2022-23 NBA Season Highs And Single-Game Leaders

The 2022-23 NBA season has come to a close, and things are already off to a hot start in the playoffs. Before we get too deep into the postseason, we thought that we would take a look back on the season that was. It was one of the most offensively charged seasons in NBA history, with multiple high-scoring affairs and 30.0 PPG scorers everywhere you turn. This season showed us all-time great shooting performances and defensive efforts that left us speechless. These efforts deserve to be recognized, along with other single-game performances that had us in awe.

Rather than take a look at this season’s highest-scoring duos or the best active playoff scorers, we thought we would hone in on the best individual single-game performances from just this season as well as some overall production from stars around the league. We will take a look back and dissect these incredible feats and add the proper context to each one in order to break them down correctly. Regardless of what each player has done before or since, these moments are frozen in time forever as ones that defined the 2022-23 season.

These are the 2022-23 NBA season highs and single-game leaders.

Single-Game Leaders

Points

Damian Lillard And Donovan Mitchell – 71 Points

Season High In Points:

T1. Damian Lillard – 71 Points

T1. Donovan Mitchell – 71 Points

T3. Damian Lillard – 60 Points

T3. Luka Doncic – 60 Points

Of all the players to have some of their best scoring games in the 2022-23 season, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard had the two performances that stood out the most. Mitchell was the first player to hit 70 points in a game this season, doing so on January 2 against the Chicago Bulls. The Cavaliers and Bulls would head to overtime, giving Mitchell 50 minutes of action to go to work. He would get his 71 points on 22-34 shooting from the field and 7-15 shooting from three-point range. The Cavaliers would pull away from Chicago in overtime, 145-134.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZJasleAfNo

A little over five weeks later, Damian Lillard would turn in a monster performance of his own against the Houston Rockets. Lillard would need just 39 minutes on the court to accumulate his 71 points in a 131-114 blowout victory for Portland. Lillard would shoot 22-38 overall from the floor and 13-22 from three, or 59.1%, which is incredible. He also added six rebounds and six assists in the win. Unfortunately, Lillard’s torrid scoring was not enough to qualify the Trail Blazers for the NBA playoffs in 2022-23.

Rebounds

Ivica Zubac – 29 Rebounds

Season High In Rebounds:

1. Ivica Zubac – 29 Rebounds

2. Nikola Jokic – 27 Rebounds

T3. Steven Adams – 23 Rebounds

T3. Domantas Sabonis – 23 Rebounds

T3. Nikola Vucevic – 23 Rebounds

T3. Rudy Gobert – 23 Rebounds

Some may argue that rebounds today are not like they used to be. Usually, before the ball clanks off the rim, both teams are already halfway up the other end of the court, and rebounds are bouncing out further away from the basket due to the increase in perimeter shots. That doesn’t take away from the big men who still fight for position in the paint and on the block, fighting for rebounds like their lives depended on it.

The greatest rebounding performance that we saw this season came from Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers. On November 27, Zubac and the Clippers were set to take on the Indiana Pacers. Zubac would go on to have the game of his life, scoring 31 points and grabbing 29 rebounds in a 114-100 win over Indiana. Zubac did this on 14-17 shooting, while 12 of his rebounds came on the offensive side of the ball. To add to his already historic night, Zubac threw in three blocks for good measure.

Assists

James Harden – 21 Assists

Season High In Assists:

1. James Harden – 21 Assists

T2. Trae Young – 20 Assists

T2. Fred VanVleet – 20 Assists

T2. James Harden – 20 Assists

T3. Tyrese Haliburton – 19 Assists

T3. Chris Paul – 19 Assists

Forget all you know about James Harden in Houston and the way in which he scored and shot the ball both in the regular season and playoffs. That James Harden is no more after coming over to the 76ers last season in a deal for Ben Simmons with the Nets. Harden has tapped into the playmaking aspect of his game more than ever before in 2022-23, winning his second career assists title and being the only player in 2022-23 with more than one 20-assist game during the season. Oh yeah, and his teammate won a scoring title, making them one of the top-scoring duos of the 2022-23 season.

