Davis shines at MSG
Anthony Davis scored 40 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in 28 minutes for the Pelicans in their victory at New York before he left the game late in the third quarter following a hard foul by Kyle O’Quinn. Davis became the first NBA player during the shot-clock era (1954–55 to date) to score at least 40 points and pull down 18 or more rebounds in a game in which he played fewer than 30 minutes. Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns have each produced a 40/18-game (points and rebounds) against the Knicks this season. Over the past 40 seasons the only such game versus the Knicks was by Seattle’s Xavier McDaniel in January 1988.
This was the fifth consecutive game in which Davis generated minimums of 20 points and 15 rebounds. Only three other NBA players produced such streaks of that length over the last 30 seasons: Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon (five games in 1989–90), Philadelphia’s Charles Barkley (six, also in 1989–90) and Minnesota’s Kevin Love (six in 2010–11).
Rubio fills the scoresheet
Ricky Rubio scored 13 points, distributed 15 assists, grabbed five rebounds and was credited with five steals as the Timberwolves defeated the Mavericks at Minnesota. The only other active NBA players who have reached each of those four statistical minimums in one game are Chris Paul (six times), Rajon Rondo (twice), Monta Ellis (once) and Russell Westbrook (once).
Bulls hold Westbrook to 21 points
Steven Adams scored 22 points for the Thunder in its victory at Chicago, while Russell Westbrook was held to “only” 21 points and Enes Kanter chipped in 20.
That ends the Bulls’ streak of six consecutive games in which an opposing player scored 30 or more points (Brook Lopez, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kemba Walker, LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan). It was the longest such streak against any NBA team since Oklahoma City allowed 30-point scorers in seven straight games in December 2009, and it tied the longest streak of that kind versus Chicago in its franchise history (six straight games in March 1968: Dave Bing, Happy Hairston, John Havlicek, Lenny Wilkens, Oscar Robertson and Hal Greer).
Ovechkin ties the Rocket
Alex Ovechkin scored the 544th goal of his NHL career, tying Maurice Richard for 29th place on the all-time list, in the Capitals’ 4–1 win over the Canadiens in Montreal. When “The Rocket” retired in 1960 he was the NHL’s all-time leader in goals scored, a distinction he held until Gordie Howe passed him in November 1963. The only other players within 200 goals of Ovechkin’s total since he entered the NHL in 2005 are Jarome Iginla (366), Sidney Crosby (364) and Rick Nash (348).
Holtby wins again in Montreal
Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby made 22 saves in his 4–1 win at Montreal, though his bid for a third consecutive shutout was spoiled when Tomas Plekanec scored for the Canadiens in the third period. Holtby has a 7–0–1 record in his eight regular-season games against the Canadiens at Bell Centre and he has allowed only 11 goals in those eight games. Holtby’s seven regular-season wins at Bell Centre are the most that he’s recorded at any NHL building other than his home rink, Washington’s Verizon Center (where he’s won 86 times). Holtby is tied with Roberto Luongo and Cam Ward for third among active goaltenders in regular-season wins as a visiting goaltender in Montreal, behind Ryan Miller (11) and Marc-Andre Fleury (9).
A shutout for Luongo
It took him 27 games (and starts) to do so, but Roberto Luongo finally notched his first shutout of the 2016–17 season with a 3–0 win for the Panthers in New Jersey on Monday. The longest that it took Luongo to notch his first shutout in any previous season was 21 games (and 20 starts) with Vancouver in 2011–12. Luongo has now recorded at least one shutout in each of his 17 seasons in the NHL. The only other goaltenders to post shutouts in 17 or more different NHL seasons are Martin Brodeur (21), Terry Sawchuk (20), Patrick Roy (18), Jacques Plante (17), Glenn Hall (17) and Gump Worsley (17).
The American goalies with the most shutouts this season both play for Canadian teams
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck recorded his third shutout of the season with a 2–0 victory against the Flames. Hellebuyck, a Michigan native, is now tied with Ottawa’s Craig Anderson for the most shutouts in the NHL this season by a U.S.-born goaltender.
