Luke Kennard 18 points vs Grizzlies (Jan 21, 2026): season-best Game Score
18 PTS · 7-of-9 FG · 4-of-5 3P · 24:42 MIN
Usual before this game: 7.5 PTS · 5.2 FGA · 20.3 MIN, from 39 regular-season games
Best Game Score of 40 games this season: 18.3 against a usual 6.8 (+11.5)
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 Luke Kennard score 18 points?
In 24:42 against the Grizzlies on Jan 21, 2026, Luke Kennard scored 18 points: 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three (80.0%). Coming in, Kennard had averaged 7.5 points on 5.2 shots in 20.3 minutes, from 39 regular-season games. This game had the best Game Score of 40 games this season. Kennard took 9 shots, 3.8 more than usual. By shot type: threes 12 points (usual 4.5); two-pointers 6 points (usual 2.3). Kennard played 24:42 against a usual 20.3 minutes; per 36 minutes the Game Score was 26.7, against a usual 12.1. At the Grizzlies, the Hawks won 124-122. 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
Kennard in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (39 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 24:42 | 20.3 | +4.4 |
| Points | 18 | 7.5 | +10.5 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 7-of-9 | 5.2 · 51.2% | +3.8 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 5 · 80.0% | 3.2 · 46.0% | +1.8 · +34.0 |
| Rebounds | 4 | 1.9 | +2.1 |
| Assists | 2 | 2.2 | -0.2 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0.7 | -0.7 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 38 games | 14.8 | 13.2 | +1.6 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 26.7 | 12.1 | +14.6 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (39 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 12 (4-of-5) | 4.5 (1.5-of-3.2) | +7.5 |
| Twos | 6 (3-of-4) | 2.3 (1.2-of-2.0) | +3.7 |
| Free throws | 0 (0-of-0) | 0.7 (0.7-of-0.8) | -0.7 |
| Total | 18 | 7.5 | +10.5 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
18.3 against a usual 6.8 (+11.5)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +9.6 |
| Rebounds | +0.8 |
| Assists | -0.1 |
| Steals and blocks | +1.2 |
| Turnovers and fouls | 0.0 |
| Total | +11.5 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of 40 games this season.
Previous best: 18.1, set on Jan 11, 2026.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Hawks won 124-122 at the Grizzlies.
- No earlier regular-season meetings with the Grizzlies this season.
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.