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NBA notes, streaks, trends and observations

NBA Central division player and team notes. Updated March 31, 2004.

Atlanta Hawks

In his last 34 contests, Stephen Jackson is averaging 21.5 ppg (731).

Stephen Jackson has played 40-plus minutes 26 times this season … in those games he averages 23.1 ppg (600), while shooting .452 FG% (211-467).

Chris Crawford is averaging 17.4 ppg (313) and shooting .454 FG% (119-262) over his last 18 games.

The Hawks have sold-out Philips Arena seven times this season, a club record at Philips Arena. Go Figure:

Atlanta is 5-6 in the second game of back-to-backs played on the road this season and 6-13 overall in the second game of back-to-backs.

16 of Atlanta’s 23 wins have come against teams with a record of .500 or better (at the time).

Nine of Atlanta’s 23 wins have come by 10 points or more.

The Hawks are 7-6 in games played on a Tuesday.

The Hawks are 10-8 this season when Jason Terry dishes out 7 or more assists and 3-0 when he records a pt/asst double-double.

Atlanta is 15-16 this season when forcing 15 or more turnovers and 10-6 when recording 10-plus steals.

The Hawks are 6-0 when holding opponents to under 80 points and 8-2 when holding them under 30 FGM.

Chicago Bulls

Jannero Pargo went for a career night in his first game after being signed for the remainder of the season. The 6-1 point guard established career highs in points and assists en route to tying three different milestones against Milwaukee on Mar. 26. Pargo came off the bench and scored 34 points, on 13-22 FG shooting and 7-12 3FG, and added 9 assists. His previously bests were 18 (vs. DEN, 04/15/03) and 5 assists (three times). On the night, he tied a Bulls franchise record with 7 three-pointers (Michael Jordan vs. GS, 01/18/90; Jalen Rose at ATL, 01/20/03) and tied United Center records with 5 three-balls in a half (Craig Hodges vs. IND, 03/13/89) and 4 three-pointers in the second quarter (most recently Rick Fox, LAL, 03/11/03).

On the year Kirk Hinrich is averaging 6.5 apg, good for 8th in the NBA and first among all rookies, while committing 2.70 tpg, good for a 2.41 A/TO ratio, ranking him 35th in the league. During the month of March, Hinrich has produced 7.5 apg (112) and has trimmed his turnovers per game down to 2.53 tpg (38), raising his assists to turnover ratio to 2.95 A/TO for the month.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavaliers rookie LeBron James had his finest night as a professional on Saturday, March 27 versus New Jersey. James dropped a career-high 41 points, dished out a career-high 13 assists and grabbed six rebounds in the Cavaliers 107-104 win over the Nets. James’ night set numerous records including:


His 41 points surpassed Ron Harper’s 40 points (2/4/87) for most points ever scored by a rookie in franchise history


He became the youngest player in NBA history (19 years, 87 days old) to score 40 points surpassing Clifford T. Robinson (19 years, 361 days) who scored 45 points for Detroit on March 9, 1980


James had the highest scoring output by any rookie in the NBA this season


He became the first rookie since Jason Richardson (4/16/02) to score 40 or more points in a game in the NBA


Is only the fifth rookie in the last 10 years to score 40 or more points in a game (Iverson – six times, Kerry Kittles, Elton Brand, Jason Richardson)


Became the 14th player in Cavaliers history to score 40 or more points and marked the 23rd time in team history a player had scored 40 or more in a game


James became just the seventh player since 1990 to post 13 or more assists in a 40-point game. Michael Jordan accomplished the feat twice with 42 points and 13 assists (Jan. 22, 1988) and 47 points and 13 assists (April 13, 1989).

Detroit Pistons

Detroit currently ranks first in points allowed per game, holding opponents to 84.6 points per game. The Pistons have held its opponents under 100 points 70 times, under 90 points 51 times, under 80 points 21 times and under 70 points an NBA record nine times. In the last 15 games, opponents averaged 76.0 points and scored under 70 points six times. Detroit is holding its opponents to 41.3% from the field this season, ranking third in the NBA. Last season, Detroit ranked first in points allowed.

Steals and blocks were first recorded during the 1973-74 NBA season. In the 30 years, only 12 players have recorded at least 1,000 rebounds, 100 steals and 100 blocks in the same season and only four of the 12 players have done it three times. Ben Wallace is on the verge of becoming the first player to do it four times and all in consecutive seasons. He needs 65 rebounds over the last eight games to reach 1,000 rebounds. Sam Lacey is the only player of the four to join Ben Wallace as players to accomplish it three times in a row. Including Wallace, five players have done it more than once and seven other players have done it just once.

