18 this season, which ties them with the New York Knicks for the 7th best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are Jimmy Butler at 21.8 PPG, Tyler Herro at 21.4 PPG, and Bam Adebayo at 21.2 PPG.

Pair of young Warriors playing great lately

Via the San Jose Mercury News:

Expectations shape reality, but for the Warriors, a new reality needs to shift their expectations.

The Baby Dubs — namely Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga — have thrived since the Warriors’ Christmas Day win over the Grizzlies, the first game of the team’s eight-game home stand. Following that win over Memphis with strong performances in the clutch against the Hornets, Jazz, and the Blazers have given the Warriors their first four-game winning streak this season.

For a team whose only intention with Steph Curry injured and out of the lineup was to keep its head above water — to win as many as it loses — this home stand is already a success.

But this is also a team that has found a new gear this past week, without Curry or do-it-all forward Andrew Wiggins.

It’s time for the Dubs to be greedy.

Injury update on Lakers center Anthony Davis

Via the Los Angeles Times:

Lakers star big man Anthony Davis said pain in his right foot has been significantly reduced and imaging has shown that he’s progressing in his healing.
Though Davis hesitated to put a timetable on his return, he said things are moving in the right direction.

“It’s healing pretty quickly,” Davis said. “So when we get back to L.A., we’ll do another image of the foot, and see how far it’s healed since the last time I did it, which was the 22nd or the 23rd. And it’s really just about pain. The pain is still there, I still feel it a little bit, not as much as I did before. More like a two [out of 10], trending down to one. I’ve been lifting, and lifting is fine. Everything I do in the weight room is fine.

“If I see that it’s healed properly, or enough where I can go start ramping up on the court, then we’ll start that process.”

The Lakers are 15-21 this season, which is the 13th best record in the Western conference.

Davis is averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in minutes per game.

Jeremy Lin cuts basketball season in China short

Via the New York Post:

Jeremy Lin, who captivated New York in 2012 during his magical run with the Knicks, is leaving the Chinese Basketball Association, cutting his season with the Guangzhou Loong Lions short.

Lin now plans to come back to America, though he is leaving his basketball future open.

“After lots of consideration, I’ve decided to leave the CBA for this season,” Lin wrote in an Instagram post. “It wasn’t an easy decision. I still love the game of basketball and look forward to getting back to the court one day. As for now, I’m gonna go back to the US to rest and reset before I make a decision with my family for my next step.”