We’re at the midway point of January, just under one month away from the NBA’s All-Star festivities.
All around the league, the stars are definitely shining, making their case for a spot in the Top Shot 50.
At NBA Top Shot, we celebrate NBA excellence by capturing the best on-court performances and making them into unique limited edition collectibles.
Last week’s edition of the NBA Top Shot Top 10 was filled with truly historic performances. 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 8 to Saturday, January 14, 2023.
Each performance below is hand-picked with the help of NBA Top Shot’s curation team — and while none exist as limited edition collectibles yet, it’s very possible some of them can be new pieces of your collection before this season comes to a close.
Let’s appreciate greatness.
Beyond Words and Ranking: Ja Morant, doing everything everywhere all at once, all week long. We found ourselves at a crossroads with where to rank Ja this week, so we created a new category.
The Grizzlies went 4-0, with Ja playing 2 and sitting 2 out, and when he played, he made his presence felt. His 38 point game on January 11 was headlined by a dunk over Jakob Poeltl that any Top Shot collector will recognize as eerily similar, and he practically broke the internet late on January 14 with equally absurd blocks and dunks that made headlines as part of a 23 point, 10 assist game.
Ja seems to defy gravity on the regular, and for this week, he’s levitating just outside of the Top 10 in his own designated celebration of greatness.
Honorable Mentions:
- Gabe Vincent, who scored a career-high 28 points in a January 12 victory.
- Jordan Clarkson, who contributed 9 consecutive clutch 4th quarter points towards a total 32 points in a January 10 victory.
- Alperen Şengün, who became the youngest center in NBA history to record a triple-double — with a perfect 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 points, in a January 12 loss.
Here's this week's Top Shot Top 10.
10. Jonas Valančiūnas: On January 13, the New Orleans Pelicans Center racked up 33 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 12 of 15 from the field in a 116-110 win over the Detroit Pistons. Without Zion Williamson in the lineup, the Pelicans have leaned on the 11-year vet for a bigger presence on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, and he’s delivered.
Shop for Jonas Valančiūnas Moments in the Marketplace today.
9. James Harden: On January 14, the 2018 NBA MVP had a performance reminiscent of his most dominant stretch of basketball in a 118-117 win over the Utah Jazz. Harden’s 31 points, including 18 in the 4th quarter, were paired with 6 rebounds and 11 assists — including the dish that fed Embiid his game-winning bucket. On the week, Harden averaged 22.8 points, 13 assists and 8.8 rebounds, with Philly winning 3 of 4 games.
Shop for James Harden Moments in the Marketplace today.
8. Christian Wood: On January 12, the Dallas Mavericks walked away from a double-overtime duel with the Los Angeles Lakers with a win — and Wood’s massive 24 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks played a huge role in that outcome. 2 of his 5 blocks came during clutch moments in OT, and rest assured, he won’t be the only Maverick on this week’s list.
Shop for Christian Wood Moments in the Marketplace today.
7. Nikola Jokić: On January 9, the reigning MVP shot a casual 5 for 5 from the field, scoring a modest 14 points to pair with 11 rebounds and 16 assists in a 122-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Joker’s impact can be felt even when he decides not to score, and the Nuggets are rolling on a five-game winning streak.
Shop for Nikola Jokić Moments in the Marketplace today.
6. Jalen Brunson: On January 13, Jalen Brunson propelled the Knicks to a 112-108 win over the Washington Wizards. His 34 point, 8 rebound and 8 assist performance comes following a career-high 44 point night in a loss earlier in the week, and the free agent signing is earning the love of Knicks fans with a 33.3 point, 5.7 rebound and 6 assist start to 2023.
Shop for Jalen Brunson Moments in the Marketplace today.
5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: On January 12, SGA led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a massive 133-114 blowout win against the Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by his 37 points and helped by his 8 rebounds and 6 assists. SGA was unstoppable from everywhere on the court and a perfect 16-16 from the free throw line.
Shop for SGA Moments in the Marketplace today.
4. Jaylen Brown: On January 11, one of Boston’s two Jays played his best game of the season as the key to a 125-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Scoring a season-high 41 points to go with 12 rebounds, the performance marked the 5th time Jaylen has scored 40+ in his young career.
Shop for Jaylen Brown Moments in the Marketplace today.
3. Jimmy Butler: Hot off the heels of a tightly contested game against the Brooklyn Nets that Top Shot collectors attended as part of The Tour, Jimmy Butler had his eyes set on a W on January 10. His 37 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists were impressive, as were his 23 for 23 shooting from the free throw line, a big part of the Heat’s 40 for 40 shooting from the charity stripe. The 40 for 40 FT shooting display set a new NBA record, topping a 39 for 39 performance from 1982 by the Utah Jazz.
Shop for Jimmy Butler Moments in the Marketplace today.
2. Domantas Sabonis: On January 13, the Top Shot Kingdom Fan Community was in the house to witness a dominant 139-114 victory over the Houston Rockets, and NBA history in the process. With 19 points, 15 rebounds, 16 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals, Sabonis became the second Kings player to ever record a 15/15/15 stat line. He's also just the second player in NBA history to record 15/15/15 with multiple steals and blocks.
Shop for Domantas Sabonis Moments in the Marketplace today.
1. Luka Dončić: On January 12, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers captivated NBA fans around the world with a double-overtime thriller — and no player was more responsible for that outcome than the one and only Luka Magic. His 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists are impressive for any player but seemingly ordinary in the midst of an iconic string of recent performances, but it was the two clutch threes from Luka — one forcing overtime and one forcing double-overtime — that stole the show and helped set the table for a 119-115 win.
Shop for Luka Dončić Moments in the Marketplace today.
Enjoy all the NBA action and collect your favorite Moments of the season on NBA Top Shot.