Just two days before Christmas this past Winter, James Harden, and the Sixers were set to take on the Clippers. Harden would record a triple-double on the night with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 21 assists. Teammate Joel Embiid was the beneficiary of those assists, for the most part, scoring 44 points in a 119-114 win over Los Angeles. Harden and Embiid look to finally get the Sixers past the second round of the playoffs for the first time in Embiid’s career.

Steals

D’Angelo Russell And De’Anthony Melton – 7 Steals

Season High In Steals:

T1. De’Anthony Melton – 7 Steals

T1. D’Angelo Russell – 7 Steals

2. 18 Players – 6 Steals

3. 5 Players – 5 Steals

There are once again two players that top the dingle-game high for steals in a game in 2022-23. Before D’Angelo Russell was shipped to the Lakers at this year’s deadline, he was a member of a Minnesota Timberwolves squad that had extremely high expectations in 2022-23. Back in October, when those expectations were still relevant, Russell would use a defensive effort to lift the Timberwolves over his future team. In 31 minutes, Russell logged just 11 points but added seven assists and seven steals to beat the Lakers 11-102.

De’Anthony Melton is actually on this list a few times as one of two players to record seven steals and as one of the 18 players who had a six-steal game this season as well. On December 9, Melton turned in a two-way masterpiece that, ironically enough, also lifted them to a win over the Lakers. To go with his seven steals, Melton also recorded 33 points on 8-12 shooting from three and 11-16 overall.

Blocks

Brook Lopez – 9 Blocks

Season High In Blocks:

1. Brook Lopez – 9 Blocks

T2. Jaren Jackson Jr. – 8 Blocks

T2. Evan Mobley – 8 Blocks

3. 11 Players – 7 Blocks

It is no coincidence that the top three finishers for this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award are also the top three players for the most blocks in a game during the 2022-23 season. Of course, Jaren Jackson Jr. was the winner of the award after leading the NBA in blocks for the second season in a row with 3.0 BPG. Mobley and Lopez finished right behind him in the voting for the award after stellar seasons from both of them on that side of the ball as well.

With the most blocks in a single game in the 2022-23 NBA season is Brook Lopez, with nine against the Nets on March 9. The Bucks were peaking at the right time, while the Nets were surprising everyone with their play after the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Lopez and the Nets would win a close game thanks to the defensive effort of Lopez around the rim with nine blocks as well as 24 points and 10 rebounds without the presence of their MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Three-Pointers Made

Damian Lillard – 13 Three-Pointers Made

Season High In Three-Pointers Made:

1. Damian Lillard – 13 Three-Pointers Made

2. Klay Thompson – 12 Three-Pointers Made (Twice)

T3. Zach LaVaine – 11 Three Pointers Made

T3. CJ McCollum – 11 Three-Pointers Made

T3. Damian Lillard – 11 Three Pointers Made

It is no secret that some of the NBA’s greatest shooters ever are currently active in the NBA. Klay Thompson, who sits second on this list for two separate performances with 12 three-pointers made, is considered to be a top-five shooter ever, while the Man who sits atop the list is right there as well on an all-time scale. Lillard’s big-time performance has already been discussed, but another look cannot hurt.

Back in February, Lillard turned in one of the great shooting performances in the last five years in a game in which he dropped 71 points in 39 minutes. As a team, Portland shot over 50.0% from three in the victory against the Rockets, and Lillard shot 59.1% himself. He knocked down 13 of his 22 three-point attempts and 22 of his 38 shot attempts overall. Those numbers aren’t surprising coming from one of the greatest shooters in playoff history. The Trail Blazers would win this game but could not use the momentum to reach a play-in or playoff spot for the second straight season.

