Jusuf Nurkić: season-high 26 points vs Celtics (Dec 30, 2025)
26 PTS · 10-of-11 FG · 2-of-2 3P · 4-of-5 FT · 33:48 MIN
Usual before this game: 9.3 PTS · 7.7 FGA · 25.1 MIN, from 28 regular-season games
Best Game Score of 29 games this season: 27.3 against a usual 9.5 (+17.8)
Season-high 26 points (previous high 18, set on Dec 1, 2025)
above usual
No more than 1 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 less than once a season.
How the score worksWhy did Jusuf Nurkić score 26 points?
Jusuf Nurkić scored 26 points against the Celtics on Dec 30, 2025 in 33:48: 10-of-11 from the field (90.9%), 2-of-2 from three, 4-of-5 on free throws (80.0%). Coming in, Nurkić had averaged 9.3 points on 7.7 shots in 25.1 minutes, from 28 regular-season games. No earlier game this season reached 26 points. This game had the best Game Score of 29 games this season. Nurkić took 11 shots, 3.3 more than usual. The rate from the field was 90.9%, against a usual 48.4%. From two-pointers, 16 points against a usual 6.5; from threes, 6 points against a usual 1.4; from free throws, 4 points against a usual 1.4. Nurkić played 33:48 against a usual 25.1 minutes; per 36 minutes the Game Score was 29.1, against a usual 13.6. Assists: 8, against a usual 4.2. The Jazz lost 129-119 at home against the Celtics. 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
Nurkić in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (28 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 33:48 | 25.1 | +8.7 |
| Points | 26 | 9.3 | +16.7 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 11 · 90.9% | 7.7 · 48.4% | +3.3 · +42.5 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 2-of-2 | 1.5 · 30.2% | +0.5 |
| FTA · FT% | 5 · 80.0% | 2.8 · 51.3% | +2.2 · +28.7 |
| Rebounds | 8 | 9.6 | -1.6 |
| Assists | 8 | 4.2 | +3.8 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2.5 | +0.5 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 28 games | 20.7 | 18.7 | +2.0 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 29.1 | 13.6 | +15.5 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (28 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 6 (2-of-2) | 1.4 (0.5-of-1.5) | +4.6 |
| Twos | 16 (8-of-9) | 6.5 (3.2-of-6.2) | +9.5 |
| Free throws | 4 (4-of-5) | 1.4 (1.4-of-2.8) | +2.6 |
| Total | 26 | 9.3 | +16.7 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
27.3 against a usual 9.5 (+17.8)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +17.0 |
| Rebounds | -0.7 |
| Assists | +2.7 |
| Steals and blocks | -1.6 |
| Turnovers and fouls | +0.4 |
| Total | +17.8 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of 29 games this season.
Previous best: 20.2, set on Dec 12, 2025.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Jazz lost 129-119 at home against the Celtics.
- Previous appearance: Dec 27, 2025, 3 days earlier.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Celtics this season: 11 points (Nov 3, 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.