Nolan Traore: season-high 21 points vs Celtics (Jan 23, 2026)
21 PTS · 7-of-13 FG · 2-of-4 3P · 5-of-6 FT · 36:48 MIN
Usual before this game: 5.1 PTS · 5.5 FGA · 17.8 MIN, from 22 regular-season games
Best Game Score of 23 games this season: 16.1 against a usual 2.9 (+13.2)
Season-high 21 points (previous high 16, set on Jan 18, 2026)
above usual
No more than 4 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 Nolan Traore score 21 points?
Nolan Traore scored 21 points against the Celtics on Jan 23, 2026 in 36:48: 7-of-13 from the field (53.8%), 2-of-4 from three, 5-of-6 on free throws (83.3%). Before this game, Traore averaged 5.1 points on 5.5 shots in 17.8 minutes across 22 regular-season games. The previous high this season was 16 points. By Game Score it was the best of 23 games this season. The shot count was 13, against a usual 5.5. Traore shot 53.8% from the field, against a usual 32.2%. By shot type: two-pointers 10 points (usual 1.8); free throws 5 points (usual 0.7); threes 6 points (usual 2.6). Minutes: 36:48, against a usual 17.8; Game Score per 36 minutes: 15.8, against a usual 5.8. Steals and blocks: 2 and 1, against a usual 0.4 and 0.2. At home against the Celtics, the Nets lost 130-126. 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
Traore in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (22 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 36:48 | 17.8 | +19.0 |
| Points | 21 | 5.1 | +15.9 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 13 · 53.8% | 5.5 · 32.2% | +7.5 · +21.6 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 2-of-4 | 2.8 · 31.1% | +1.2 |
| FTA · FT% | 6 · 83.3% | 0.9 · 80.0% | +5.1 · +3.3 |
| Rebounds | 3 | 1.1 | +1.9 |
| Assists | 2 | 2.7 | -0.7 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1.3 | +0.7 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 21 games | 21.9 | 18.2 | +3.7 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 15.8 | 5.8 | +10.0 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (22 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 6 (2-of-4) | 2.6 (0.9-of-2.8) | +3.4 |
| Twos | 10 (5-of-9) | 1.8 (0.9-of-2.7) | +8.2 |
| Free throws | 5 (5-of-6) | 0.7 (0.7-of-0.9) | +4.3 |
| Total | 21 | 5.1 | +15.9 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
16.1 against a usual 2.9 (+13.2)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +12.4 |
| Rebounds | +0.5 |
| Assists | -0.5 |
| Steals and blocks | +2.1 |
| Turnovers and fouls | -1.3 |
| Total | +13.2 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of 23 games this season.
Previous best: 12.5, set on Jan 2, 2026.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Nets lost 130-126 at home against the Celtics.
- Previous appearance: Jan 21, 2026, 2 days earlier.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Celtics this season: 0 points (Nov 18, 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.