Turnovers

Giannis Antetokounmpo – 12 Turnovers

Season-High In Turnovers

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 12 Turnovers

T2. Trae Young – 10 Turnovers (Twice)

T2. Paul George – 10 Turnovers

T2. Nikola Jokic – 10 Turnovers

3. 8 Players – 9 Turnovers

Committing turnovers is never something a player wants to be known for on the court. Turnovers cost teams possessions and, ultimately, games and championships in the long run. The player that committed the most turnovers in 2022-23 was Trae Young, who is on this list more times than any single player should be, with 300 turnovers this season. He was the only player to commit 300 turnovers this year and one of only four players to turn the ball over at least 250 times.

Young is not, however, the single-game leader in turnovers. That honor belongs to the player who finished sixth overall in turnovers, Giannis Antetokounmpo. In a game against the Raptors, as the calendar turned to 2023, Giannis committed 12 turnovers to claim the single-game worst for the season. Giannis would have the last laugh in this game and, so far, in the season as well. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to victory 104-101 with 30 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists to offset the horrendous turnover issue. The Bucks are also the number-one seed in the East, looking to capture their second title in three seasons, so I think Giannis will make that trade any day of the week.

The Best Shooters This Season

Field Goal Percentage

Nic Claxton – 70.5% FG

Season Leaders In Field Goal Percentage:

1. Nic Claxton – 70.5%

2. Mason Plumlee – 68.0%

3. Rudy Gobert – 65.9%

Having already covered the best and worst single-game performances from some of the top stars in the NBA today, we shift to some of the most consistent players in the league in 2022-23. The following players were the most efficient in shooting the ball, or in this case, finishing at the rim. Rudy Gobert comes in third after his first full season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gobert started 70 games in 2022-23 and averaged 13.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG, and 1.4 BPG, with 77.8% of his shots coming from within three feet of the basket.

Finishing second in field goal percentage this season was Mason Plumlee, who spent the year with the Hornets and Clippers. Plumlee averaged 10.8 PPG and 8.9 RPG overall while helping the Clippers make a playoff push in March and April. The leader for 2022-23 is Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets, who shot the ball at 70.5% in 76 games played this season. Claxton averaged 12.6 PPG, a career-high, as well as 9.2 RPG and 2.5 BPG for a Brooklyn team fighting for its life in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Three-Point Percentage

Luke Kennard – 49.4% 3P

Season Leaders In Three-Point Percentage:

1. Luke Kennard – 49.4%

2. Al Horford – 44.6%

3. Damion Lee – 44.5%

From the game’s best finishers to the game’s best long-range marksman as we shift gears to the most efficient three-point shooters in 2022-23. Coming in third is Phoenix reserve guard Damion Lee who appeared in 76 games for the Suns this season and attempted 3.3 threes per game. Lee connected on 44.5% of them and averaged 8.2 PPG. Al Horford being so high on this list was somewhat of a surprise as well. Horford averaged just 9.8 PPG on the season and attempted just over 5.0 threes per game.

For the second season in a row, the most efficient three-point shooter in the NBA is Luke Kennard. Splitting the season between Los Angeles and Memphis, Kennard would appear in 59 games total, mostly in a bench role. He averaged 9.3 PPG on the season but 11.3 PPG in his final 24 games, with the Grizzlies shooting nearly 50.0% on his 4.6 threes per game. Kennard and the Grizzlies find themselves in a tough first-round matchup with the Lakers, and they will need every bit of Kennard’s accuracy if they wish to move on.

Free Throw Percentage

Tyler Herro – 93.4% FT

Season Leaders In Free Throw Percentage:

1. Tyler Herro – 93.4%

2. Kevin Durant – 91.9%

3. Stephen Curry – 91.5%

Among the NBA’s leaders in free throw shooting annually are usually among the best overall shooters in the NBA. That is exactly the case here as the greatest three-point shooting point guard as well as the greatest three-point shooter ever, Stephen Curry, finished third in free throw percentage for the 2022-23 season. Curry and the other two players on this list are just three of seven players to shoot 90.0% or better from the foul line this season and the only three to shoot over 91.0%.

Kevin Durant is coming off the most efficient shooting season in NBA history as he became the first NBA player to ever record 55/40/90 shooting splits. He shot 91.9% from the line on an average of 7.4 attempts per game. The league leader in free throw shooting for 2022-23 is Miami’s Tyler Herro is the only player to shoot over 93.0% from the foul line this year. Herro got to the line less than 3.0 times per game and averaged 20.01 PPG on 43.9% shooting overall and 37.8% from three.

