Ja'Kobe Walter: season-high 19 points vs Celtics (Jan 9, 2026)
19 PTS · 7-of-12 FG · 5-of-9 3P · 31:24 MIN
Usual before this game: 5.9 PTS · 4.7 FGA · 17.7 MIN, from 35 regular-season games
Best Game Score of 36 games this season: 16.8 against a usual 4.4 (+12.4)
Season-high 19 points (previous high 18, set on Dec 28, 2025)
above usual
No more than 5 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far above the usual comes about 2 to 4 times a season.
How the score worksWhy did Ja'Kobe Walter score 19 points?
In 31:24 against the Celtics on Jan 9, 2026, Ja'Kobe Walter scored 19 points: 7-of-12 from the field (58.3%), 5-of-9 from three (55.6%), no free throw attempts. Before this game, Walter averaged 5.9 points on 4.7 shots in 17.7 minutes across 35 regular-season games. The previous high this season was 18 points. This game had the best Game Score of 36 games this season. Walter took 12 shots, 7.3 more than usual. The 58.3% from the field compares with a usual 42.2%. From threes, 15 points against a usual 3.3; from two-pointers, 4 points against a usual 1.8. Walter played 31:24 against a usual 17.7 minutes; per 36 minutes the Game Score was 19.3, against a usual 9.0. At the Celtics, the Raptors lost 125-117. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Walter in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (35 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 31:24 | 17.7 | +13.7 |
| Points | 19 | 5.9 | +13.1 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 12 · 58.3% | 4.7 · 42.2% | +7.3 · +16.1 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 9 · 55.6% | 3.1 · 35.8% | +5.9 · +19.8 |
| FTA · FT% | 0-of-0 | 1.0 · 75.0% | -1.0 |
| Rebounds | 6 | 2.0 | +4.0 |
| Assists | 1 | 0.9 | +0.1 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0.5 | -0.5 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 35 games | 17.9 | 13.9 | +4.0 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 19.3 | 9.0 | +10.3 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (35 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 15 (5-of-9) | 3.3 (1.1-of-3.1) | +11.7 |
| Twos | 4 (2-of-3) | 1.8 (0.9-of-1.6) | +2.2 |
| Free throws | 0 (0-of-0) | 0.8 (0.8-of-1.0) | -0.8 |
| Total | 19 | 5.9 | +13.1 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
16.8 against a usual 4.4 (+12.4)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +10.2 |
| Rebounds | +1.3 |
| Assists | +0.1 |
| Steals and blocks | +0.7 |
| Turnovers and fouls | +0.1 |
| Total | +12.4 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of 36 games this season.
Previous best: 16.3, set on Dec 28, 2025.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Raptors lost 125-117 at the Celtics.
- Previous appearance: Jan 7, 2026, 2 days earlier.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Celtics this season: 0 points (Dec 7, 2025), 7 points (Dec 20, 2025).
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.