Fourteen NBA games were played on Wednesday, November 4, and three performances stood out: a career night for Victor Wembanyama, another 40-point game from Luka Doncic, and a rout powered by Nikola Jokic. Here are the takeaways, with scores and stats from AP game recaps on NBA.com and the league’s scoreboard.

Wembanyama’s career-high 52 in a one-point win

San Antonio edged Dallas 112-111 as Victor Wembanyama set career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds, adding eight blocks, according to the Associated Press. He had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the first half alone. AP’s companion story noted that he did it while overcoming illness and injury, which makes the line even more striking.

The final margin was a single point, so every one of his possessions mattered. It is the kind of game that gets replayed for months.

Doncic keeps scoring, and a historic pace

In Sacramento, Luka Doncic scored 40 points for his sixth straight game with at least 35, and the Lakers beat the Kings 116-103, AP reported on NBA.com. He made six 3-pointers and 12 of 13 free throws, and added nine rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves added 21 points.

AP also supplied a historic footnote. Doncic has played in eight of the Lakers’ nine games and has scored 308 points, making him the first player to top 300 in his first eight games of a season since Michael Jordan had 303 in 1988-89. Only Wilt Chamberlain has scored more in his first eight games of a season, and he did it three times, with a high of 418 in 1962-63.

Late in the third quarter, a fan threw a ball aggressively at official Chelisa Painter after it went out of bounds. Doncic pointed at the fan, and security removed the spectator, per AP. The Lakers are 7-2. For Sacramento, rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. had 22 points and 12 assists, Zach LaVine scored 21, and Domantas Sabonis had 16 points and 17 rebounds in a loss that dropped the Kings to 1-7.

Jokic and the Nuggets run away from Toronto

Denver beat Toronto 128-109 behind Nikola Jokic’s 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, his third triple-double of the season, according to AP. Jokic made 13 of 19 shots. The Raptors led 67-64 at halftime, but Denver outscored them 41-15 in the third quarter, shooting 68.2% from the field in the period, to build a 23-point lead.

Rookie forward Bryce Hopkins came off the bench for a career-high 18 points, Aaron Gordon added 17, and Jamal Murray had 14 points and seven assists. It was Denver’s most lopsided win of the season. For Toronto, RJ Barrett scored 22 and Scottie Barnes had 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Other scores from the night

According to the league scoreboard, the other results on Wednesday were:

  • 76ers 112, Pistons 106
  • Hawks 120, Wizards 105
  • Knicks 135, Bulls 105
  • Celtics 109, Bucks 102
  • Nets 114, Hornets 104
  • Thunder 124, Cavaliers 116
  • Pacers 107, Grizzlies 103
  • Pelicans 120, Jazz 113
  • Timberwolves 117, Rockets 107
  • Trail Blazers 132, Suns 119
  • Heat 117, Clippers 116

What to watch Friday

The Lakers host Portland on Friday night and the Kings host San Antonio. The Raptors visit Milwaukee, and the Nuggets host Indiana on Saturday afternoon. If Doncic scores 35 again, his streak reaches seven games, and Wembanyama’s next game will show whether he can follow a career night with another big one.

The bottom line

Early in the season, three superstars are already putting together performances that will be talked about all year. One night, one career-best, one scoring streak and one triple-double: a good Wednesday to be an NBA fan.

Image: OAKA Basketball Arena in December 2024 by Skywalkerr42 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0