League Leaders In Double-Doubles, Triple-Doubles, And Technical Fouls

Double-Doubles

Domantas Sabonis – 65 Double-Doubles

Season Leaders For Double-Doubles:

1. Domantas Sabonis – 65 Double-Doubles

2. Nikola Jokic – 58 Double-Doubles

3. Nikola Vucevic – 51 Double-Doubles

Double-Doubles have seemingly lost their value in the NBA over the years, especially with the weave of triple-doubles at an all-time high. Nevertheless, only three players in the NBA in 2022-23 recorded over 50 double-doubles on the season, and they are as follows. After another disappointing season for the Bulls, one bright spot was a comeback season for Nikola Vucevic. He recorded 51 double-doubles and averaged 17.6 PPG and 11.0 RPG on the year. Recording seven more double-doubles than Vucevic was the man seeking his third MVP in a row, Nikola Jokic. In a season that saw him lead the Nuggets to a number-one seed in the West, Jokic averaged 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 9.8 APG on the season, nearly becoming the third player to average a triple-double.

As for our leader for 2022-23, it is no surprise that Domantas Sabonis is on top after the year he had. He was the only player to record 60 double-doubles in 2022-23 and missed just three games the entire season. Sabonis led the NBA with 12.3 RPG and averaged 19.1 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 0.8 SPG as well. Sabonis led the Kings to a third seed in the Western Conference, and Sacramento has already built a 2-0 series lead against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Triple-Doubles

Nikola Jokic – 29 Triple-Doubles

Season Leaders in Triple-Doubles:

1. Nikola Jokic – 29 Triple-Doubles

2. Domantas Sabonis – 14 Triple-Doubles

3. Luka Doncic – 10 Triple-Doubles

The more relevant and exciting stat in the NBA is the triple-double. There is a long-standing argument that triple-doubles do not correlate to wins, but that is only true for one-third of the top three players this season. Luka Doncic is one of only three players to record at least 10 triple-doubles in 2022-23, but he is also the only one of those three to miss the playoffs. Luka averaged 32.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 8.0 APG but the Mavericks failed to make even the play-in tournament this season.

As for the man that sits in the second spot, Domantas Sabonis, I would say his play directly led to winning in 2022-23. He led the NBA in rebounding and the Kings to a third seed in the West for the NBA playoffs with 19.1 PPG, 12.3 RPG, and 7.3 APG. Again, the two-time MVP sitting atop this category is no shocker. Nikola Jokic nearly averaged a triple-double for the season with 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 9.8 APG while leading Denver to the number-one seed in the West. He became just the sixth player to reach 100 triple-doubles for his career in 2022-23 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Technical Fouls

Dillon Brooks – 18 Technical Fouls

Season Leaders In Technical Fouls:

1. Dillon Brooks – 18 Technical Fouls

T2. Draymond Green – 17 Technical Fouls

T2. Luka Doncic – 17 Technical Fouls

T2. Trae Young – 17 Technical Fouls

3. Anthony Edwards – 15 Technical Fouls

The following players are the ones on the wrong side of the referees the most for the 2022-23 season. You could even go as far as to say these players are the most annoying in basketball for various reasons. Anthony Edwards has gotten most of his 15 technicals from arguing and complaining to the refs far too often. Luka Doncic has become insufferable with his incessant berating of the referees as well, and the same applies to Trae Young.

For Draymond Green, issues with authority have never been sparse, as his antics have continued in the playoffs. Green will serve a one-game suspension for Game 3 of the Warriors’ first-round matchup with the Kings for stomping on Domantas Sabonis’ chest. Our league leader in the category, however, is one of the dirtiest players in the NBA and the league’s newest villain Dillion Brooks. With his constant instigating and troll behavior on the court as well as his attitude toward officials, there would be nobody more suited for the number one spot than Dillon Brooks. 

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