Zeke Nnaji: season-high 13 points vs Cavaliers (Jan 2, 2026)
13 PTS · 3-of-6 FG · 1-of-4 3P · 6-of-6 FT · 23:54 MIN
Usual before this game: 2.1 PTS · 1.5 FGA · 8.1 MIN, from 20 regular-season games
Best Game Score of 21 games this season: 12.1 against a usual 1.5 (+10.6)
Season-high 13 points (previous high 6, set on Nov 24, 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 Zeke Nnaji score 13 points?
In 23:54 against the Cavaliers on Jan 2, 2026, Zeke Nnaji scored 13 points: 3-of-6 from the field, 1-of-4 from three, 6-of-6 on free throws (100.0%). Before this game, Nnaji averaged 2.1 points on 1.5 shots in 8.1 minutes across 20 regular-season games. The 13 points were a season high, above the previous 6. By Game Score it was the best of 21 games this season. Nnaji took 6 shots, 4.5 more than usual. Points by shot type, against the usual: free throws 6 (0.4), two-pointers 4 (1.2), threes 3 (0.5). Minutes: 23:54, against a usual 8.1; Game Score per 36 minutes: 18.2, against a usual 6.8. The Nuggets lost 113-108 at the Cavaliers. 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
Nnaji in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (20 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 23:54 | 8.1 | +15.8 |
| Points | 13 | 2.1 | +10.9 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 3-of-6 | 1.5 · 51.7% | +4.5 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 1-of-4 | 0.7 · 23.1% | +3.3 |
| FTA · FT% | 6 · 100.0% | 0.6 · 72.7% | +5.4 · +27.3 |
| Rebounds | 5 | 1.4 | +3.6 |
| Assists | 0 | 0.3 | -0.3 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0.4 | -0.4 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 18 games | 16.0 | 11.7 | +4.3 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 18.2 | 6.8 | +11.4 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (20 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 3 (1-of-4) | 0.5 (0.2-of-0.7) | +2.5 |
| Twos | 4 (2-of-2) | 1.2 (0.6-of-0.8) | +2.8 |
| Free throws | 6 (6-of-6) | 0.4 (0.4-of-0.6) | +5.6 |
| Total | 13 | 2.1 | +10.9 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
12.1 against a usual 1.5 (+10.6)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +8.7 |
| Rebounds | +1.0 |
| Assists | -0.2 |
| Steals and blocks | +0.7 |
| Turnovers and fouls | +0.4 |
| Total | +10.6 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of 21 games this season.
Previous best: 4.4, set on Nov 24, 2025.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Nuggets lost 113-108 at the Cavaliers.
- Previous appearance: Dec 29, 2025, 4 days earlier.
- No earlier regular-season meetings with the Cavaliers 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.