Indiana Pacers

In the last 14 games, Indiana has scored 90+ points 12 times and hit for 100+ points six times…in those 14 games, Indiana has averaged 23.4 apg and shot 45.3 percent from the floor…this season, the Pacers have shot 50+ percent FGS nine times, four of which have come in the last 11 games…of late, Pacers have been especially active from long distance--hitting 91-223 3-pt FGS (.408) in the last 14 games…that is an average of 6.5 3-pt FGM per game in that stretch…for the season, the Pacers have averaged 5.55 3-pt FGM per game, ninth in the NBA…Indiana has made 35.3 percent from 3-pt range for the season, 11th best in the NBA…in the two games prior to Portland, 3/17, the Pacers shot better than 50 percent FGS in consecutive games for the first time in 2003-04…against the Cavs, 3/14, the Pacers shot a season-best 43-77 FGS (.558).

This season, the Pacers have averaged 24.9 ppg in the first quarter…but, in Indiana's 14 games in March the Pacers have averaged 28.3 ppg and scored at least 29 points in the first period six times…in those 14 games, the Pacers have shot 151- 280 from the floor (.539) in the first period…at Memphis, 3/20, the Pacers scored 36 points in the first period and shot 15-18 FGS (.833).

Milwaukee Bucks

Entering last week Joe Smith’s season-high was 19 points, achieved four times this season. Smith then scored 20 points in the Bucks win at Sacramento on Tuesday (3/23), and has thrice more scored more than 20 points in a game. Smith scored 23 points in the Bucks win at Chicago on Friday, including a season-high 10-10 from the free-throw line, and on Sunday vs. Houston, he shot a season best 12-16 from the field to increase his season-high 25 points. Last night vs. Indiana, Smith dominated in the Bucks win over Indiana, tying season-highs with 25 points and four blocked shots while also grabbing 14 rebounds, all game-highs. Over his last five games, Smith is averaging 20.2 points on 36-59 FG shooting (61.0 percent) and 28-30 (93.3 percent) from the free-throw line. Smith leads the Bucks with 17 double-doubles and leads the team in rebounds with 8.6 boards per game (19th in the NBA).

The Bucks made a season-high 41 free-throws out of a season-high 49 free throw attempts in Friday’s win at Chicago. Free throws proved to be the difference as the Bucks outscored the Bulls 41-9 at the line. Four Bucks players scored 20 points or more and all four shot at least 10 free throws. Joe Smith led the way with a seasonhigh 23 points on season-highs of 10-10 from the charity stripe. Desmond Mason and Damon Jones scored 22 and 21 points respectively off the bench, with both shooting 8-10 from the free-throw line, both career-highs for Jones. Michael Redd added 20 points for the Bucks and shot 8-11 from the line.

New Orleans Hornets

Jamaal Magloire is one of only four players in the Eastern Conference who averages a double-double (J. O’Neal, K. Thomas, C. Boozer) and one of only 10 players in the entire NBA to do so.

• Steve Smith scored 18 points 3/26 vs. PHO, his highest point total in two seasons.

• The Hornets have given up 50 and 52 points in the paint over the last two games, respectively.

• George Lynch has shot 17-32 (.531) from the field over the last eight games after shooting 19-68 (.279) from the field and 6-23 (.261) from three-point range over his previous 24 games.

• Baron Davis has averaged 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.4 steals over the last eight games he has played.

• Magloire has scored in double figures in 23 of the last 26 games, has grabbed nine or more rebounds in 22 of the last 26 games and has had 15 double-doubles in the last 19 games.

• The Hornets have shot above .800 from the free throw line just 21 times on the season (10-11), but have shot below .700 24 times (13- 11).

• The Hornets have lost four of their last five games and have lost their last five games when playing teams under .500.

Toronto Raptors

Over the past 14 games, opponents have been to the line 409 times, while Toronto has attempted 262 free throws; a difference of 10.5 attempts per game … On March 21 at New Orleans, the Hornets were 46-of-60 from the stripe, setting and NBA season high and setting franchise records for both Toronto (opponents) and the Hornets in free throw attempts and free throws made … March 23 at Houston, the Rockets went to the line 40 times but made only 27 (.675) … On the season, Raptors opponents have been to the charity tripe 4.3 times more per game … Toronto ranks 29th in the league in attempts at 20.55 while opponents have averaged 24.95 this season.

Toronto is 6-4 in overtime games this season … They have won more overtime games (6) and played more overtime contests (10) than any other team in the league and have set franchise records as well … The previous record for overtime wins by Toronto was five, during the 1997-98 season (5-2) and most overtime games in a season was eight, (4-4) in the 2000-01 campaign … The Raptors have a franchise overtime record of 24-25 after the 90-89 overtime loss March 24 at Houston.