The NBA’s first week of January is in the books, and with it, a few history-making performances and career-best shooting displays. At NBA Top Shot, we celebrate NBA excellence by capturing the best on-court performances and making them into unique limited edition collectibles.
In today’s edition of the NBA Top Shot Top 10, we celebrate 10 of the best NBA performances coming in victories between Sunday, January 1 to Saturday, January 7, 2023. Which will become Moments, and when will those Moments be available for your collection? Time will tell, but in the meantime, let’s appreciate greatness.
To accompany this celebration of offensive excellence, we’ve created a new Playlist, What We Talk About When We Talk About Buckets, showcasing some of the highest scoring individual performance captured as Moments in NBA Top Shot history.
10. Ja Morant: On January 1, Ja kicked off the New Year with a bang, scoring 35 points along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists in the first game of 2023 — a 118-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Fueling his offensive output was a monster 23-rebound game from Steven Adams, tying his own personal career-record for most rebounds in a game. Shop Ja Morant Moments here.
9. Terry Rozier: On January 6, Terry Rozier scored a season best 39 points for the Charlotte Hornets in a game where they blew out the Milwaukee Bucks 138-109, tying an NBA league record and setting a franchise record with 51 points in the first quarter alone. Shop Terry Rozier Moments here.
8. Jalen Brunson: On January 4, the New York Knicks guard had his best game of the season and scored a regular season career-high 38 points in a 117-114 victory against the San Antonio Spurs — including a dominant 11 points in the 4th quarter of the tightly contested duel. Shop Jalen Brunson Moments here.
7. Zach LaVine: On January 6, the Chicago Bulls sharpshooter drilled 11 three pointers as part of a 41 point barrage in a 126-112 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s the second-most threes he’s ever hit in a game, only outmatched by the 13 threes recorded in his Top Shot Debut. LaVine, DeMar and the Bulls have been hot recently, winning six in a row. Shop Zach LaVine Moments here.
6. LeBron James: On January 2, LeBron James recorded his second consecutive 40+ point game since turning 38 years old, logging an impressive 43 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists in a 121-115 victory against the Charlotte Hornets. With the performance, he became one of only two players in NBA history to score 40+ in back-to-back games after the age of 35, a testament to his continued greatness. Shop LeBron James Moments here.
5. Nikola Jokić: On January 1, the Denver Nuggets started the New Year with a 123-111 victory over the Boston Celtics in what could be an NBA Finals preview. The Joker had a 30 point, 12 rebound and 12 assist triple-double, recording zero turnovers and shooting 100% from three and the free throw line (77% overall from the field), quietly making the case for a third straight MVP award. Shop Nikola Jokić Moments here.
4. Lauri Markkanen: On January 5, the Finnisher racked up a career-high 49 points, including shooting 100% from the free throw line and not recording a single foul or turnover, in a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets. No player in NBA history has ever scored that many points without missing a free throw, turning the ball over or recording a foul. Shop Lauri Markkanen Moments here.
3. Klay Thompson: On January 2, Klay hit 10 threes as part of a 54-point offensive explosion in a 143-141 double overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks. The performance marks the second most points he’s ever scored in a game, only trailing his 60 points in 29 minutes from 2016. Shop Klay Thompson Moments here.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: On January 3, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Washington Wizards 123-113, led by a career-high “double nickel” performance from their former MVP and franchise leading scorer, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The dominant 55-point performance, paired with 10 rebounds and 7 assists, marks one of his best single-game offensive displays since recording 50 in a series-clinching NBA Finals performance. Oh, and the next day, he put up 30 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in a 104-101 overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors. Shop Giannis Antetokounmpo Moments here.
1. Donovan Mitchell: On January 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard propelled his squad to a 143-134 overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls, including a clutch and crafty bucket to force OT. When it was all said and done, Mitchell had scored a career-high 71 points, along with 11 assists and 8 rebounds. His 71 points, the most scored by a player in 17 years, are also the most ever scored by a Cleveland Cavalier player, making franchise history to start the New Year, and becoming the first player to ever record 10 assists while scoring 70+ in the history of the NBA. Shop Donovan Mitchell Moments here.
